MAGISTERIAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1714, 17 November 1887, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

ASHBURTON— THURSDAY.

(Before Mr John Olllvier, R.M.) CATILE AT LARQE. Bobert Smythe was charged with having been the owner of a cow found wandering at large. The case was dismissed, the defen* j dint's son, who appeared, being cautioned to j be more caieful m future. J. E\ Butler, for having been the owner of s oalf found wandering at large, was fined 7s 6d and costs. Joseph Ward waß charged with having been the owner of two cows found at large. A fine Of 5h and oosta was inflicted, J. B. Steele, for having been {the owner of ft cow found at large, was fined 5s and costs. George Eidd was fined 5s for having allowed two oowe to wander at large. (All the foregoing oases were brought by the Borough Inspector) BREAKING INSBLATOBS. John MoMullen, W. Lynch and H, Miles, three lads of ages apparently ranging from cine to thirteen, were charged with destroying telegraph insulators. MoMullen and Lynch had broken about twenty eaoh and Miles five. All the lads admitted the oharge. The case was brought under the Eleotrio lanes Act of 1884. — Mr Meddings, Inspector of Telegraphs, stated that tbe Department Buffered very great loss annually through insulators being broken. This was the first conviction obtained for a long time, and be was instructed to ask the Magistrate to make a salutary example m this case. The insulators broken by the lads cost £5 16s 6d to replace, and besides this, much delay of ttnbiio business bad been caused. — The Magistrate reprimanded the parents of the jboys for not keeping them m better order. — 4 fine of £1 eaoh was inflicted, the amount of damage to be also paid by eaoh m proportioq to the number of insulators broken. On tbifl basis Miles will have to pay one-sixth of the damage and the other two boys the balance, ATTEMTTED SUICIDE. William MoGlusky was charged with having ettempted to commit euioide. The man was not yet fit to appear, and a remand for eight days was granted, the accused to be brought op any time m the meantime should he be fit to appear. CIVIL CASES " Henry v O'Connor, claim £28 Os 6d.— Judgment by default for the amount claimed •nd ooßt*. Sennington and Bellamy v Edward Bell, .Claim £81 18s 7d. — Mr Crisp for plaintiffs, "Mr Wilding for defendant. — The plaintiffs alleged that they had entered into a contract frith the defendant, the manager of the Chaimosa Estate, to do a quantity of gorseeatting and grabbing. The agreement was that they tbould grub both sides of the fence* and out one Bide, the rate being 3s 3d per chain. In pursuance with this contract plaintjfls completed 196£ chains.— Mr Wilding applied for a nonsuit on the ground that the proprietors of the estate, and not the manager, should be cued ( Mr Wilding indicated that there was another defence, viz., that the naea had cat the inside of the feace, instead of tbe outside, as they were directed. —The Magistrate said that the plaintiffs had ■worn that they bad received their instructions from Mr Bell, that they had previously worked for him, had been paid by him, and knew no one else m connection with the working of the estate. Under these oircumataneea be could not grant the nonsuit Mr Wilding had applied for.—- Evidence for the fieftneo vras then led, this being m the direction indicated by Mr Wilding. — Mr Wpding again applied for a nonsuit on the aronpa already stated. — Mr Crisp replied. — The Magistrate nonsuited' the plaintiff! "on the ground that tbe defendant was not the person to M sued. Thompson v. Well, Claim £10 2s 6d.— Mr Caygill appeared for the plaintiff, and on his application tbe case was adjourned for a fortnight.

The Court then roefl.