ADJOURNED PETTY SESSIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 1199, 26 November 1873, Page 3

ADJOURNED PETTY SESSIONS.

This Day,

(Before J. May (chairman), T. Cheeseman, and G. B. Owen, Esquires, Justices of the Peace.) The Court of Petty Sessions, adjourned from the previous day, was resumed, and the following cases were disposed of : — I OBTAINING GOODS 3Y FALSE PRETENCES. Chas. Ramsay was charged with obtaining by false pretences money and goods to the -value of £4 7s from Mr William Eose, hotelkeeper, Shortland. | On the application of Mr Broham the accused was remanded until the 2nd December, to be dealt with by the magistrates at the Thames. i ALLEGED ASSAULT ON THE POLICE. ! Edward Lodge, Paul Jones, and Andrew Grattan (on bail), appeared on remand from the previous day charged with assaulting Constable Satchwell in the execution of his duty on the 24th instant. Mr Joy appeared for tho defendant. i Constable Satchwell deposed that he arrested Lodge for being drunk and disorderly in Shortland - street, when the defendants interfered and assaulted him. There was a large crowd of people—no one came to witness's assistance except a man named Wells. Witness was struck by Lodge several times, and was shoved about and ill-used by the other defendants. ! Mr Joy cross-examined the constable in <order to show that he was not so badly used as he tried to make out, and except in a legal sense was not assaulted at all. Witness said that at least seventy people were present. I There was a row. Dont's know if Wall knocked Jones down in the gutter or not. i There was a marine there from the man-of- < war. He was very drunk. There was I another man-of-war's man who was not so ■ dmnk. Jone3 demanded of witness to let go \ Lodge. Witness refused, and Lodge struck Mm. Did not call on the by-standers for assistance. Jones and Lodge were brought ! to the station by witness, and Walls and Grattan-was taken afterwards.

John Wall, who said he was not in any employment at the present time, and lasppened to be in Shortland-street on the evening of the 24th, corroborated Satchwell's testimony as to his bf»ing interfered with by the defendants, who compelled him to release his prisoner. Witness went to the constable's assistance, and the defendants then tried to " hammer" him (witness). Jones struck him.

By Mr Joy :I am not in employment. I have money of my own. I Jive at the Greyhound. I had a drink with defendant that day. They forced me to drink. They asked, me. I went to the Q.O.E. for a glass of beer. I. did not swear the previous day I was watching and following Lodge about all day. I had noticed him drinking that day. I had not got my eye upon him particularly. I did not knock Jones down into the gutter ; he was so drunk that he fell. I pushed him because he was trying to "hammer" Satchwell. Did not hear the constable ask for assistance. I do help the constables sometimes. I did assist a man to gaol previously, but not by putting my knee in the small of his back. Grattan struck the constable. He was very noisy and rowdy, and did his best to hammer me and the constable. He said "hammer the b- ," meaning me and the constable. This was the case for the prosecution. Mr Joy then addressed the Court for the defence, \irging that the constable's testimony was not that of truth.

Mr Abbott, Thomas Peters, and Thomas Jarvis having given evidence in favour of the prisoners, the Bench considered that the charge against Grattan had not been proved, he would therefore be dismissed ; but in regard to the other two prisoners the charge was established beyond dispute. The Bench would inflict upon them a fine of £2 each, and costs, or fourteen days' imprisonment. LUNACY. The Bench, on the medical testimony of Dr J. H. Hooper and Dr Bayntun, com. mitted a young man named John Finley Child to the Lunatic Asylum, he being of unsound mind. This was all the business.