MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 783, 5 April 1910, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before.Mr. W! R. Haselden, S.M.)

A BAREFACED PROCEEDING. . Fourteen days' imprisonment was wetol out to a woman named Nellie Wilson, alias li'lorehco M'Annally, for attempted theft of a dress, valued at 6s. According to the evidence tendered by the police, the accused entered the second-hand shop of Stephen Penifold, and inspected a dress. During the shopkeeper's tempornrj absence, she; in a manner of speaking, jumped into the dress, and was in the act of leaving, the shop without paying when she was caught.

DRAWING IN THE NETS. A case of interest to fishermen was that wherein the Collector of Customs (Mr. , C. S. Nixon) proceeded against George Gordon, a fisherman, for having drawn his netsi which contained fish, on to drj land. According to Mr. Nixon, it was desired to check the practice of leaving discarded fish on the beach, to putrify and become offensive refuse.. "I wish fishermen to take notice," he said, "that they niust empty tiieir nets of the small fish, in the water, so as to allow them to escape." A nominal penalty only being .asked for, a fine of 55., with costs Us., was imposed.

CHAEGES OP SUNDAY TRADING. Charges of Sunday trading were preferred against Catherine M'Enroe, licensee of the Britannia Hotel, (a), of selling" liquor on March IS last to John'B. Morris, at, a time when the premises were required to bo closed; and (b), keeping her premises open on the same.date for the sale of liquor. Kate M'Enroe, daughter of the accused, was also charged with supplying liquor to a person not entitled to be supplied. 'Evidence given by the' police, probationers was to the effect that they were taken to the hotel by : a porter, and after certain preliminaries, supplied with liquor in a bathroom. ; Before leaving the hotel they asked for more liquor, to take away, but were refused. The porter, later on, made arrangements for this liquor, which he took with him out of one door, while the probationers left by another.

Mr. Fitzgibbon, : for "the defence, ex-, plained that the liquor was supplied by Miss M'Enroe on the assumption -that the men were .boarders. 'She had , been so informed by the porter. '.' " ■ : Sub-Inspector Norwood suggested that the bathroom was rather a curious place for bona-fido boarders to repair to for v the pnrpose of having a drink. His Worship characterised the defence as "preposterous." . Such offences as these,- lie continued, reacted to the prejudice of the issues of licenses to women. Mr. Fitzgibbon asked the bench to take into consideration the fact that Mrs. M'Enroe was ill. .'-.'. - His Worship reserved his decision till this morning. : SELLING BEER WITHOUT A . LICENSE. . .'. .: Thomas Kennedy, oharged on two informations with having - sold beer, without a license, to one A. Anderson, pleaded not guilty. Evidence was given by' the police probationers,. who were ■ escorted to: accused's house and supplied with liquor. Kennedy admitted •. having supplied liquor to a friend, who had remarked: "This beer cost nothing; hore.'s a couple of shillings to buy cigarettes with.". ,■ '• ■ ' ■■ .-. _ ' His Worship: "I hopo your beer was better than your fiction." The accused was convicted and fined .£2O, with costs 75., on the. first charge, being given the-option of two months in prison. A conviction was also entered up against accused for the second oharge, .a nominal penalty of £1, with costs 7s. being imposed, with the alternative of 48 hours' imprisonment. The .accused , asleep .-for,time to pay, but was refused.-TO"' , thereupon'waved his hand to a friend" behind the public barrier, and shotitili&i !' f Ho6f ay;' Charlie I" disappeared. • -•.-.•■ ■ ■ . . ■. . 'PROHIBITED PERSONS.;; • The magisterial decisions in the case of.Georgo Robertson Gray, a prohibited person, oharged with having, on March 13, procured beer from Edward Towersey. and 1 in that of Edward Towersey, charged with having supplied beer to George I Robertson Gray, were reserved, till April Fines, of ,£2,; in default, 14 days' imprisonment,.'were imposed- upon John Calvert, John Fen-el, and George Hastings, prohibited persons, for haying been found in licensed premises. There was no appearance of Ferrel and Hastings. The evidence of the police was to the effect that Calvert ; was discovered in the Albion Hotel March 16, Ferrel in the same place on March 12,. while Hastings,, on March 23, was found in. the Masonic Hotel. ■ .■■■..;■ Convicted on. a charge of having been found in licensed premises—the City July 23 last, at that time being a prohibited person, Alfred Johnson, who pleaded guilty, was fined .£2, with tho option of 11 .days' imprisonment. A prohibition order, for 12 months, was on the application, of Minnie McLean, issued against. a woman nsnied Annie Johnston, who did not appear. The order was made qporative in the Wellington and Hutt licensing districts.

