RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1393, 1 December 1884, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT

ASHBURTON.— To-day. v _______ a (Before H. 0. S. Baddeley, Esq., R.M.) Vagrancy. —Antonio Ca'iari, on re- 1 maud, was charged wi*h having no visible* ! lawful means of support. Constable 1 Burke deposed that the accused had been c wandering about the Lauriston, Chertsey, 3 Kyle and Seafield districts, begging food, c and decliuing*to work for leas than 20a a 1 day. Witness had arrested him in an empty stable at Lauriaton. The accuse ’ ' was ordered* to be imprisoned for 2 months 1 with hard labor. Disorderly Persons. Grace Kent, Elizabeth Smith, and Mary Bennett were charged with having no visible lawful means of support. —Mr Branson appeared for the accused, and called the following evidence in refutation of the charge.— Alfred Hooper deposed that the accused Grace Kent owned a well furnished cottage at Sydenham. Witness was engaged to marry Mary Bennett.—Cross-examined by Sergeant Felton : Grace Kent’s house at Sydenham was reputed to be a brothel. Witness called there about twice a week. He had known the accused about seven months. They were all known as women of ill-fame.. —John Hancock said that he knew the accused. Grace Kent owned a well furnished house, and the other two accused lived with her. Witness had co-habited with Grace Kent for about four months. The house bore a good character. It was known as a brothel. —Constable Smart said that by direction of Sergeant Felton he had visited a house known as the “ lean-too,” and had found the three accused there in company with four young men. Witness knew Mary Bennett, she was a prostitute. (At this stage Mary Bennett fainted, and was removed from the Court, a delay of some minutes occurring before the accused was sufficiently recovered to permit of the en--1 quiry being resumed.) —Sergeant Felton 1 produced a lengthy record against Mary Bennett, but said that the other two ■ accused were not known to the police.— f Mary Bennett was ordered -to bo impri- > soned for three weeks, and Grace Kent > and Elizabeth Smith for two weeks. Chimney on Fire—John Hoskins admitted a charge of having the chimney of s his house on fire, and was cautioned and dismissed. e Drunkenness —Andrew Gray, who said s he was not decently drunk, but did not e feel very strongly on the point, was fined a 20s and costs, with the usual alternative, t- Threatening Language —Sam. Elliott d was charged with having used threatening lt language calculated to provoke a breach y of the peace, towards Robert Cullen.—Mr Crisp appeared for the complainant.—The complainant said that he had gone to the railway van to obtain the luggage of a customer, and the accused had accosted him and threatened to break his neck. Robert Cooper corroborated the evidence of the complainant.—The accused, who >- pleaded guilty, said that he had a long *- standing quarrel with the complainant.— I C. The accused was fined 20s and costs. |