RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 176, 25 March 1873, Page 5

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Thursday, March 20, 1873. (Before W. Lawrence Simpson , Esq., R.M. , and James Corse , Esq., J.P.) CHARGE OF PERMITTING PROSTITUTION. Ann Box, licensee of the Victoria Junction Hotel, was charged on the information of Sergeant Cassels with knowingly permitting prostitution to be carried on in her house on the qight of Wednesday, the 19th inst. Mr Wilson, for the defendant, pleaded not guilty. .Sergeant Cassels conducted the prosecution He first called Jessie Holt, a young girl of sixteen years of age, whose demeanour in Court indicated unmistakeably the class to which she belonged. The witness admitted having had “ a bit of a lark,” in the dining-room with a man named Thomas Trevater, but denied any further impropriety. Witness left the Industrial School in December last, after being five years an inmate. She came to Cromwell under engagement as a domestic servant, and after remaining three da vs in one situation, and a week in another, she entered the service of defendant, her present mistress. In reply to a question by Sergt. Cassels, witness said that a man named Chapman slept with Mrs Goss for a night; but witness did not think Mrs Box knew of it at the time. Sergeant Cassels, sworn, stated : Mrs Goss, while in the lock-up, told me that Mrs Box kept a very bad house, and said that on the previous Wednesday night she allowed a man to -sleep' with Jessie Holt without taking any notice of it. I went to Mi's Box and mentioned the matter, and she denied all knowledge of it. Mrs Goss, who was in my custody at the time, then said, “ Here's the young woman, (alluding to Jessie Holt), and if she tells the tiuth she won’t deny it.” 1 asked the young woman if what Mrs Goss had stated was true, and she said yes. 1 afterwards recommended Miss Holt to leave the town, telling her that if she did not do so I would arrest her as a vagrant. I have known Mrs Box for several years, and she certainly keeps a very disorderly house. Cross-examined : Mrs Box, when asked in presence of Mrs Goss if the statement made by the litter was true, made no reply. Constable M‘Donald stated that when he went to Mrs Box’s to serve the summons in the present case, Jessie Holt told him the place was nothing better than a brothel. The Bench were satisfied there was sufficient evidence to substantiate a charge of disorderly conduct- -conduct such as would justify the i -eneh in refusing to grant a renewal of defendant s license ; but there was no evidence of Mrs Box s knowl nige of such disorderly conduct. Sergeant Cassels asked for a fortnight’s adjournment, to enable him to bring Mrs Goss as a witness. The Bench granted the adjournment, and suggested that the prosecutor should ],ty another information against defendant for permitting disorderly conduct. CIVIL CASES. Horrigin v. M'Naraara. —Claim for board and lodging. Judgment for £3 10s , and 13s. costs. Defendant applied for a rehearing. G. Rend all v. 'V. Shanly. Claim, £9 2s. This wse occupied the Court for a considerable time, »nd was ultimately adjourned for a fortnight to nlbw of further evidence being produced. The Particulars are not of sufficient in‘erest to wartint their publication. The most noticeable circumstance in connection with the case, was that tne Court, in its anxiety to vindicate the cause of r,, th, came very near forgetting its dignity. C. Colclough v W. Caldwell. —Haim^£l3 12s. Judgment by default for the amount, with 19s. costs. S. Mather r. Jesse Alley.—Claim £3, value of u cradle sold to defendant. The defence was mtho cradle was not bought, only borrowed ; Snr la * ik had since been returned to the place Whence it was taken. Plaintiff said that he got Inck the cradle ; and that defendant W, before taking it awav, to pay him the a ue of it. His Worship ordered the restitu10nof the cradle, or the defendant to pay C2. Mat,ier appeare 1 in answer to a fraud sum°us issued at the instance of Jes«e Alley, calJg upon him to show cau<m why he had not comPUeU uitli a judgment given by the Court somej

time ago in re Alley v. Mather. Defendant was put on oa-h, and interrogated by the Bench. Ordered to pay the amount due into Court in two instalments ; and in case of failure a month in Dunedin Gaol. APPLICATIONS T. Hazlett’s application for a temporary transfer of his license to Charles Peake was granted. H. Maidraan applied for permission to absent himself from his licensed house—the Albion Hotel, Luggate—while visiting England : Mrs Maidman to conduct the business during such absence. Permission granted. G. W. Goodger’s application for a slaughterhouse license was granted.