MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 779, 31 March 1910, Page 9

MAGISTRA TE'S COURT.

(Befbre ; Mr."W.;E..Haselden, S.M.) '.: ASSAULT AND EOBBEBY. James Cummings and John Fennessy were charged with having,. on March 19, at Wellington, assaulted Joseph John Patterson, and robbed him of one silver watch valued at £8, the property .of Joseph John Patterson. ■. • • ,> \ '■The accused were defended by Mr. ■Webb. - . ; ' Complainant 6tated to the Court that, on the evening of March 19, he came into the city from the Lower Hutt, and, after having two or' three drinks, ultimately reached . Hunter Street, where, he was patrolling up anu , -down waiting, for a friend." Unexpectedly he received a blow which caused him to fall, and the two 'men inVCburt took hold : of him round the waist.;.got hold of.his and snatched it away. ,: ... V .. .\j r ■ .- Walter Smart gave evidence Ts .to the two accused- coming into his shop', and trying to pawn the watch for; £1 10s. Witness afterwards, found .that it was. stolen • property, and: sent, f police:. One of the accused denied the. theft, stating that he had purchased the watch in London some twelve months ago. Evidence waS also called as to the identification of the 'watch, and the.fact that it had been' purchased locally.. The accused reserved their defence, and werp committed for trial at , the next sittings of the Supreme Court. ' '■'•: ,'■■ A SEKIOUS OFFENCE. Alice 'Mary Anetice was charged with" haying, on February . 21, unlawfully 'used 'ah instrument 'for an illegal purMr.- J. W.-Jackson, appeared for accused, who was remanded .till Wednesday.

" Bail was fixed at self in £150,' and one safety of .£300.;.. :.■ ■.."■-: •■.;'.•,. ; '.',' ; ■?; . : ' ;DISMISSED. '; .-' ■'.. Tlie oharge against Walter Henry Lis- ■ Heiioi having committed an unnatural "'offence was dismissedl owinff to their being 'insufficient, evidence., ■■:.'■ .••.■:■■ .;.'; : -" ')-.". THEFT. CASES;' v- "•';.. ; Alfred-Burnicie' appeared'charged with ' -the theft of a.sovereign, ,th"e property 'of ;Alfred Basil,, Suckling,;.and pleaded not , Complainant,: in his eyidence, said that he was having a drink': in the-Terminus Hotel, when accused came up and asked for, fourpenco. The request was not complied with, ;but complainant shouted aroused a drink.. 'When'lcaying thVliotel;' accused'came up to complainant and said: ■ "What about the fourpence?" Complainant put his "hand'in his pocket, arid' thought ho ytas pulling out a shilling.. It was a sovereign instead, alleged out of his .hand. . ' ■■': - ■ ' . . i ', ' ■John Henry. Watson gave evidence as to being in the company, of complainant, anu accused at the .Terminus Hptel, and afterr wards. at. the', Cricketers'; Arms -Hotel,; v where'complainant and accused had been. f driven by liiuu n-' 1 ." ', i ■ Accused denied the allegations made and Sub-Inspector-, Norwood remarked that the ■ accused . had 'a bad . record. _of twenty-three previous convictions,, including one of nine, months'-for breaking; and entering. At this;stage!accused said: "Well then, if the truth yill out, that man (pointing to Watson) got half of the pound." '■.■-■■• ■ ' , '■'. ' His Worship (to prisoner) :\ "I am dealing with •JO-α. in this case. You shall be sentenced to three months' imprisonment." -.' . \y ... -, Frank Kerwin pleaded notj guilty to. a charge of stealing, an .oilcoat; valued at £1 Is;, tho property of Samuel Leach., The evidence for the prosecution was that accused took the coat froii the_Otago Boardinghouse, and , sold it Ito Walter Smart, pawnbroker, for Gs. .■ There were fourteen- previous .convictions against accused, eight of which were for theft. ■ Accused, in his defence, stated that he purchased the coat for 4s. from,a inan.in Victoria Street, who had left for Sydney. His Worship did not accept the excuse given, and imposed a of three months' imprisonment, tho coat to bo returned to the owner on payment- of 6s. to the pawnbroker. . . . i

