ASSAULT AND BATTERY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11027, 16 March 1914, Page 6

ASSAULT AND BATTERY.

POLICE COURT DISCLOSURES. THE DARK END OF TOWN. CONSTABLES' ROUGH PASSAGE. A wicked week-end was chronicled at tho Magistrate's Court this morning. The constables had not been vice crusading altogether, but they had caught some rare samples. Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., was hard put to it to get them all through in half an hour. HEROIC MURRAY. Robert Murray, a big, spare man, described as a labourer, admitted that he had been drunk and disorderly, and had resisted Edmund O'Dea and torn his trousers and battered his helmet, doing damage to the extent of 355. Ho denied that lie had assaulted "Elizabeth Reid, a female," as the charge sheet reftd. The constable's nice new helmet was produced in Court, absolutely " done in." The tattered trousers were flaunted in the Magisterial eye, tho ghost of their former selves. O'Dea was back to his old shako, pending a visit to the hatter. He said that he was sent for because Murray was maltreating a woman in Madras Street. (O'Dea did not say so, but lie has a bad beat.) Murray knocked him down, and in the ensuing scrum tho uniform suffered. O'Dea rescued the woman, whom Robert had been dragging along the street, after pulling the blouse off her. PROHIBITION PRESCRIBED. "What made you carry on like a wild beast?" said the Magistrate to Murray. "Too much whisky," he said. The Magistrate said that he was old enough to be < weaned of v/l:!sky and issued a prohibition order as a preliminary, remarking that for the next twelve months Murray would get drunk only with great difficulty. For drunkenness he was fined 10s, m default forty-eight hours; for resisting the police 20s, in default one m.'intli; for asfaiil'; ho was convicted, and for damaging property .he was ordered to pay 3os 6d damages, in default one month's imprisonment. Murray left the dock a sadder and a dryer man. Elizabeth Reid. tho object of Murray's playful attentions, was fined 5s and costs for drunkenness and 10s and costs for breach of a prohibition order.

GAOL FOR BOTH. William Absolum and Daisy Clark were put in the dock together, charged with breaking the Seventh Oomma:rJment.in St Asaph Street. "I remember having, some wine," she said, "but I do not remember the other offence." Constable Hislop said that he caught the couple at 10.10 on Saturday right on the "footpath in St Asaph Street, near a vacant section. He denied that they were drunk. Mr Leathern asked that the young man, who had no record, should rot be sent to gaol.' "I cannot help it," said the Magistrate. " I have no discretion.' I have said that if people will do this and only plead drunkenness they must take the consequences. Of course a woman of her description is treated differently from the man, though'l do not know that is altogether logical." "Fourteen days' imprisonment with hard labour." said the . Magistrate. " I will treat them both alike." The woman was ordered to pay 13s for a medical officer's visit, as she had complained of a weak heart in the cells. •' RUNNING THE CUTTER.'' *

A youth of twenty, iwho looked more like sixteen, was koist-ed into the dock chewing gum.

He admitted that he had behaved in a disorderly manner while drunk near Church. Square, Addington. Sub-Inspector Mackinnon said that the youth had got a, "cutter" of beer from a hotel. Unfortunately this was not an offence for a youth under twenty-one, unless the liquor was consumed on the premises. "It ought to he," said the Magistrate. The youth was convicted and prohibited, with a warning. Another first offender, a woman, was fined 5b and costs. A man was fined 5s and costs. A second man, badly battered, was remanded till Saturday for overhaul. Henry James Brown (Mr Cassidy) who had been liberated from Roto Roa after surviving seven months, was remanded to ascertain whether he had been discharged or released on probatiW. D. P. Mahoney was remanded for similar inquiries. YOUNG CYCLE THIEVES. David Cole and William Barkwith, two youths, both of whom had been convicted previously, as juveniles, admitted the theft of a bicycle, valued at £2, the property of some person unknown. It was stated that a constable while passing Kempt-horn© and Prosser's pre-, mises heard a tapping in a shed, and on investigating found the youths taking a cycle to pieces. They said that there had been a. collision, and they were straightening the rim. Ho had his suspicions, and found that they were lying. A fine of 40s, in default one month's imprisonment, was imposed in each case.