POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 602, 14 December 1871, Page 2

POLICE COURT.

THIS DAY.

Before Thomas Beckham, Esq., it.M. DRUNKENNESS. Three persons were punished in the usual manner for this offence. ' BBEACHES OP MUNICIPAL COBPOBATION ACT. William Collins, for allowing his cart to remain unattended without having a chain passed through the liear wheel, so as to prevent its rotation,; was fined 20s and costs. George: Scorgie, charged with a similar offence, called several witnesses with the intent to prove that he was close by his dray at the time; the policeman, however, deposed that he was absent, and when he was called on to comply with the Act, said he tvould not take the trouble to use a chain for all the laws in Auckland as it would risk the destruction of his dray if the horse should start off. Fined 20s and costs. • A. Crockett, for a like offence, was similarly dealt with. S Campion was charged with obstructing the public carriage road by allowing his cart to remain in it without having a horse harnessed to it. He pleaded guilty, and was fined 5s and costs,

Hyman Cohen, charged with obstruct- j ing the public thoroughfare by allowing ! four casks to remain on the footpath of Queen street, pleaded guilty. Mr Keightley for defendant urged in extenuation that the goods were taken in as soon as possible, and that as the footpath in that part of Queen street is very wide, no real obstruction was occasioned. Inspector Broham said that some dealers appeared to be undor the impression that they might use the footpath to unpack goods. He thought they should be unpacked in the warehouses and carried in detail to the shops. As it was, tho footpath wa3 covered with straw and broken fragments. His Worship was inclined to give every latitude to people who had no other ingress than across the public pathway, but thought a reasonable time only should be occupied in removal of the goods. The apprehending constable said that an unreasonable time had been taken. Fined 5s and costs. X Fitzgerald, charged with allowing his wheelbarrow to remain in a public thoroughfare so as to cause an obstruction, pleaded not guilty. Dr. G-oldsbro' deposed that a few evenings ago he was driving home and came across the defendant's wheelbarrow, which was in the middle of the road. The horse which witness was driving shied violently and endangered the lives of those in the vehicle. When spoken to defendant met the remonstrances of witness with abuse. That was not the only escape which witness had had from the effects of the clumsy driving of the same wheelbarrow. Witness did not wish tho man heavily punished, but desired that he might be cautioned. The Bench considered it by no means a trifling offence,' and fined defendant ten shillings and costs, or in default fortyeight hours' imprisonment. The alternative was accepted. BREACH OF SLAUGHTEE HOUSE ACT. John Maxwell pleaded guilty to slaughtering three lambs on his premises in Victoria street. He urged absolute necessity of killing them at the time and place he did. They had been sent from the country, and he was unable to forward them to Newmarket. His Worship delivered a severe lecture to defendant, but as his establishment bore a good character for orderly conduct fined him 20s and costs for each lamb.