MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1180, 15 July 1911, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before Mr. W. C 4. Riddell, S.M.) A PITIFUL STORY. MOTHER ABANDONS HER CHILD. A pitiful story was told.in the evidence which was called in connection with the case of a young woman named Elleu Briggs, a domestic servant, who had previously been before the Court and pleaded guilty to a charge of having wilfully exposed a child under circumstances which constituted a menace t'o its health. The child was an infant, 10 months old, ar.'.l had been left near one of the entrances of the Home of Compassion, Island Bay, by the accuscd, who was subsequently arrested at Taihape. AVhen the mother came before his Worship for sentence, Mr. A. JI. Salck, who appeared on her behalf, asked l'or lenient treatment. The child had originally been placed in a receiving home, but as the mother did not consider that it was receiving proper attention, she obtained'a fortnight's leave of absence from her employer, and came down to find a more suitable home for it. Site removed the child from the Receiving Home, but was uuablo to find anyone willing to tako charge of the infant, on account of its tender age. There was no accommodation at the Home of Compassion. She had no money, tho father of the child refused to help her, and in desperation she decided to place it outside tho Homo of Compassion, and hide among tho bushes until someone, attracted by the infant's cries, should come out and take charge of it. Though the child was in a sense abandoned, it was not neglected, argued Mr. Snlek. It was well clothed, and left in full view of tho Home. The mother was not yet 20 years of nge, antl had been motherless since she was ,uino years old. ' blic had received a_ terrible, lcs'sou, and a conviction, ho'urged,' should suffice as her legal punishment.

Chief Defective Broberg stated that tho child had been, well cared for at the receiving home, and there was no reason for its removal. The infant, after its abandonment, had bsen found near- a washhouse by an old man, and near by was, a basket of clothes and a feeding-bottle. Nothing was known against the mother. His Worship said that under the Act the accused was liable to three months' imprisonment. Admitting all that had been urged by counsel in her favour, it. would be a wrong thing to extend leniency) in cases of this kind—tho abandonment of little children. Since the accuscd had already received a very severe lesson, he did not propose to impose a very heavy penalty. She would be sentenced to 21 (lavs' imprisonment. His Worship added that had the girl gone to the police, or to the Salvation Army Home, she conld have found accommodation for the child.

A SATURDAY NIGHT FRACAS, VIOLENT SCENE IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE. The sequel to a fracas in a railway carriage 011 the Wellington-Paekakiriki train on the eveuing of Saturday, June 24, was tlio appcarancc before the Court of two young men, John Hill and John Ricketts, charged with having behaved.in a violent manner in a railway carriage, to tho annoyance of other passengers, and'with damaging a carriage window, valued at 10s. Hill was also charged with having used certain language. The accused pleaded not guilty. Mr. J. J. M'Grath appeared on behalf of Ricketts, and Mr. M. J. Crombie for Hill. Sub-Inspector Sheehan prosecuted. Considerable evidence, of a conflicting nature, was callcd.' His. Worship, summing up, said that the evidence pointed to the fact that both the.accuscd were under tho influence of liquor on the particular occasion when tho offences were stated to have been committed, and were equally guilty of the disturbance. On the charge of bchav-ins in a violent manner, each would be fined 205., with costs 6s. 6d., and ordered to pay witnesses' expenses amounting to ȣ1 is.' The option was a week in gaol. With respect to the broken window, the charge of complicity against Ricketts would bo dismissed. Hill would pay the damage, 10s., and witnesses' expenses totalling 10s. On the charge of having used the language mentioned in the charge, Hill was convicted and fined J22, with costs 75., the alternative being It days' imprisonment.

OBSTRUCTING A TKAIN GUAED. As the result of nil incident on the late trni.u from Wellington to Ngaio oil Jvmo 2 last, a man, named Joseph Holmes, was chargsd with obstructing Guard J. Ramsay, while the latter was in the execution of his duty. It appears, from the evidence, that while the guard was collecting tickets, defendant had directed him to another carriage where another man was stated to have defendant's ticket. Failing to find this person, the guard approached defendant wuen the train pulled up at Ngaio. It. was alleged by the guard that defendant did not give up. his ticket for some time, in consequence Of which the train was delayed for nearly five minutes. Defendant denied that delay had been caused by him, but his Worship considered that, on the evidence, tho defendant must convicted, but, as the case was not serious, the, penalty would be a light one. lie would be ordered to pay Court costs, lis. BY-LAW CASES. Prosecutions of owners of wauderm". stock led lo W. F. Ludwig, Frederick Kilminster, and Alice Wilkinson being each fined Ills., with costs, Ts., A bute'.i-i- named William Newall, charged with having kept his shop open after 5 p.m. 011 .hine 21, was lined 10 s., with costs,-7s. For leaving a horse and vehicle unattended for more than live minutes, Samuel Lawlor was convicted and ordered to pay Court costs, 7s. Mr. V. W. Jackson appeared for the defendant.' For leaving their vehicles unattended in a public place, William Jlcnton and John Gleasou were each fined 10s., with costs, 7s. INSOBRIETY. Ono first-offending inebriate who failed to appear was mulcted in the amount of his bail, 10s. A mau named Hy. Edwards was charged with'having been found drunk, and with having committed a breach of his prohibition order. He was convicted and dis-

charged for drunkenness; for. breaking the prohibition lie was convicted aim hne.-l or, in the alternative, M days imprisonment.

ALLEGED ROGUE AND VAGABOND. A woman named Annie Jackson, uho was found one night in an outhouse in Courlenav Place, was charged with wing a regno and a vagabond. f>he was remanded till this morning.