: CASES EEMANDED. On the application of the police, Jesse P]Brien, alias John M'Carthy, charged with stealing clpthiiiK valued at M, the property of John Short, was remanded till to-morrow. James Graham, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing a bicycle valued at £5, th 6 property. of Henry Walter. Biddle, was, on the application of Mr. Hcrdman, Temanded till Anril 8, bail being fixed at one surety of £1&. Henrji Charles Adolphus Williamson, alias Pjnil Heirry Jleroier, was charged with having—{a) On June IS, ISOB, at Palmerston North, obtained .£6 from John Hurley by means of a valueless cheque; and (b).on November 18, 1909, committed a theft•'of. £3 15s. from James Poole Goodwin. " • On. the application of Chief-Detective Broberg, the accused, on the first charge, was remanded till April 11, to Palmerston North., ■ •■,■'.■ The accused pleaded guilty to tho theft of £3 155., and was convicted and sentenced to six months' imprisonment with haTd labour.

MAINTENANCE CASES. On the application of Dorothy Paulmicr, arrears of maintenance payable under the Industrial Schools Act weT6 remitted, up till April i. A similar application from Francis G. Haraefct was also granted, to' the same date. No order was made in the- .case of Maurice Drury proceeded against for the maintenance of his child at the Nolscm Indus-trial School. ' • ■ Agnes Sttuton consented to an order to pay is. per week in connection with maintenance expenses at the Wellington Receiving Homo. The case, Ada Byrne v. Albert James Byrne, wherein .the defendant was charged with failure to maintain, the arrears, amounting to £S 2s. 6d., was adjourned till'-April 11.. An application to ha.ve the order varied was also adjourned till tho same date. Eva Nelson proceeded against Thomas Carswell for disobedience of the order to maintain his illegitimate child, the arrears due on March. 7 last, amounting to I £2 Bs. Defendant was sentenced to three weoks , imprisonment with hard labour, the warrant.to issue on complainant's toquost. . . . ■. ■■• The hearing of. tho caee Florence E. Davy v. Henry Davy, disobedience of order to maintain ' wife, was" adjourned till June 27, for evidence to bo taken at Gisborno..

An application from W. J. A. M'Ginhity to Tiave ' the order to maintain his wife, Alice Louisa M'Ginnity,- cancelled, wns, after evidence had been heard, 'granted. Mr. Bunny appeared for the applicant, and Mr. H'Gnuth for tho defendant. .. '

The case, Alice E. Harrison v. Frank Harrison,' failure to maintain, was adjourned till April IS. Another, case, Nita Wilson v. Geo. Wm. HenrfioM, failure to maintain illegitimate child, was adjourned till April 11.

, INSOBRIETY. Donald MTherson ,was arraigned on two charges—the second the not infrequent Eequel of the Erst—(a) being urunli, and (b); breaking a window, the property' of Alichael Conway. On the first he was cbnvictedand fined Sβ., with the option of 24 hours' imprisonment. For this second ottence, damaging th» window, he was ordered to pay 10s. fine, witli costs 11s. 6d., the option being a week in gaol. ■ "•. • "Helplessly drunk" was the condition in which Nicholas Scallan was found by the police on April 2, in' Victoria': Street, lie was convicted and fined 10s.', crista 2s. 6i1., the option being 48 hours', imprisonment.

. Pines of 105.,. with the option'.of 48 hours' imprisonment, wero imposed upon three inebriates—previously convicted— named Richard Evans, Peter Mulcahy, and Charles O'Connor. Evans and Mulcahy had each been once pre'vioudy. convicted, while O'Connor, within the past six months, had been convicted on five previous occasions. . . .

Annie ATUr-ithV an old offender, was fined 205., with the option of seven days' imprisonment, for her 'atest conviction on a charge of drunkenness. Upon his first conviction on a charge of drunkenness, another inebriate was fined os., with the usual option. : Eobert Lees, who appeared on. remand on a charge of having unlawfully deserted irom the s.s. Cornwall, was convicted and '

OTHER CASES. For riding a bicycle without , a' light i F '«ferick Sband. who guilty, was fined 55., with'7s.' costs, the option being 2i hours" imprisonment. Claude Henry Cany for leaving Ins vehicle unattended in Willis Street, was convicted and finod 55., with court costs 7s. Albert .Wardle was convicted on a charge of driving Ms vehicle at a pace faster than- a walk, without lights, after dark, and was fined 55.. court costa 75., with the option.of 24 hours' imprison, ment. : ,

Prank Hunt and Alice Brown: were deemed to be "rogues and vagabonds," and were convicted and discharged. ; For/using obscene language to- the passers-by on Lambton Quey on Satur. day, John .Frederick Boyes, who pleaded guilty, was fined ,£5, with the option rf one.month's imprisonment. ■.