NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1372, 24 February 1912, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

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A STRANGE AFFAIR. ', Auckland, February 23, Shopkeepers near the corner of Boston . and Mount Edan Koads were startled yes- ( tcrday by loud screams of children; . On going to investigate, they saw two little girls struggling hard with a man, both ' children showing ovidonce of fear. Each- , tually the Su'an separated the children, ; and carried one of them to a trap, which was driven away by another man in waiting. Subsequent developments pointed to tho fact that the little girl had been kidnapped. At the Police Court to-day a man was charged with attempting to deprive , the mother of her child, and wai remand- ( ed for a week. ' CREED AND WAR SERVICE. Ghristchurch, February 23. Several batches of youths have been ,- before the Magistrate's Court lately charged with failure to take the. oath under the Defence Act. In tho case of 1 nomas Nuttall to-day. the,defendant raised tho point that he had a.religions objoc- j tion, and was consequently exempted. He . was a Baptist. Tho evidenco of Rev. A. : W and C. R. N. Mackie, deacon •of the Baptist Church, was that'the' 1 Church I allowed ft private interpretation of the ; New Testament, and it rested with the individual whether his oreed permitted military service or not. In another case . | tho defendant was o, member- of - the -; Spiritualist Church. . Judgment ~jras re- , served in both cases. Fines were imposed • in most of the cases, to be reduced if dcfondants complied with tie law. within ft week, ... ' i SUPREME COURT. :;•.,' ; Auckland, February M. ; At the Supreme Court, Kund Bergman, charged with the theft of hats from the , cargo of the steamer Maheno, was sen- , , fenced to one year's imprisonment. Mr. Justice Edwards said that tho continued > wharf thefts were a serious matter. Ho | understood the loss thereby • ran into ; thousands of pounds annually, lne j polico found that, in every instance where accused was employed cargo wa9 missing ~; from the vessels. This was prisoners , first conviction, but while, things remained as they were, on no nccouut would anyone oonvicted of theft from vessels I* . admitted to probation. These offences had > becomo scandalous, TECHNICAL. CLASSES. Timaru, February 23. At the annual meeting of. tho Technical Classes Association to-night the report showed that during tho year.there , wore 032 class entries. Tho managers ray , that the time.is not far distant when h- ; maru must have a day Technical bchool. . Fivo plumbing', pupils qualified for bor- , ough licenses. The receipts included: Fees £%9, voluntary contribution.: «Cloi and subsidies thereon.. Instructors -wore paid . ; J?GS2, The classes in agriculture and liorticulturo were disappointing: but wool- ' classing has been successful for; tho last three years, • """ MR. BART KENT RESIGNS. Auckland, February.22. Mr. Bart Kent has resigned the presidency of the Auckland Inhibition Executive Committee consequent on the opposition to his scheme for holding it in Alexandra Park. Tho objection to the park being used is that its use as a. recreation 6ports ground would be destroyed for at least two seasons. LAYING DOUBLES. Invercarfllll, February. 23. At tho Polico Court, Joseph Black was fined .£2O for street betting. Accused was laving a double on tho Dunedm Cup and Publicans' Handicap. ■..,,,. > GAOLED HEAVILY. Auckland, February 23. In tho Supremo Court, Frank Vincent, an Italian, charged with criminal assault (four instances), was described bv Mr. Justice Edwards as a man who ought not to bo at large. Ho sentenced prisoner to be imprisoned for five years, with hard labour, for each oifenco, sentences to be cumulative, this being equivalent to a term of twenty yoarß. The Judge said he felt it his duty to impose a substantial scntenoe, leaving it to a higher authority to reduco tho sentence if it thinks fit. BRIEF MENTION. _'•'■'. . Reefton, February 23. John Sluinnabun wascrttninittod for trial last night for alleged assault with intent on a married woman.