MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17029, 1 May 1923, Page 7

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

CHRISTCHURCH. TO-DAY’S CASES. TO-DAY’S CASES. To-day’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Cuort was presided over by Mr H. Y. W-iddowso n, S. M. For drunkennes a first offender was fined 10s with the usual default. REMANDED. Sydney Pierson, aged 33. was charged on four counts with failing to account for a sum totalling £23 to W. H. Went. Mr W. F. Tracy appeared for the accused. In asking for a remand Senior-Detec-tive T. Gibson said that probably other charges wohid be brought. The accused was a married man. A remand till to-morrow was granted. bail being allowed in accused’s own bond of £IOO and two sureties of £SO. MAINTENANCE CASES. James Holland, for disobeying the terms of a maintenance order, on which he was £l2 16s in arrears, was sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment unless he pays £T 16s. Wm James Oourjtney was sentenced to two months’ iniprisonment for disobeying a maintenance order. The warrant will be suspended if he pays £96 10s. Arthur J. Cress well was ordered to pay au increased amount under a maintenance order, payments being fixed at 15s weekly. Philip Stratford was ordered to pay 2s 6d a week towards the maintenance of each of four grandchildren. SUPPORT OF GRANDCHILDREN. Catherine Gallagher (Mr A. W. Brown) was charged with failing to maintain two grandchildren. Mr W. F. Tracy* who appeared for the mother of the children, said that the father was a son of defendant. The son stayed on the farm of defendant and never did any work owing to an alleged inability to do any. Giving evidence Mrs Gallagher said that she had to support a daughter and a son. There was another daughter who taught music and was able to keep herself. The son was totally incapacitated and was getting a pension of 10s a week. She claimed that she was behind •in payments, and that the outstanding debts at present totalled £SOO. She said that she had already had to meet expenses of £l4O for keeping her son’s wife, but she was unable to do anything else for her and-her children. Mr Tracy said that the financial state of the defendant was much better than was being made out. Though she pleaded poverty her who was in Court, was dressed in fine clothes and wore glace kid shoes. The Magistrate said that he did not like the idea of defendant working ud an agitation in the district. He expressed himself as dissatisfied with the relations of the mother (the defendant) and the son. The defendant was ordered to pay 2s 6:1 a week for each of the two child-