MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14831, 24 November 1913, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M.)

I DISORDERLY 'BEHATIOUR. i William Ferris, charged with disor- ! derly behaviour on the Railway Station : wliile drunk, pleaded guilty, *and said ihe had just nome off a Home boat. j The Magistrate jaid he always roi carded offences on the Railway Station ', as particularly serious ones. * Accused i would be fined 40s. in default one j month's imprisonment. \ A VAGRANT COUPLE. j Peter Bflrns and Mary Davis were jqintlv charged with being jdlo and i disorderly persons, in that they h*d insufficient lawful means of support. Detective Regan said that ho saw Burns accost several people, and ask them for money Accused had been living with the female offender, who was a well-known prostitute. As soon as tho accused got discharged from gaol, he would find his way back to the woman. Detective O'Connor told a similar story. The malo accused: I'm not living with this woman. The Magistrate: That is not an offence, to live with her, anyway. Three months' imprisonment with hard labour. THEFT OF BOOTS. Ceneral amusement was created when John Brown, a well-known offender, appeared on remand, charged with the theft of two pairs of boots, the property of William Hoxman. Chief Detective Bishop conducted the prosecution. Evidenco was given by Horman that accused came into his shop, and had an opportunity to steal the boots while witness was away. On returning, witness missed the boots, which he subsequentlj- identified at the shop of a second-hand dealer. Detective Torrance said accused had received Is 6d for the boots. When arrested, he said that he had bought them from another man. Accused, asked by the Magistrate how he came by a black eye, alleged that he got it at Lyttelton gaol "I was singing a song in my cell," he said, "and I heard come of them say, 'We'll murder that old .* I said, 'What are you going to do?' and then they got mc by the throat, two of them, no, three of them, and mo in my night-shirt." j Chief-Detective Biehop said that the | accused got very violent occasionally, and had to be protected from himself. At the Police Station they had had a lot of trouble with him, as he knocked himself about. Accused had been in a mental hospital. Tho Magistrate said that if the accused had any complaints to make against tho warders, he should make them to the gaoler, whose duty it was to forward the complaint to the proper antnorities. Tho offerders would then be dealt with severely. He could not, of course, say what occurred in this case. "All I know," added Mr Bishop, "is that you didn't have a black eye when you came before mc!"

Accused was sentenced to throe months' imprisonment.