THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19176, 6 December 1927, Page 6

THE COURTS.

SUPREME COURT. (Be:oie His Honour iLr Justice Adiims.) PRISONER FOR SENTENCE. Jajucs ilarublin, taxi-driver, came lip for sentence en four charges o: breaking and entering with intent to commit a crime. He had been caught in the act of stealing boot 3 and shoes from Mitchell's shoe store. lie was ordered to be detained for reformative treatment lor a period not exceeading two yeura. His Honour said that he would have liked to have given probation, but this was impossible, on account, of the reuort of the Probation Officer. The thefts had been premeditated and deliberate. Prisoner had simply possessed himself of a key, unlocked the door, and had helped himself to as Hindi us he thc-ueht fit.

MAGISTERIAL.

MONDAY, l Before Mr E. D. Moslcy, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. One first offending inebriate was fined 10s, and two other offenders 'JOs, in default 24 hours' imprisonment. Frederick George Dacre, aged IS years, on a charge of drunkenness, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within Fix months. Ralph Theodore Lloyd, aged 23 years, on a charge r.f drunkenness, wiis convicted and sentenced to II days' imprisonment. REMANDED. John Michael Gearschawski was diarged with being found drunk at Marshlands, and with using obscene language. He was remanded until December Bth. Bail was allowed, self in £lO and one. surety of £lO. MAINTENANCE CASE. Charles Edward Mitchell, aged 30 years, was charged with failing to provide his wife with adequate maintenance. Mitchell was convicted and sentenced to six months' imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended so long as defendant pays £■2 a week and 2s Gd off the ai'rears, in addition to £lO to be paid within two months. A LOADED PISTOL. Leslie Edgar Schulta, aged 21 years, was charged with carrying a pistol without lawful, proper, or sufficient purpose, with unlawfii'ly carrying a pistol beyond the limits of his dwelling without a license to do so, and with having an unregistered pistol. Mr W. F. Tracy appeared for Schultz, who pleaded not guilty to the first charge and guiltv to the other two.

Senior-Sergeant Fitzpn trick stated that, ns the result of information received a sergeant accosted accused, and found him to lxi ill possession of a fully-loaded pistol. In his other pocket was found an electric torch. The sergeant visited accused's homo and asked if he might, search the young man's room. On doing no, ho found another small gun, capable of firing a .22 bullet, a bunch of keys, and a mask. "It appears t.s though he hns been reading 'Deadwood Dick' novels/' added the Senior-Sergeant. "There has been a burglary scare in the town—if ho Las been 'acting the goat' he should be made to pay the penalty." Sergeant Hodgins stated that ho had accosted accused when ho was talking with throo men, two of whom were convicted thieves. Accused had stated that lie had found the revolver, and also the bunch of keys. To Mr Tracy witness stated that he had been informed that the small pistol was a keepsake, but the bov's father did not know tint lie had the other gun.

Mr Tracy stated that Sdiultz had found the pistol, which had been in a very rusty condition, and had cleaned it. The other gun was a souvenir. ITe hnd been in the company of the three men, but he did not know who they were. He had shown them the gun at his home, and had absentmindedly out it in his pocket. Tliero had ben nothing sinister about his action.

The Magistrate: It Ims that appearance for the Court. . . . Hp !mtl the gun in liis possession, and there is also the question of thp company ho wns with. Evidence ns to his character was given by his sister. ivith whom he is living. The Magistrate (to aecusod): Yon have rendered yourself liable to three months' imprisonment on each charge. The case has n very suspicious air about it. . . It is a (rood thing for yon that you have a clean sheet so far. ntherwiiie you would go to gaol. Tt. must be impressed upon you to ketfr within the law, and to cense going with such companions.

On the first chnrge Rohultz was fined £2 and costs, was admitted to probation for twelve months on the second, and was convicted and discharged on the third. NAMES SUPPRESSED. "Not guilty" was the plea entered by two young men, aged 18 and 20 years respectively, when charged with stealing a bicycle, valued at £ls. Mr \V. F. Tracy appeared for defendants, who pleaded not guilty. Senior-Sergeant Fitzpatrick stated that the

young men had attended n party, although they had not been invited. During the evening it was discovered that a bicycle was missing. A search was made, and it was discovered in an adjoining section, and had some of the parts removed. Those parts were found in the side-car of a mootr-cycle owned by one of the accused. The owner of the bicycle stated when tho parts had been found, the police had immediately been sent for. The owner of the motor-cycle was then missing.

In evidence, both accused denied having taken the bicycle. They had no knowledge of how the parts came to be in the side-chair. The Magistrate stated that ho was not satisfied from the evidence that the_ young, men had taken, the bicycle. The information would be dismissed. The elder of the two men, who had been drunk at the time of tho alleged offence, was lined 10s, in default 24 hours' imprisonment. An application for the suppression of the names was granted. NEW BRIGHTON CASES.

Inspector Blewitt, on behalf of the New Brighton Borough Council, prosecuted in the fallowing cases: —- Stella Jowett, for driving a motor-car without ft license to do so, was convicted and ordered to pay costs. Geoffrey Hopkins was fined 10s and costs; Ren*el Bennett 5s and costs, Maude Clempson 5s and costs, for cycling on the footpath. For a similar offence Stanley James Topp was ordored to pay costs. (Before Mr H. A. Young, S.M.) CIVIL ACTION. Jasper Henry Salt, farmer (Mr Cuningham), claimed the sum of £6l 14s from Richard K. Todhunter, dairyman (Mr C. S. Thomas), as damages alleged to have been done to plaintiff's property, held by defendant until July Ist, 1927, and for the cost of material alleged to have been removed. After hearing tho evidence the Magistrate reserved his decision.

(Before Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M.) MAINTENANCE CASES.

Ernest Matthew Finlayson was sentenced to one month's imprisonment for disebedienco of a maintenance order. Henry Irving was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within six months for disobedience of a maintenance order in respect to his child. Gordon Percy Aston was ordered to pay 15s per week maintenance m respect to his child. Jumes Thompson, for disobeying a maintenance order, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended so long as he pays 7s 6d per week off arrears in addition to the amount of the current order.

The Wellington City Council has just received three new machines which Will greatly facilitate the cleaning up of the City streets and also the collection of house refuse in the more distant suburbs. The most important machine is a British-made street sweeper, which is replacing the old horse broom. The engine operates a broom which sweeps every particle of dirt off a bitumen or wood-blocked road, passing it by means of revolving brooms one over tiie other into the van. It will pick up coins off the flat surface of the street. It carries a water container at the rear which feeds a spray in front and damps the surface of the street in front of the broom. This effectually .prevents the rising of dust, and no refuse is left behind. The house refuse collector has a capacity of 3J tons and will replace two horse teams that have up to now collected house refuse at Onslow, Miramar. and Karori, and will do it more expeditiously. There is also a smaller motor refuse collector which has been tried out in Eoseneatß and will probably be the forerunner of a fleet of such vehicles. These vehicles will dispense also with the use of motorlorries which have been used in the past in the collection of refuse and street sweepings. The larger van has a sliding iron cover and can be loaded from either side, while the cover on the smaller vehicle, which can also be opened from either side, is of canvas.