MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20056, 20 September 1920, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

TO-DAY’S CASES. CHRISTCHURCH. Mr ‘S. E. McCarthy. S.M., presided -at to-day’s sitting of the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court. DRUNKENNESS . A first offender, who did not ai>pear, ivas convicted of drunkenness, and ordered to pay* ss, in default twentyfour hours' imprisonment. Sub-Inspec-tor Dew said that tho accused was an old man, and had a lot of money on lain when arrested. Timothy Riordan pleaded guilty to drunkenness and to committing a breach of his prohibition order by procuring liquor. He asked tor a chance for tho last time, as he could get work in tho country, town being no good to him. Mr McCarthy'convicted him, ana ordered him to come up for sentence when called upon, stating that if tho accused were brought before tho Court again, he would have to go to Roto Roa for twelve mouths. If he valued bis liberty ho would keep away from the drink. John Lawson pleaded guilty to drunkenness on Sunday. Ho explained that he did not get the liquor from tho public houses. Mr McCarthy; I see; you laid in a dtook gn Saturday night. Accused _ laughingly a greed. He was imprisonment. A DISAPPOINTED SCOT. Ehenezer Gilroy was charged with drunkenness, and also with breaking a cab window, valued at £3. He pleaded guilty to tho first charge, hut not to the other. He spoke in broad Scotch dialect, and did not trouble to conceal his disgust with things generally in tlio Dominion. Constable Shine .said that on Saturday afternoon he arrested the accused in Manchester Street for drunkenness. Whilst bringing him in a cab to the station, accused put his boot through the window of the cab. Gilroy was pretty drunk, but knew what he was doing. He had resisted on being put into the cab. Frederick G. Cbinnery, licensed cabdriver, said that he heard a rumpus in the cab, and pulled up. He put his arms through the trap-door, and hold on to the accused for a bit, to try to calm him. Witness started driving again, and away went the glass. ' Ho did not see who broke it. Accused, who repeatedly said ihathe could not hear the witnesses, offered to exchange the dock for a position nearer the witness-box, hut the Stipendiary Magistrate declined. Accused: I did not want to go in the cab(Laughter.) Did I engage you? Witness; No, the police did, and I am very sorry I got the job. When asked what he had to say, the accused intimated that he was disgusted with New Zealand, and £2O weekly would not keep him in the country. They could send him back as soon as they liked. There were plenty of boats going, and tho first British ‘boat they heard of being short-handed, thev could refer them to him. He was altogether too wicked for this country or they wore too goody-goody fr him! They had no sense of reason or freedom. The Magistrate convicted the accused on both charges, and said that the drunkenness was a third offence, and a sentence of fourteen days’ imprisonment would bo ordered. Accused must also pay £3 for the damaged window or go to prison for another fourteen days, the sentences to he cumulative. Accused left the dock asserting that h© did not wish to be a serf, because lie was a freeman. RAILWAY SHED THEFTS, Philip Brown (Mr Ward) was charged with stealing a motor-cycle cover on or about July 21 Inst, the property of tho New Zealand Railway Denariment, and valued at £3 10s. Ho pleaded guilty. Chief-Detective M’Tlveney, who prosecuted, said that tho accused was a carter employed by J. Brightling. a railway contractor. On Jnlv 21 accused’s cart was loaded at the Christc lurch railway shed, and the goods checked. Subsequently the incensed went into tho shed and took away the motor-cycle cover. The 'amount of thieving in and about the railway goods shed was simply annalling, and' a. dishonest carter about the place made the getting away of the stolen goods a very easy matter. The accused was a married man with one child. He had previously served a fentenee of three’ years’ imprisonment for robbery. Mr Ward protested against* the reference to the previous conviction, which,. ho said, occurred eighteen years ago. The accused had a stood character from ins employer, and had taken the motor-cycle cover because he wanted one A fine, it was suggested, would meet the case. The accused had given the police no trouble, and the cover which had not been used, had been returned. Mr M’Carthy said that the Court was coni routed with a serious problem a-s the railway sheds, and the wharf trouts were becoming unsafe for public and private property. It.was necessary m»the interests of the public tint these matters be dealt with firmly. Ho would not take any notice of the nrevmus conviction, but for tbe present offence the accused must go to prison lor one mouth, with hard labour. CTVII, SITTINGS. Judgment W default was -dreii for tbe plaintiffs, with costs, in the following cases Gordon and Gotch, Ltd- v Ernest Omlvie. £IH 2s Id: ,Tame.s Ai rk v. Dominion College of Radio l.eloerapiiy. Ltd.. £4O; Clarence Christie Aitken v same. £35 3s; Cooper and Duncan Ltd y Henry Isaacs. £1 ]2s ( ' d , ; y «« of tho AW. t\l £U Hs aVel1 ’ deCCaSed ’ V>