MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1398, 26 March 1912, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

. (Beforo Dr. M'Arthur, S.M.) ELECTRIC WIRING. GERMAN CLAIM DISPUTED. Liebcrt and Mcyerhof, of Hamburg, Germany, brought an action against ,1. and J. I'. Ivirkwcod, of Wellington, electrical engineers, as on a bill of exchange for ■Lt'J, the amount being jsi'-vt of the price of a consignment of electric lighting wire purchased by tile defendants from the plaintiffs. The bill was admitted by the plaintiffs, who, however, sot up a claim for .£SO as damages, because, they alleged, tho wire hail not been up to the standard, and plaintiffs had represented that it would equal the standard. Evidenco was given to the. effect (hat about 23 contracts carried out by tho defendants had been condemned by the corporation authorities on the ground that the wiro was not up to the standard, and defendants had had to replace the wire. Mr. I!. Slndden appeared for tno plaintiffs, and Mr. A. Dunn far the defendants. Decision was reserved. POLICE CASES. (Before Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M.) IN HOTEL PREMISES ON SUNDAY. George Fallon, William Stark, William Harold Stone, .Tames Wamsley, .rolm Taylor, and Thomas John Hamilton were charged with having bsen illegally on the premises of the Shamrock ilotel on Sunday, March IS. Constable Stevens gave evidence that when he entered tho hotel the defendants were behind a door. Various excuses had been offered—one had said lie entered to use tin; telephone, another that he was inquiring about a picnic, and a third that he had stayed overnight. Pleas of guilty were entered by Stark, Stone, and Wamsley, and fines of 10s., with costs 75., were made against them. Fallon and Taylor pleaded not guilty. Taylor, who had told Constable Stevens I hat he had stayed at the hotel the night, before, declared in his evidence that he had been waiting for dinner. Fallon's explanation was that he had taken a pared to the hotel, and when arrested was simply waiting for some particulars concerning tho business which took him to the hotel. His Worship convicted Taylor and fined him ]os., and costs 7s. lie regarded Fallon's excuse as more reasonable, and said he would give him the benefit of any doubt there was. Fallon was accordingly discharged. "EXCESSIVE FOItCE." William George Bullock was fined ,£1 for assaulting William Buchanan. • Bullock, for whom Mr. Hindmarsh appeared, pleaded not guilty, and called evidence to the effect that lie had been provoked by Bucli an.™, who had struck him. His Worship stud that provocation was a good defence so long as excessive force was not used, but in this case, he thought, Bullock hail used more force than was necessary, and ho would fine him £1. CHE JUST FINED. Frank Shaw, chemist, was charged on three informations with having employed shop assistants alter S p.m. Shaw pleaded not guilty to each charge. He was represented by Mr. E. J. Fitzgibbon. Two of the informations were dismissed for want of corroboration of Inspector Holland's evidence as to times; but in the other case, where the inspector's evidence was corroborated by a police constable, a conviction was entered, and Slnuv was fined X-3. MERELY LAZY. Goodrick Charleston was sent to prison for three months as an "idlo anu. disorderly." Station-Sergeant Darby said that tho defendant had been remanded twice to be medicallv examined as to the statfi of his mind, ft had been found, added the sergeant, that Charleston was not suffering from delusions, but was lazy. A STRANGE PLEA. John White, a middle-aged man (for whom Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh appeared), was charged with being an idle and disorderly person. Inspector Ellison said that the ninn camp Id Hie polico station and asked to bo taken in. He said ho had been drinking for the last two months, and was afraid of himself. Under the circumstances, the inspector thought it best to acccde to the man's request to be taken ill. Ho knew nothing against the man. It was decided to remand Wliito for a week for curative treatment. OTHER, CASES. Alfred Basil Suckling, who protested that the wrong man had been arrested, was fined .£:! on a. charge of breaking the peace hv threatening Iwhaviour. George Sutherland was ordered to pay ,CI per week towards the support of his wife. For insobriety, William and Archibald flenry were convicted aml discharged, and ,lolm 'Walsh was sent to the institute for inebriates at Rolo Roa. Elizabelh llneUiuastcr was lined .£! for a Iji i .ii li of In'!' liquor prohibit ion older, and Waller Mar-den was ilmd .i! lor procuring liquor for liui kma-ler, knowing lliat iiif v,:i- a prohibited jut-00. For i!l-!reating a horse, .lolin Thompson was iin -,l XI. Joseph Fitch was fined L.'l for enlerinp a hotel during the currency of a prohibition older.