MAGISTERIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9954, 16 September 1910, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

CHRISTCHURCH. Friday, SwrTEsriiKii 16. (Before Mr T. A. 13. Bailey, S.M.) Diujnkenxkss.—One first ■offender for drunkenness was fined os and costs, in default twenty-lour hours' imprisonment. Vagrancy.—Joseph Taylor was sentenced to six months' imprison merit on a charge- of being a rogue- and vagabond, without lawful means of support, lie having previously been eonvisted of being an idle and disorderly person. Following ox Bigamy. Florence Hilda Whitford charged John Whitford witli having failed to contribute towards the support of his four children. The complainant said that she "had been divorced from Whitford as a result of his having committed bigamy, for which he had served a term of imprisonment. Custody of the children had been given to her. Tho defendant had been released from gaol on Juno 8, but since then had contributed nothing to the children's support. She had received charitable aid for a while. The defendant said that he earned 20s a week and found in the country. He offered to pay 3's a week for each child, and an order in accordance with his offer was made.

Dismissed.—David Lloyd (Mr Donnelly) was charged with having in July stolen a bicycle, valued at £5, the property of Leonard Newman. Leonard Newman said that ho worked with Ll'oy'd at a livery stable Ho had taken his bicycle to a cycle repair shop in June to have it re-paired. In July he heard that Lloyd had taken his own bicycle to the same simp, and had taken Newman's. He admitted having had tho bicycle belonging to witness. When asked for the bicycle. Lloyd had said that he had given it to- a boy, avlio had said that witness had sent him. Some time afterward he had seen a man riding his machine. The bicycle's bandies had been changed and mud-guards had been affixed. After his arrest, Lloyd had said that he had meant the whcle affair as a joke. To Mr Donnelly the witness said ho had lent the bicycle to Lloyd when ho had first found that he had it. Lloyd had paid for the repairs to the bicycle. Detective Ward said that Lloyd had admitted having sold the bicvele, and had handed it over to him. The case was dismissed.

Theft of a Coat.—Stephen Harris (Mr Donnelly) and Charles O'Malley (Mr Cassidy) were charged with having on August 29 stolen an overcoat, valued at £5 ss, the property of F. D. Kesteven. Harris was also charged with having stolon a silk handkerchief on the same date. F. D. Kesteven said that the coat had been taken at the Union Rowing Club's boatsheds. Harris had been at the sheds looking on at a d;inco. Ho had put both of them out of the sheds. Detective Snow said that the coat had been found in O'Malley's possession. O'Malley said that ho had been at the sheds with Harris, and that he had purchased the coat from him, and that they had been drunk. Harris said that O'Malley had taken the coat, and ho had called out to him, "Don't carry it, put it on." Harris pleaded guilty to bavins; taken the silk handkerchief. O'Malley gavo evidence, and denied having taken the coat, and said he had bought it from Harris. He had been drinking a groat deal in Christ"lm v ch. Harris, in evidence, said tint O'Ma'loy had taken the coat. O'Malley was acnitted. Harris was fined £5 and costs for -iio theft of the coat, and 20s for the theft of the handkerchief. CirnixßT ox FißK.—Mary Jano Harris was fined os and costs lor having allowed a chimney to catch on fire. Cyclists at CoriiT.—Johnston Biltnn was fined 10s and costs for having ridden a bicycle without a light attached at nitrht.—Bert Brown (Mr Hunt) pleaded not guilty to a charge of having ridden a motor-bicvclo on the footpath of the Riccattrm Road. A witness gavo the number of the machine, which was shown to ho the trade number of a firm, which had three motor-bicycles with the same number. Brown denied that ho had been near the Riccarton Road.' The case was dismissed. No "Wahni.ng GrvivX. —Harold Alloway was fined 10s and costs for having driven* a motor-car without having a bell or an instrument to give warning. The police stated that,the defendant had run into a cvclist.

A revolution in motor-boat racing will follow the invention by Sir John Thornycrqit of an entiiely new form of craft, to which ho has given the gonc-ral description of " skimmer." The first of these, boats—Miranda IV. —ran a trial trip on the Thames, and attained a speed of nearly 38 knots (42iJ miles) per hour. "When at rest the craft resembles an ordinary boat, but when fairly "on the. way" she appears to lift herself out of the water and fly'along the surface. The Miranda, weighs about 1} ton, her engines are of 300 h.p., her lcneth is 26ft, and the cost is from ,£9OO to £IOOO.

The pianist Slivinski gave a concert in Berlin some time ago, and. was very much surprised at not receiving his cheque. The concert was given in a private house, and after waiting, soma time he thought he would send in his bill. So he marie it out in a businesslike way:--" Prelude CChonin), 20 marks; Impromptu (Chopin), 50 marks; Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven), .120 marks); expenses, 10 marks.—-Total. 200 marks." Just as he was folding up the letter he had a qualm of conscience, and ndded a postscript:-- '' P.S.-'l skipped three bars in the Chomn prelude, so deduct 10 marks and send me IW„"