RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

West Coast Times, Issue 630, 1 October 1867, Page 6

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Monday, September 30. (Before G. Gh FitzG-erald, Esq., R.M.) Drunk. — Jacob Sehulster and John M'Donald were each fined 10s, or to be imprisoned for four-and-twenty hours in default of payment. Indecency.— Frederick Bridgman, for this offence was fined L 2. with the option of four days' imprisonment. Breach of Police Ordinance. — Frederic William Isaacs, for obstructing the thoroughfare in lievell street, by allowing two carts to stand thereon, was fined Ll and costs. Breach of Police Ordinance. — An information, laid against James Manson, for obstructing the thoroughfare by hanging various articles over the same, was withdrawn by the police. Ib appeared the defendant's premises are inejibuilt right up to the street, and/efcat the goods wore hanging up witWiif" the front section pcg3. which were; pointed out to the constable by a liaison in the employ of the defendant .^/ A similar information, laid against Jqkh Cusgrave, was also withdrawn by flic^police. BItEACH. OF POMCE ORDINANCE. — An information, laid- by the police against Thomas M-'Call, tor digging on a thoroughfare, viz., the beach, was adjourned untill the 4th of October, to pliable the defendant to subpoena witnesses. - ' Assault. — Jane Perry was charged, on tlio information of Elizabeth Forster, with assaulting her on the 23rd inst. — Mr South appeared for the complainant. — Jfilizabeth Forster, being sworn, stated tjiat she was the wife of Robert Forster. foth complainant and defendant reside in ltzherbcrfc street. As witness was proceeding home on the day in question, carrying a bundle of clothes, she wet the

defendant, who without the slightest provocation pushed complainant down, and when the witness got up defendant struck her with her fist, and called her a " strumpet" and a "low-lived wretch." She afterwards struck complainant a second blow. Witness has suffered from the effects of the blows ever since. The complainant called no witnesses. — T3he defendant stated that as she was going down Fitzherbert street on the day in question, accompanied by her little boy and with a child in her arms, the complainant, who was carrying a bundle of clothes, ran up against her and knocked the boy down. Defendant pushed her to one side, remarking at the same time "'that she should live in the bush, and. not where respectable people lived.'' The complainant then struck the defendant. — Alexander Livingstone was called, and deposed that he saw the complainant run up against the defendant, and knock the boy down. The defendant told the comf plainant to stand on one side, and put her hand upon her, but did not strike her ; whereupon complainant put her bundle down and struck the defendant. Crossexamined by Mr South — Witness had had a conversation with Forster. He |old witness " he would like to have seen them have a good 'go in,' and his wife give Mrs Perry a good drubbing." Defendant did not strike the complainant. The case was here adjourned until the following day, to enable the defendant to call another witness. Assault, — J. P. Oakes, master of the Flying Cloud, was charged, on the information of Peter Sloan, with assaulting him on the 23rd instant. The complainant deposed, that he was formerly a seaman on board, the Flying Qloud. On Saturday, the 21st instant, the Captain told him to go ashore. On the Monday following he sent for witness to come to the Post Office Hotel to be paid his wages. The defendant offered witness L 3 4s, and told him to sign a receipt which, he handed him. He refnsed to, as it was a receipt in full of all demands. Witness claimed L 7 19s. He offered to sign a receipt for the amount the captain offered him £3 4s. Defendant then rose from the table, took complainant by the throat, and. struck him. Crossexamined by the defendant— Defendant asked me to return the money. He took hold of witness' hand to take the money out. Peter Bosing (a se.aman) deposed that he was ordered ashore on the same day as the complainant. He was present when the captain and the complainant had a dispute as to the amount of wages due to the complainant. Witness said the captain took hold of cpmplainant and struck him on the back of the head. Cross-examined by defend-; ant— Complainant would neither return the money (£3 45.) defendant had paid him nor would he sign a receipt for it. It was then defendant took hold of him. The defendant stated that he had offered the complainant the amount of wages due to him. He gave complainant £3 45., and requested him to sign a receipt which he refused to do, but rose from his chair and was about to leave the room. The defendant reached across the witness Bosing, who was sitting between them, and took hold of the complainant to prevent his leaving. He still refused to give a receipt for the £3 45., and^^^L ant took hold of his hand and^B^^^K^ to take the money from him^rßW^HPu^ strike the complainant. ' ~~~ The Magistrate remarked that the attempt to take the money from the complainant was, no doubt, an assault. De? fondant had not suffered any injury. TSe would not inflict a fine in this case. The information was, accordingly? dismissed.

The Dunstan district contributes the last Btpry of the Moa. A correspondent -writes to the " Dunstan Times," " Knowing that any- | thing new concerning tho Great Bird cannot ' fail to please a great number of your readers, I take the opportunity of detailing to you what actually came under my own observation. j In the first place, I must tell you fcnafc myself I and three mates have been sno wed-in for the ! ! laf£s i GPwe.eks, having thoughtlessly camped in some region contiguous to the North Pole, in searchv'of the precious metal ; and this is the first* opportunity I have had of transmitting * the following information : — On Saturday, $he four o'clock in the afternoon! ' -whilst jeniovinff a pipe by the side of a small fire "in onrNhufc, with the door open, my attention '. was!^|jiddenly directed to a large animal on thefoppxisite range. I was not long in doubt as Co%hat the stranger was. My mates cried out, ;S Jt's the Moa';' and the Moa sure it tv^:^ 1 The bird must have been more than a mile in a strait line from us j but as the horizon- -was clear, every movement could be detected. The bird was evidently going at a great pace, and I can only compare it to the movements of the Emu or Ostrich. We had a full view of the bird for more' than two minutes, when he suddenly disappeared on the other side of the rauge. He was travelling to the we3t, and I should think passed close to the Nakomai. I forward a sketch, as near as I possibly nan recollect, of the form, but as to size I am not able to judge, as the distance was so great, and no other objects near, to which I could compare. The morning after, my mates and self took a walk up the range, where -we first saw- him, and there we discovered his tracks in tho sno/w7 <rv "' Fresh [snow had fallen, [and we liaji-^ot a chance to continue our researched* Of course I well knew that many wfe 0 ' read this, will placo no reliancojon^lese statements, putp}})i~. ,t n f *lowh in the same category with storis* of the 3ea • serpent. I was myself soephoal for a long .time as to the Moa beiug extinot ? bufc .haying seen bo many proofs on the surface of the bird's recent sojourn amongst us T remain no longer in doubfc It is immateri.il to mo what others may think, ' for I am fully satisfied now that I based mv belief on what has tur.iuil out to bo true j and however tin-, tale muy go dowu with' the public, I ha » ■ • done my duty in making known the facts, i enclose my name as'la guarantee of good faith, no), for publication, knowing well, if it were to appcn; in print I should be assailed from all quarters ; land not wishing to carry oa a paper war on the faots of n case of which I cany.of have auy possible doubfc, 1 must i'or the present remain iwognilo. Any parties desiring to see the .enclosed sketch, you are at perfect liberty to exhibit it. I need only add that if a party oan be made up to go in search, I shall only be too happy to fprm one of its members," '