POLICE COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5549, 22 February 1886, Page 3

POLICE COURT.

This Day. (Before the Hon J. T. Peacock, and J. Deans and J. T. Matson, Esqs.) Illegally on* the Premises. — Preston Dawson and Daniel Wilson, charged with being on the premises of the Telegraph office on Saturday night without lawful excuse, admitted the offence, but stated that tbey were working at Sydenham, and had stopped in town till it waa too late to get a bed anywhere, and had gone into a loft in the Telegraph office yard to sleep. The Bench sentenced accused to twentyfour hours' imprisonment. Drunkenness. — Mile 3 Eyan was fined 10s, or forty-eight houra' imprisonment for thia offence. Dasiaqe to Property. — Paddy Dunn, William Noble, Charles Hinney and Charles Austin were charged, on information, with damaging the property of Nellie Hughes, ta the valuo of JC-1. The accused did not appear, but Mr Spackman, who defended them, applied for an adjournment for a week on the ground that one of his witneseea waa ill in bed, and that the amount of damage had been paid in full. Inspector Pender opposed the remand, stating that the accused belonged to a party of men travelling about the country, who never stayed long in one place. It waa aa likely aa not that they would be off to Dunedin that night. They had been served with the summonses on Saturday afternoon. The Ben:h said that the men should havo been at the Court, and after some further discussion, adjourned for half au hour, Mr Sp-iekinan undertaking to communicate with 1113 clients, and got them to appear. On resuming, the accused were present, with the exception of Austin, "who had not been served with the sum-

mons. They admitted having been at the 1 house on the night of the disturbance. Mi Spackman again applied for a remand foi a week, on the ground that the woman 1 whose property had been destroyed had ; expressed herself satisfied with the repara--1 tion that had been made. Inspector , Pender Baid that the case was a very bad I one. The men had gone to the house — a 1 brothel — on the night of Feb. 9, Bmashed a number of articles within, and then 1 gone outside and broken the windows. He pointed out that under the Malicious , Injury to Property Act the accused were ■ liable to imprisonment. The Bench decided to hear the evidence, which bore out the statements of Mr Pender, and showed that the woman Hughes had been paid £5 as compensation. In reply to the Bench, Mr Ponder stated that the men were some of those who had recently come over from Sydney, and been heard of a good deal lately. Mr Spackman said that if the police wished to get rid of the men, they would leave Christchurch that night. The Bench said they were determined to put down riotous conduct of this sort, and would fine each of the accused £2, or in default, fourteen days' imprisonment. They would also have to pay witness' expenses. The fines, Sec, were paid.