MAGISTERIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5701, 19 August 1886, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

I MAGISTRATE'S COURT. j CHEISTCHUBCH. ! This Day. (Before J. OUivier,Esq., R.M.,R.Westenra, , G. L. Lee, and W. H. Lane, Eaqs.) i Alleged Lakceny. — Minnie Bench, was accused of stealing a potato fork, value 6s, the property of Alfred Gibbs. It appeared that the owner of the fork had been living : with accused and another woman, and when , he went a^ay he left the fork behind him, and Bench offered it for sale. The case was dismissed. j Not Pkoven. — Margaret M'Devitt, licensee of the Gladstone Hotel, was charged with selling sixpence worth of beer to a person neither a lodger nor a traveller on Sunday, July 11 last. Mr Loughrey appeared for the defendant. Inspector Pender called Albert Ashley, a labourer, working at Bipa Island, who deposed that he had slept in Christchnrch on the night or July 10, and on the following evening (Sunday) he went to the Gladstone Hotel with a woman named Butler. He went inside and had two bottles filled i with beer. Butler gave him the money to i pay for the beer. He had been refused liquor there on the Sunday morning. Mary Butler also gave evidence, but she was evidently a reluctant, witness, and her atfttenent did not agree with Ashley's. Mr Loughrey said that Mrs M'Devitt had no ! recollection of supplying this man with j liquor. It vra.3 her rule to serve none but boarders and travellers, and every possible precaution was taken to ascertain that persons who called in were bond fide travelj lers. The defendant and a former barman ' at the hotel gave evidence, which bore out j the solicitor's statement. Mr Ollivier said i there was not sufficient evidence to enable j the Bench to convict, but he advised the ' ! licensee to be extremely careful. He I thought the best way for the tow a hotels 1 was to have the bar closed up altogether on . Sunday, except for boardera. There were i really no travellers about the City on Sun- • days. Case dismissed. l I Milk and Water. — James Livingstone i ' was charged with, belling milk adulterated i with water on July 2. Mr Salter appeared ■ for the defendant. Constable Bennetts, ; Inspector of Weights and Measures,, stated

that on July 21'lSjgfrHe-i>wcha3ed a sample of milk from defendant— about a pint— just as lie had' Stashed' sashing one of his customers. Told ieftend&oi who he was | after making the purchase,, and offered to t divide the sample with' hisa if he liked. Defendant said it did 1 not matter. Took the milk to Professor Blcberton, who divided it into two parts? one of which he gave to witness in a sealed bottle, and retained the other for analysis, in accordance with the Act. Aleaanc&er William Bickerton, Government Analyst), stated that he had found that the milk contiined 20 per cent of water below the standard fixed by the Act, and also Bhowed a large deficiency of milk fats. In quality it was 30 per cent below the average of other samples of milk obtained in ChrMchurch. Defendant said that on the morning the j Inspector purchased the sample he had j bought three gallons of milk from' another milkman, and had mixed this- with two j gallons of milk from hia own dairy. Mr j Salter contended that, as defendant could ! not, under the circumstances, know what j he was selling, he was not responsible. j The Bench considered it would never do> to , allow such an argument to prevail 1 , and [ fined defendant £2 and costs, including £2 2s analyst's expenses. Miscellaneous. — William Ulyett was fined JBI for being the owner of sheep ■ infested with lice in Addington yardm — j Chung Shee, for leaving ahorse and vehicle unattended in the street, was fined 53. — E. Harris, for hawking without a license and; not having his name on his cart, was fined J6l ss, and John Ford, for unlicensed hawking, 10s and costs.