RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1248, 8 May 1884, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

ASHBD RTON. — To-day. (Before H, C. S. Baddeley, Esq , 8.M.) Drunkenness. —A first offender was find 40s and costs. John Murphy was charged with habitual drunkenness, and with being a vagrant. There were upwards of 20 previous convictions against the prisoner, and he was sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment. Larceny OT A Swag.— John Miller, on remand, was charged with stealing a swag, the property of Samuel Miller. Samuel Miller, a laborer, said he was in Rakaia last Friday evening. Left a swag with the barman at the Rakaia Hotel. Returned to take it away on Saturday morning. Was; informed that it had been taken by another man, and subsequently found it with contents lying near the railway.—Thomas Little, barman at South Rakaia Hotel, said that Samuel Miller left the swag with Mr Howell, the : landlord. On the same day the prisoner came to witness and demanded bis swag, which had been previously left at the hotel. The swag was handed to prisoner, and the following morning he came back again and said that after taking his swag away the previous day he had returned it, and now wanted it again. The witness then gave him what proved to be the informant’s swag. —Constable Phillips, stationed at Bakali, arrested prisoner on Saturday morning. ' The prisoner admitted taking the swng, hot said that he had done Bo by mistake The informant’s swag was found opened near the railway Hoe, and the prisoners : swag hidden amongst some grain eacl s about 80 yards from the hotel. The prisoner said that he had been drinking : for some time, and bad taken the second swag by mistake. On seeing the contents he thought his own swag had been tampered with, and communicated with the poliob himself. The prisoner was seatenoed to one month’s imprisonment with hard labor. ' OmSSOBS AGAINST BOROUGH BYE-LAWS, i Andrew 'Orr was fined 6a for allowing a Bona to Stray in Casa street. J. F. While was charged with the footpath in Blprnett street by tethering a horse anross the same, but on Mr White’s explanation of tbe circumstances tbe in-, j- formation was dismissed. . UnrbgistSred Doos.— Nelson Eden was fined IQs, and Peter Anderson la for keep.

ing unregistered doga. The charge against S. Saunders was withdr.wn* Assault. —Henry Mcltroy was charged with assaulting John Paterson. but there being no appearance of the plaintiff the case was dismissed. Disorderly Conduct —R. Mulford and W. Stephens were charged wiih disorderly conduct at the Wheatstone Hotel, and refusing to leave the house when requested to do so by the licensee. —J. Olliver, the licensee of the Wheatstone Hotel, said that the defendants came

, to his house on the 23rd April last, and conducted themselves in a very disorderly • manner, refusing to leave when he re- • quested them to. They made use of ' very bad language and threatened to ! punch the witness’s head. Th a y repeated i the offence on the 25th April. Had refused prisoners bread and cheese and beds. —Johr Miles and James Graham corroborated the evidence of the previous witness —Stephens was fined L 7 on the two charges, with the alternative of two months’ imprisonment, and Mulford was fined L 6 with the same alternative. Offence against Public Works <ct, James Croy was charged with crossing the railway line at Burnett street with horses and a dray while a train was approaching.—Mr Crisp appeared for the defendant.—Evidence was called, from which it appeared that the defendant had experienced a very narrow escape, the coal heaps alongside the line having hidden the approaching train. —His Worship was of opinion that Mr Croy had exercised every reasonable precaution, and after examination of coal heaps referred to in evidence, dismissed the charge. No Lights -P. L. K. Hill, J. P. Butler and M. A. Woodley were find 30s, 40s and 20a respectively for neglecting to keep lights burning before their (licensed housev during the night of May 4:h. Remission. —R. Lancaster, who was fined at last Court for keeping an unregistered dog, now appeared and showed that the omission arose through it misapprehension between himself and the registrar and the tine was remitted. civil cases. Judgment was given for plaintiffs in the following cases Longbeach Road Board v. Anderson, LlO 5s ; Upper Ashburton I’ >ad Board v. Strange and Fountain, L2 3v 9d ; Same v. Gough, L 6 3s; Same v. Brick, L2 10s IGd; Same v. 1 Mann, L 4 4a Id; Mitchell and Turner v. O’Connor, L 3 15a 6d; Journeaux v. Kemp, Ll 5 11s 6d ; same v. Raine, LI 16a ; Tucker, Rests!! and Co v. O’Connor, L 3 13s fid ; same v. Hoult, LI 9s ; Cookson" v. Parkin, L 3 3s. The case Cookson v. Corsbie, «n the application of plaintiff, 1 was adjourned until Tuesday next.