MAGISTERIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8573, 15 March 1906, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

I : — * CHRISTCHURCH. Thursday, Makch 15. ' (Before Mr V. G. Day, S.M.) , Drunkenness. — Two first offenders were fined each 5s and costs on charges of drunkenness.— James O'Brien and John Kelly were fined each 10s and costs on similar charges. Vagrancy. — Antonio Fernando:: pleaded guilty to a charge of vagrancy. He was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, the sentence tc- be suspended on condition that the accused remained in the Samaritan Home for the specified period. Civil Cases. — In the following cases the defendants did not appear, and judgment was given for tlie plaintiffs by default : — Mayor and Councillors of Christchurch v. John William Kissell, claim £3 11s Id; Craddock and Orr v., H. M. Carson, £1 14s sd ; James Hiron v. William Ingham, £1 17s 9d;J. A. Redpath and Son (Mr Murphy) v. Robert Clough, £14 13s 4d. Judgment Summons. — Andrew M'Kinnon (Mr TJpham) claimed £3 5s from Frank Daniels on a judgment summons. After ■ hearing the evidence of the debtor, who was earning about £2 per week and had a wife and family, the Magistrate refused th© order, stating that the man appeared to be doing his best with his debts^ Claim for Rent. — Selwyn J. G. Davies (Mr Johnston) olaimed £6 16e from George Stevenson, £5 6s for rent and £1 103 for the repair of two broken windows. The defendant had rented a house from plaintiff's late mother. Under her will, plaintiff was executor, but defendant had refused to pay his rent on the ground that he had no proof as to the person entitled to receive it. Defendant admitted that he owed rent to someone. The windows had been broken while defendant was in possession, but he stated that they had been blown in by the wind, and that he was not responsible for structural weakness. After hearing evidence, the Court gave judgment for the plaintiff, with costs. A Plaintiff Piper. — "Richard Fullbrook claimed £1 from Patrick Campbell (Mr Neave) for services rendered as a player of the. bagpipes. He stated that he had been employed by defendant, and on Sunday, November 18. had been asked to play for the benefit of some visitors. A payment of £1, the usual charge, was arranged, and 'plaintiff operated on the pipes for an hour and a half in the garden during the evening. He had not been able to collect the money, and had been threatened wffeh the police when he demanded it. The defendant stated that he had made no such arrangement. The plaintiff had played, and had been asked to take his instrument to the other Bide of the house, away from the nursery. Otherwise he had acted upon his own responsibility entirely. Judgment was given for the defendant. Missing Deeds. — Ellen M'Quinn (Mr Brown) claimed an order for the possession of certain deede against her husband, John M'Quinn (Mr Cunningham). She stated that she -owned certain property and corresponding deeds. Her husband had broken open her box and taken the deeds, and she demanded that they should be returned. The defendant denied that he possessed the deeds. He produced one, which he stated he had picked up when it had fallen from his wife's clothes during a quarrel with a policeman, and accused her of behaving. in an irresponsible manner in regard to her deedfl. The evidence indicated that the parties had mutual grievances, and the case was adjourned until Monday next in order that inquiries might be made.