.". A BEiJNKEN ■ ; ■ . A respectably-dressed young man, , named Kobert Woodward, appeared oil remand charged",with.stealing .£2 ■ 10s.Ujd- -in money, o£ie vest, and a pendant, the whole of the total value of £5 ss. 4Jd.J the property of James Edward Scott. ( Accused was defended by Mr. P. W. Jackson. The Vfacts are that accused, who was alchemist; Same down.from: Auckland on March 22, tfco day preceding the theft, with the intefution of proceeding the following day to Ho'bart, where his- parents reside. Ho booVfed a room at the Occidental Hotel, and ihe same night went up.to t boardinchoVise on Wellington Terrace, Managed by Airs. Peters. Accused, had stayed at this*es\tablib''nent an a boarder, for.fifteen, raonthi while , emr/loyed in Wellington with ffi- D. Haiilon, chemist, ofjMoleSworth Street. At the boardinghouse. ho. i;aw somV friends, and returned to the hotel. IIV again returned to the boj\r'dinghonse wifth some beer and a flnsk 'of whisky, ai\d inquired for_ complkinant, vho was oflt at,the time. By requtst; he went to M»". Scotfs room, with the intention of \v\aiting for him, and under the. alleged influence of. port wine upsjt the contents of P,,™ 1 > ft N. -the hotel again, taking with him a valued kcopsaVe-a Qieorße the Third ihalfsavercign, and\ allegedly other '■ things 'jtr. Jrtckson,. i\pr the , accused, pleaded for leniency, anil! said that accused was very sorry for h\s action, the whole occurrence being Viho result of a -silly drunken freak. 1 , , ! . ITis Worship, aftef admonishing acctisod, imposed a fine of i£s. and alpo ordered ■him to pay .£■!, damage done, in default one month's hard labour. \

SHIPMATE ASSAULTED. \ \s the result of i (If.sturbanco on Ward the French barquo Jiicques on Tuesday niklit, Frederick HichaWs was charged with assaulting a shipmate named Pierre Moiann; Tho evidence njdducod was to the effect that accused had 1 been afshore, itnd ongoing aboard pulled Moizan s bedclothes off him, willi tl«'- result that 'an assault resulted. Moizhn appeared '.in Court with'a black eye and . a much swollen face. The accused pleaded guilty, and in extenuation said put complainant kicked him in tho facp.s ' '- The magistrate, to are uot a Frenchman? ,, - i ' "■,

Accused: "No;T--'am an American, and, tho only Englishman.' in the forecastle. Tho magistrate: "Then you had better mend your ways, or you will in further trouble. . A flno of £1 was imposed, the, option being seven days' imprisonment. . A DEGENERATE WOMAN. Elizabeth Ward, alias Gillies* appeared in , the dock, with, twenty-one previous oonvictions ' against her, charged with drunkenness, also with having on January 31 stolen a silver watch, chain and gold locket, valued at .£1 55., tho property of Albert Jacob. Accused pleaded guilty, and for being drunk was sentenced to one month's "iniprisonmont.,. On the'charge of theft she was also sentehcedtto three months' im-. prisonment. ' . ■ Later in the day accused also appeared charged with (1) breaking and entering the dwelling of Herbert. Armstrong, and. stealing various articles valued at £lr 55., the property: of Ellen Armstrong; and (2) stealing an umbrella valued at 10s., belonging to John Hermann. ' On the former charge accused was remanded till - Wednesday next, and regarding the theft of\,the : umbrella, to which accused pleaded guilty; a. sentence of three months' imprisonment was imposed,- to-be cumulative on the previous sentences. '.. '■ ■'•'.'. . '•,.'. t ' '~ . ';' , .OTHER CASES.; .■'.' Mary Joyce; with twenty-six, previous convictions against her, was .charged with drunkenness, and also, committing' mischief by breaking a' window, the property of Claude Neilson. From the evi-. dence of Neilson it appeared that acensed, came' into his place and asked for a bottle to ■ procure eome. beer. He re-, fused, and ordered- her. out, whereupon she committed the' damage referred : to. Sub Norwood ■ said that ■ '■ the breaking of windows.was an old pastime of .the accused, who in" her' defence said. she did. not remember, doing the'.damage.. For drunkenness, she was fined 10s. or 48: hours,' and- on the charge of mischief .was penalised to •, the extent, of £1,. in de-? fault, seven days', imprisonment'. , ' .".-'.. Andrew Clark -was : Temahded to: ! ; appear at Christchurch to-day on: a charge, of-disobeying an order to maintain his wife by paying 10s. .weekly. 'The arrears totalled -JE3l.lOs. up to May .5' of last^year.. .■ ' ■ : : • '. '.' ■ . Annie Evans,' charged with helpless drunkenness, who had been remanded for ; curative treatment, was fined 55., and ordered to pay 17s. 6d. medical expenses, in default'seven days' imprisonment. ■ ' ' ■ ■,'"'. ■ .: ' Five first-offending inebriates - were convicted and discharged.. ■:■..■.\ .' : •■'..'