MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19986, 29 June 1920, Page 8

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

TO-DAY'S SITTING.

CHRISTCHURCH,

Mr S. E. M’Carthy. S.M., presided a.j; to-day ’9 sitting of the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court. DRUNKENNESS. Two first offenders, charged with drunkenness, were convicted and fined os each, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment. OBSCENE LANGUAGE. James Gorrie, a sailor, charged with using obscene language, pleaded guilty l and explained that he was drunk. The Magistrate said that the Court would allow no toleration for such language. A sentence of one mouth’s im prisonment would bo imposed. BREACH OF ORDER. Robert Leathern (.Mr Rowe) was charged with committing a breach of his prohibition order, ami also with procuring liquor during its currency. Ho pleaded guilty and was convicted 1 and discharged- on the first charge and fined £2 on the other. MAINTENANCE. Daniel Marsden Baines was charged i with disobeying a maintenance order I made on December 4, 1909, the arrears being £lßl 7s (3d. Mr Thomas, who appeared for the accused, said that- it could not be denied that some arrears were due, but; there was some doubt about tho j amount. * j The case was adjourned for n week. 1 John H. Barkle, charged with failing to maintain bis son, an inmate of tlie Christchurch Receiving Home, ! pleaded inability to pay. He explain- j ed his circumstances to the Magistrate. who adjourned Hie case for two ; months in order to give the accused a 1 chance to pay smoothing meanwhile, j Henry Edward Heath was ordered to I pay 5s weekly for the. maintenance of j his son. an inmate of V.craroa. and to , pay off the arrears at the rate of 2s (id : weekly. A CASE OF THEFT. Sarah Murphy (Mr Thomas) was ( charged with stealing on June 28 one ; skirt. oii<- iihHudrcss and one bodice, 1 of a total value of £2 Bs\ Hie property ■ of J. Ballantyue and Cm, Ltd. She ; elected to he dealt with summarily; and pleaded guilty. i Cluel-Detective ' M’Tlvency. who pro- | ■'edited, said that yesterday afternoon ; the accused went to the ladies’ de-1 parlmcut of Batlanlyiie’s and look the ;• articles from UlO “counter. She was ; noticed and stopped. She was fined | UlO for :t similar offence at the D.I.C. | in October, 191-1. _ j .Mr Thomas said that- his. client was suffering from cancer and was due to I go iu the hospital soon for an onora- ; lion, from which she would probably : not Recover. ‘ Hhe eon \! cab uiitle | food and occasionally took too much liquui. That occurred yesterday, and t under its influence she committed the ; iheft. Site had a hard time, and knew I that she had not long to live. Her 1 husband was a very decent sort. It was j an unfortunate "ase, , Mr M’Oarthy said that no "ood oh- 1 ject would be served bv_ sending the woman to prison, but it did seem strange that one under the shadow of death should do such things. She would he fined £lO and ordered to pay the costs. A prohibition order would also he issued against her. ■ SANCTUARY TRESPASS. c Eric Little and Hector Yaxley were charged with shooting on May 14 two swamphens at the AVnodend sanctuary. Both pleaded guilty. - Mr M. J. Giessen, who prosecuted for the Acclimatisation Society, said that the accused wore lads, and he did not press, for a heavy penalty, as the accused declared that they were unaware they were within the limits of tho sanctuary, as the notice boards had hecn shot or taken away. Defendants were convicted ami each fined £l, the minimum penalty, and ordered to pay costs. MOTORIST FINED. “William Kostoven Saxon was convicted of infringing the by-laws by leaving his car unattended at Iliccarton, on May 26, and was lined 40s, with costs. HORSE OWNER CHARGED. Daniel Joseph Hourigaii (Air Amedeo) was proceeded against by Inspector White, S.P.C.A., and charged with (1) cruelty to a horse on .June 5; (2) omitting to supply two horses with water oTfi,.lune 15. Inspector D. J. White, giving evidence, said that on Juno 15 he found two horses on a section in Colombo Street, and took them to the Animals’ Home. One was a chestnut hack about eight years old and the other was a, draught aged about nineteen years. Both had their tails recently docked, apparently by an amateur. Witness gave the horses some feed, but after about two minutes the draught horse fell down and died- Witness interviewed the defendant two days later, who admitted that ho had owned tho horses but had sold them, the hack to a hoy of seventeen years for 30s. He could not give tho boy’s name and When asked who docked the horses’ tails defendant said that he did the chestnut’s on June 5, as it was suffering from strangles. He did not know who docked the other tail. Witness gave him a, week to find “ the purchasers of the horses, but he had glvon no information. The chestnut was in the courtyard. To Mr Amodeo; Docking tails .was no remedy for strangles “Herbert S. S. Kyle, ti-iorinary surgeon. also gave evidence. Defendant gave evidence that he bought the chestnut a few days before June 5, tor £l. It had the strangles badly, and lie took off .one joint of the tail. He had many years; experience among horses, and on the Australian stations he had worked it was a common thing to dock tails to relieve strangles. .To Inspector White: The hov paid him tOs deposit, and was working off the rest at- tlie stables Ti:j’ Magistrate said that if was clear that defendant did not understand how to dock a horse’s tail properly. but- he had apparently acted in the belief that lie did. N 0 cmiviclion would be recorded in the “decking ’’ charee, but if be came before the Court again on a similar charge, it would be a serious matter for him. Tim chfirge of failing to supply i : onf l and wn ter to the two horses must' also be dismissed. as apparently thp defendant had arranged for others to feed the horses. IMPRISONMENT FOR FRAUD. John Thomas I.ougley, alias Jack Langley, was charged. (1) that at Sydenham, on June 1, be stole one gent’s overcoat, valued at £5, (be property of Frank Geary; (2) on Jimp 1. at Christchurch, lie stole a purse containing £1 2s 6d, and a scarf valued at 1.55. the property of Rhoda “Wilson; (3) on May 22, at Christchurch, did obtain board and lodgings to the value of £1 10? from Rhoda Wilson by moans of fraud; (4) on June 11, at Invercargill, did fail to comply with a maintenance order for the support of his four children. inmates of Auckland Rereiving Home; (51 on April 15, at Invercargill. did fail to maintain his child, aged six years. He pleaded guilty to the first three charge?. Chief-Detective MMlveney, who prosecuted. said that licensed was arrested at nhevint wearing the coal and -.seaia. Ihe 'Magistrate imposed a sentence of three months’ imprisonment for the fraud, to be followed liv nvo years' treatment at a retoruiaioi institution. On rhe charges of theft prisoner wa.convicted and discharged. On the iintiutenniv, r charges, tin- accused was remanded 1 > appear at Invercargill 011 July :. (Proceeding.)