MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1768, 5 June 1913, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

SERIOUS CHARGES. OFFICER SENT UP FOR TRIAL. Joseph Houldsworth Smith, a lieutenant in the Territorial Force, was charged at the Magistrate's Court yesterday witil committing; certain serious offences. Mr. W. G. Biddell, S.M., was on the bench. The charges had reference to certain acts of an indecent nature, as follow:—(1) On tho steamer Maoti, between Wellington and Lyttelton, on December 25 last; (2; at Trentham, on December 31; (3) at Trcatham on January 1. The accused was represented by Mr. -I. Xeare. The court was cleared during the hearing of evidence, which was given by several senior cadets. Accused pleaded not guilty, and y® 9 committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was allowed in tho sIHU of c£2oo. SILVERSTREAM EPISODE. A charge of attempted suicide on May 20 last was preferred against Wm. Ueorgo Webb. Coiistablo Mahoney stated that m con-scqut-nce of ft telephone niossago rewivwl ; ho went to Silvcrstrcam on May J),. and thero found Webb in the custody of three tnen, who wore holding him down. He , ra s informed that Webb had attempted to commit suicide, and upon searching him he found a small bottlo containinu laudanum. Sine© May 20 Webb had been receiving treatment in the Mental HosInspector Hendrey said that tho accused was a labouring man, working at Silverstream. Ee spent more time in drinking than in doing work. . His Worship entered up a conviction, and ordered Webb to come up for sentence when called upon. Accused was also made the subject of a prohibition order. THE PARROT. i charge of theft of a parrot and cage, valued at £21 10s„ the property of Frederick Knigge, was preferred against Joseph | Caulfiehl. , Frederick Knigge, Tcstauranteur, statwl that on the night of May 30 he closed and locked up his premises at about 11.30. I lie parrot and cage were on. a table in ono 01 the front rooms. Next morning he found only the bottom portion of the cage, the top part, as well as the bird, havjnj? boon removed. Ho reported the matter to the police, and later in the day the bird was found in Gal-diner's restaurant in CourteConstablo' Wade stated that ho visited Gardiner's restaurant and found the bird and cage there. Gardiner told witness that he had pu/rchased the bird irom accused for 10s. Witness then searched for accused, found him under a bod, and arrested him. ... Accused Caulfield gave to the effcct that ho had worked for Knigge for about ten days, and was discharged on Jlav 24. Knigge owed him two days pay, and ho was told to call for it on the following Monday, May 26. He called on Monday, but Knigge refused to give him the money due. He went on to say that on the night of .May 30 he saw the parrot m a rage, through a broken window on Knigge's premises. He reached through tho window, and took tho parrot, with the object of selling it for the purpose of getting even with Knigge in Tespect to wages due to him. j At the conclusion of tho hearing accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. OTHER. POLICE CASES. Wm. Cochrane was convicted and discharged on a charge of insobriety. On a charge of committing a certain act ho was fined X 3. May Gibbons pleaded guilty, to. charges of insobriety, and using objectionable Janauaffe. For insobriety, she uas fined 40®., in default seven days' imprisonment, and was fined a similar amount pn the second charge. The option was fourteen days imprisonment. ..... , ,j. Other charges of insobriety wcto dealt with as followJcssio Burns was ordered to be detained at the Pakatoa Home for one year; Alexander Clark was fined 10s.. in default 48 hours; Andrew Larsen fined 103.. in default 48 hours; three first offemteTS were fined 55., in default 24 hours imprisonment; and seven others were convicted and discharged.