POLICE COURT.—Thursday.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 596, 7 December 1871, Page 2

POLICE COURT.— Thursday.

[Before Thomas Beckham, Esq., R.M.]

Dkunkjgnness.—Two persons were punished in the usual manner for first offences, and Eilis Jones, an old offender, was sent to gaol for seven days. Lunacy.—On the evidence of two duly qu;ihtie:l medical practitioners, a pnraonof unsound mind was ordered to be sent to the hospital for the insane. JJHUACii oi? Vaokant Act.—Eliza Price, Maria Yeomans, Sarah B. Yuovnuns, and Kebesca Culbort, who pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge of being without visible legal means of support, were brought forward. Mr. Joy, on behalf ot prisoners, suggested that as the men were acquitted yesterday and the girls had been locked up since, whether they might not be dismissed and another chance given them of reforming their lives. They had promissed to do so if they had an opportunity. His Worship then addressed the unfortunate girls and gave them some excellent advice. They all promised to endeavour to do better, and His Worship discharged them.

Bkkaohes op AiUNiciPAL Police Act. — G-eorge Watts, for allowing his handcart to remain in a public thoroughfare so as loca-uso an obstruction, was fined Is and costs. —H. Euird was charged with allowing a scaffold lo remain on the public footpath without being lighted. He said he kuew nothing at ail about it. —Sergeant Walker deposed that on the night of the 30th November he passed the place ; there was no light on the scaffolding. Defendant admitted that he acted for the contractor in obtaining permission to ei'eet the scaffolding. — Mr. Bt-verHge suggested, on behalf ..of defendant, that the contractor was the responsible party. The case was withdrawn, the defendant beir.g ordered to pny tha costs.—F. Ireland pleaded not guilty to a charge of allowing offensive matter to flow from his premises on to a public thoroughfare, to wit the Alien Road. Mr. Bio.lie conducted the cuse for the city corpora!ion, and Air. Beveridge appeared for the defence. George G-oldie, Inspector of Nuisances, proved the existence of the nuisance, but at the same time acknowledged that he himself had caused one by pouring water in the closet to see where it would run to. He could not swear that the locality was in the city. He would not say whether tt'e drain from which the offensive matter flo%ved was not also one used by the adjoining house. It might havo come from the houses above, but lie thought it could not have flowed up from those below. Witness could not swear that defendant caused it to flow on the lnt December. (This witness fenced with learned counsel in an extraordinary way, and it was found impossible to obtain B'raightforward answers, as ho answered every question by auother or an equivocation). Constable Clarke deposed that on the Ist of this month ho went with the Inspector to defendant's premises. He watched the embochure of the drain in the Alton B>oad, and tho Inspector went oti the promises, and when ho lifted the valve the offensive matter fljwed down. He did not previously observe any in the drain. ilia Worship considered that it had not been proved that any nuisance existed, that if it had, it was not shown that it ran lroin Mr. Ireland's property, and tint the locality was not proved to be within the limits of the city. He thought the nuisence had certainly been caused by tho Inspector himsslf, who was young in his business. In point of fact there was no evidence whatever of the existence of a nuisance. He could not do otherwise, therefore than dismiss the case.— Mr. Boveridge then applied for costs. —Mr. Brodie replied.—His Worship thought that the costs ought to be allowed. Cxxr Katjjs.—P. Heath was, on the evideuce of Mr. J. W. Diddams, collector of city ratea, ordered to pay the sum of £3. — William Parker summoned for £3 15s, said he did noi owe the rates, as he did not reside on the premises for which he was rated. Mr. Diddam. proved that when the rate was struck defendant resided on the premises. The matter was adjourned until Saturday, in order that the present occupant might be communicated with.