POLICE COURT.-This Day.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1690, 19 July 1875, Page 2

POLICE COURT.-This Day.

(Before Messrs. Hurst and Marshall, J.P's.) STORM AND CALM. The following individuals, all tattered and torn, were introduced this morning, one by one, to trie presiding justices, and fined as follows : Charles Johnstone, a youth of 18 fined 10s, being drunk on Sunday; Alex! Graham, drunk and fighting, 10s; Henry Burnett, an elderly man, drunk on Sunday, 10s; John May, for being drunk and disorderly, 10s. j William West was charged, with the same offence, but indignantly denied the charge. iConstable Axam deposed that prisoner was horribly drunk in Victoria-street, and was ru'ning and Shouting in a fearful manner. Constable Winslow corroborated; he was alarmed at the violence of the prisoner.. Prisoner : I was not drunk, your. Worship —rhad only a nobbier. Fined 20s and costs,. t; .■CONSTABLE AXAM'S NOSE. . .'''■':; ' jThomas McCleary was charged with being drunk and disorderly last night, and with damaging the nose of Constable Axam while in the execution of his duty; ' ! . ~ •Mr Joy for prisoner denied the charge. Constable. Axam deposed that prisoner was very drunk, and - . He aimed two blows, And one struck his no?-,'.'"■ and the other,fell plump on his mouth. Prisoner also used very bad language , To Mr. Joy.: He did strike him on the head with his baton. He did fetch blood but if he had hit him harder he might have broke his head. ; Constable Moore saw prisoner in Queen^ street late on Saturday night. He was drunk. ' ! .v"-' Mr, Hurst: Will you-speak londer?- lain rather deaf.

To Mr Joy : I know he was drunk. I saw the liquor on him. Think I don't know when a fellow's diunk, I should think I do. I saw blood on him, I don't think Constable •Axam hit him hard enough to fetch blood. It was a heavy baton. Did not see the blow Mr Joy addressed the Court for the defence and called witnesses in favour of his client, and asked thatf the baton might be produced. He desired that it should be brought forward, to shew the Bench its size and weight. No wonder his client had a large bunop on the head, and was supposed to be drunk. ..,..' Sergeant-Major Partly objected, and thought that Mr Joy should have bad his client's head examined by a medical man. The baton was here produced and inspected by the Bench. William Major was present on Saturday evening, and was certain the prisoner was not drunk. _vv To Sergeant-Major Pardy : He and prisoner went into the Occidental.and had two glasses each of " Tommy Dodds." He did not know of what liquors "Tommy Dodds were composed of. 'Twas splendid stuff; warmed him down to the heart. Thoy left and Constable Axam cautioned him because he was speaking loudly. He said something about the "bobbies," but be did not use vulgar words. _ ~..•> To Mr Hurst : He was quite sure his friend was not drunk, two glasses of Tommy Dodds would never make a man drunk ; it might make him a little jolly like. Albeit Kunst was also present, and was certain that his friend was not drunk, be had one glass of "Tommy,*' and a cheroot 5 he talked very loud as was aaual with him, and bis indistinct observations attracted the sensitive ears, of Cahstable Axam, who walked up in his stately manner and said something. He beileved the constable had committed an official error of 'judgment. Robert Morley; chemist-, knew neither of the parties, but as he was walking down Queen-street he could not say that prisoner was drunk. He was there simply to protest against what he considered to be an undue interference of the constable in using his truncheon. James Quirk deposed that the prisoner was neither drunk nor disorderly. He had been in his company sometime previously. His manner was usually boisterou», which would lead some persons to suppose that he was drunk. Mr Joy said if it was necessary he would call four more witnesses. The Bench said as there was a doubt, the prisoner should havo the benefit of that doubt ; the case was therefore dismissed. The case of assaulting Com.table Axam was then called. Sergt.-Major Pardy asked that this case might be remanded until to-morrow iv order that witnesses might be piesent in favor of the constable Mr Joy said there was no reason for such an adjournment ; he bad eight witnesses pre«ent; he would, ask under the the Justice of the Peace Act that the case might be dismissed. Tbe Bench considered they had the power to adjourn, but would dismiss the case. The prisoner then left the court with his friends. "let there be light." Thomas Ricketts appeared in answer to a eummons, charging him with a breach of the Haibour Begulations, in not exhibiting a light/ on the evening oi the 30th June, on board the cutter Fanny. Mr Dufaur appeared for defendant and pleaded guilty, but would call evidence to shew the reason why, on that particular oc-, casion, the light was not exhibited. Mr J. B. Russell appeared for the Habour Master, and said that, in this case, he did not press for more than a nominal penalty, as defendant generally endeavoured to observe the law. It was esrentially necessary that master of vessels should keep a person on board as an anchor-watcb, according to the 43rd section of the regulations, which would enable them to give more safety to vessels. Gtorge Walton, mariner, on Boaid the Fanny deposed that the night was very htormy ; he was very tired, and '.' turned in" at half-past six ; tho light was blown out ; there were two men on board, but they had been hard worked and like him wanted rest. Samuel Bowker, seaman, corroborated; when he found the lamp was out he lit it again. The bench said it would take a lenientt view of tbe case, and impose the limited penalty of £5 and costs. " OSE SICKLY SHEEP INFECTS THE ELOCK AND POISOSS ALL THE K/EST." Charles Augustus Bowden was charged with a breach of the Sheep Act, by permitting scabby sheep to be driven on a certain highway, without the sanction of the Inspector of Sheep, on the 24th ult. : In the absence of witnesses the case was adjourned until Thursday, the 29th inst. This was all the business.