MAGISTERIAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1258, 8 June 1886, Page 2

MAGISTERIAL.

ASHBURTON-TO-DAY

[Before Mr H. C. S. Biddoley, R.M

DRUNKENNESS. Thomas Harrison, for having been drunk at the Kailway Station on the prev.o.ia day, was fined 20s and costs. A 1.1, ! .1 1 EI) IU IKS FST K A LING. . Win. F Thompson was charged with the larceny of a horse. On tlie applica tion of the police the case was adjourned for a week. LAKCEsY.

John McKee, a bul ton years of age, was charged with stealing one flask of powder from another lad nam 3d Herbert Johns. It appeared from the evidence that the boy Johns had obtained the powder for a brother, but meeting with a number of lads, amongst whom was the defendant, wont to the Domain and fired oil a quantity in a pistol. Ultimately' he gave the flask to young McKee to bold, and the latter improved the occasion by running away', giving some of the powder to a boy whom ho met and when ho saw Constable Latimer, who had in the meantime been informed of tbe occurrence, looming up in the distance lie hid himself. The discrepancies in the story ho told as to how he came into possession of the flask were such that the Magistrate felt called upon at the conclusion of the case to administer a sharp lecture to the young culprit Ihe charge was dismissed, in view of a parental castigation the hoy had received, but the Magistrate stated that should any more juvenile offenders come before him. they would be severely' chaff with. f'he lenient- system had failed, as might be seen by the great number of cases in which children were concerned t K at < amt before the Courts of the colony'. He felt that it was his duty to put some restraint upon larrikiuism, and any' such cases would not be dealt with lightly in future. The Court then rose.