MAGISTRATES COURTS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11511, 18 February 1903, Page 4

MAGISTRATES COURTS.

Mr R. Beetham, S.M., presided at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. DRUNKENNESS. .. ~ " .Christina Lawson, convicted 124 times previously, was sentenced! to seven days' imprisonment. Lizzie Minifie, a first offender, for drunkenness, was also charged with having used obscene language in Madras street. The accused, who had lately left the Mount'Magdala Home, was fined 10s on each offence, •MAINTENANCE. William Osborne, for whom Mr IMoConnell was charged/ with failing to contribute towards the support of his children, who are inmates of tie Burnham Industrial School. The Bench ordered the defendant to pay 2s per week for each child. W. N. and R. Coomhes were .each sea: tenoed to "fourteen days' imprisonment, with hard laoour, for disobeying maintenance, orders. 'Edith Helen Vernon (Mr Raphael) sued the Estate of the lata P. H. Blakesley (Mr Brown) for the sum of £18 10s, being the amount of arrears which had accumulated at the rate of 10s per < week. Defendant, up.to the time of his deatn, had paid regularly, and the value : of deceased* estate, which was the sole ■ support of his widow and legitimate child, was £850. His Worship made an order ' that the deceased was the putative father ' of the child, and reserved hJa decision as • to the amount of maintenance to be paid. THE STAR AND GARTER HOTEL \ OASE. ; The charges against Emma Agnes Toomer, the licensee of the Star and Gar- j ter Hotel, of having, on January 26th, per- ; mitted drunkenness in her hotel, and of j having, on the same date, sold liquor to 1 one Thomas was in a state of drunkenness, were again called ' on. Mr Joynt, who appeared for the ao- i cused, said that since the last hearing i facts had come to light/ which would prob-. i aDly dispose of Vesey's part of the busi- < ness. i Thomas Vesey deposed that before call'- ; ing at the Star and Garter Hotel, he called at the Royal George, where he had a glass ' of beer, and bought a flask of whiskey and some cigarettes. He drank the contents ' of the flask after leaving the Star and Gai- ' ter, and his illness then commenced. His Worship said that the flask of whis- • key settled the business. Had it not been ' for that flask the defendant would have had a very close shave. It was impossible : to traverse the evidence just given, and the ' charge must be dismissed. ALLEGED U.NkIOEfNSED PAWNBROKER. Alfred Parsons, for whom Mr. Donnelly -1 appeared, pleaded "Not Guilty," in that not, being a licensed pawnbroker, he had ' advanced to one Herbert Bryant King the • Bum of xi 2 10s upon tho security of a bicycle. Mr Donnelly contended that the ' case must fail, as it had neither been al- ' leged nor proved that the defendant be- ; longed to the class of perrons at which : Section No. 3 of the Act aimed, viz., a i class of persons who carried on business ' and sought their livelihood in that way. As a matter of fact, his- client was a board-ing-house keeper. Donnelly's second | contention was that the transaction did not involve any pawn pledge" or security, and i that ihe only document in connection with the matter was on me face of it a sale note. ' His worship reserved his decision. ALLEGED UNLAWFUL DESERTION. C. A. Rich (Mr Csssidy) was charged ' with unlawfully deserting his wife (Mr Beswkk), and with failing to contribute ' towards her maintenance. It was shown : that the separation had been by mutual agreement, and-after hearing the evidence hw Worship held that the plaintiff was ; practically destitute, and mage an order < [f**_». , ?^_*** i * p ■*!??■•.- . i