MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1348, 27 January 1912, Page 15

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Ileforc Mr. A, Crooke, S.M.) TRAM WAY AFFAIR. i'AMSIOXCKH. AND CONDUCTOR, A charge of assault was brought by Lrncst Alfred Schultz against John Tim in?!, a Wellington tram conductor December II was given as tho dale. Air. J. O'Sltea, City Solicitor. api>earo(l for Tiinms, and Scliulta conducted his own ease. A fortnight ago Selmltz was charged with assaulting Conductor Timms, and tho former then slated that ho had hit, 1 minis because Timms had. a little earlier during tho sumo night, nit him. The magistrate had told Schultz that, if ho had been struck by Timms, it was open to him to bring an action for assault. Schultz gavo ovidenco. 110 said that •ho occurrence took placc at tho Courtenny Place tram stop on a Saturday night. He had attempted to board a car which was going out to lulbirnie. Timms. who was conducting tho car, said: "Get olT," and, at tho same timo, gavo him a shove. Ho got on to tho road, and as the car went by Timms struck him in tile face and'said: "Talco that!" Timms's evidence was that tho .car was crowded, and as Schultz was a littlo stubborn when told to (jot off, ho put his arni between Schultz and the car, and prised him off. When tho car was moving off, he saw Schultz making a turn, and thinking that ho was about to mako anothor attempt to get on the . oar, ho put out his hand to obstruct him. Defendant's hand then camo into contact with Schultz, but tliero was no intention to strike.

Ilis Worship acccptod the conductor's statement, and dismissed the information.

DESERTER FROM AEAWA. William Carter, a seaman, was sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment for deserting from tho s.s. Arawa, and to 21 days' imprisonment for making a false declaration, tho sentences to bo cumulative. It was stated by Chief Dctectivo Hroberg that Carter left London in the Arawa, having signed on for tho return (rip. In Wellington ho deserted, and later went to a shipping oflico and stated that he had lest his dischargo papers through drunkenness. lie also signed a declaration to that effect before a J.P. OTHER CASES. . John Laurenson was convicted on four charges of breaking a prohibition order, lie was fined £i. Samuel W. Cope was fined -CI for failing to keep a correct record of the hours worked by his assistants. Defendant pleaded guilty, and stated that tho breach occurred through ignorance of the precise requirements of tiio law. For insobriety William Carmichael was fined 10s. SETTING FIRE TO SCRUB. A youth was before the JuTenilo Court yesterday on a chargo of setting fire to scrub at Island Bay recently. Ho was convictcd and discharged. THE ESCAPEES. REID AND AKMITAGE IN COITRT. Arthur Thomas Rcid and George Armitage, who bolted from the Mount Cook prison gang last Monday, and were recaptured the samo evening, were charged with the olfance of escaping from gaol. Mr. R. H. Webb appeared in Armitage's behalf.' He stated that the prisoner was only 18 years of age',- and was not of strong intellect. There was 110 donbt that Armitago would not have attempted tlie escape had ho not been influenced. He asked that Armitage should bo Bent to some reformatory. The gaol-21- spoke well of Armitage and also of Rcid, and stated that it was intended to send the former to Invercargill when' a vacancy occurred there. His Worship convicted Anuitage, but ordered that Rcid should be placcd on bread and water, diet foT two days, and should forfeit one month's marks.'