LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1844, 2 September 1913, Page 11

LAW REPORTS.

1 LOWER COURT, FOOD PLANT FOR PRISONERS. ON GAOL PRECINCTS. s 11 GROCERIES k FLASK OF LIQUOR, a ii n •With tile intention of providing something in tho nature of a treat for ® prisoners engaged at 'the' Mount Cook .Prison Works, William Newman pur- j chased the following items: —Two tins u of salmon, one tin of cocoa, one till of e milk, two pounds of butter, ono jar of t jam, four pounds of sugar, two pounds a of apples, and a tin opener. Wrapping ° them into a neat parcel, lie adventured a on to tho prison grounds 011 Sunday afternoon, and attempted to secret his n purchases there. His act of sympathy j, for tile prisonors was, liowover, fnis- jj trated by tlio police, wlio vory soon had •him under aaTcst. . Yesterday morning !. he was brought before Mr. W. G. Itiddell, S.M., and, when charged with tho act, pleaded guilty. Inspector Hendry stated' that tho information had been laid under the Poisons Act, 1908. Newman had been seen (in the company" of another man) n to enter the prison grounds and secrete 4 the goods. A flask of liquor had also o been secreted, bnt this had been p broken. The Inspector added that ho a had been informed 1 by tho gaoler that f he was having considerable trouble 0 through similar practices, whioh were 0 apparently being carried on by a num- j ber of people. Newman had recently 0 served a term of imprisonment. j : Mr. P. Jackson, who appeared for g accused, stated that Newman had only , just como out of prison. Ho had pur- J, cha-sed these goods with tho idea of providing tho prisoners with "some- £ thing a littlo moro palatable than prison , fare. Ono can ahnost applaud his act, „ looking at it frofn a humanitarian point of view," said counsel. "No instrument )' was included in tho parcel wliioli would ' assist a prisoner in escaping." ' His Worship told accused that he had: c rendered himself liable to a fin© of £20 r or three months' imprisonment. The fine ® in tho present case would be £3, and a the alternative 14 days in gaol. FREE BED & GRATITUDE. U Goorge Thompson appeared on re- v nuuid to answer a charge of theft of a a silver watch valued •at £2 10s, tho r property of John Caldwell. It was li stated) that, when arrested on August, a 18, accused' had given in a written g statement admitting guilt, but, a week e later, lie had denied tho chargo, and had assorted ho had no recollection of f giving any written statement, and lie p desired to plead not guilty. 'He was 'J remanded for tlio purpose of being a examined by. the gaol surgeon as to his r sanity, and yesterday Chief-Detective ( Broberg handed a report to his v Worship. 1; After reading the report the Bench t allowed tho accused) to substitute liis j plea of not guilty for ono of guilty. Rvidenoo for tho prosecution was to c the cffect that tho -Moused had asked _ for a' bed at a boardinghouse, stating u that he was "hard up.' 1 Ho was given the bed, and in return for the sympathy j shown to him he relieved a boarder of his, watch. _ 1 As tho accused had 1 boon in custody for soven days, his Worship entered a oomviction and ordered him to como up ( for sentence when called npon. : PLAUSIBLE 01/ D MAN.' \ "Not guilty," said John.-Power, when 1 charged with the theft of a brief bag < valued at £1. and foair pairs of ladies' ,i stockings, valued at lis'., tlio property i of some person unknot. ( Evidence was given to the effect that i Power had been arrested with the bag ] in his possession, and when asked where | he got it from had replied that a man i had asked him to hold' it for hini. > TJie accused olected to give evideneo, .' and told his Worship that he was 64 ( yea.rs old. He asked the Bench "to give , an old man ,i oh.inco this time." Con- . tinuing, ho said: "If tliero is Anything j missing in Wellington, they say, 'Ohj , it's old "Jack" Power again.'" , His Airship imposed a fine of 40s. - ORDERS TO SUPPORT. ■ Alexander Johnson failed to answer ; liis name in the Court yesterday when ! lie was called in oonncction. with a chargo of failing to maintain an illegiti- ! mate child. ,The Bench authorised tho issue of a warrant for liis arrest. Wm. Smith was fined 405.; for. failure to comply with a maintenance order. For a- similar offence Tlios. Asher was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment. Wm. Ed. Rodgors was ordered to pay 18s. per week towards tho support of liis wife. Patrick M'Grath was ordered' to pay ISs. per week towards the siupport of his wife. THE STATION & VEHICLES. For entering tho precincts of the Lambton railway station whilst plying an express for liife, P. do Sousa was fined 10s. A similar fine for a liko offenco was imposed on George Dybing. COURT ODDMENTS. A plea of not guilty was entered by Graco Williams whew charged with lx>.ing an idlo and disorderly person. Mr. Dickson apiieared for the accused. After hearing the ovidenco, his Worship entered a. conviction and ordered accused to como up for sentenco when called upon. For insobriety, Rebooca M'Lauglilin was fined 55., Isidore Jacobus 405., John Harris 10s., and Wm. Sanvitol Gregg 10s. On a similar charge AVm. R-cginald Yorko was ordered to pay 17a 6d. medical expenses. Andrew Price was fined 40s. for assaulting his, niotheir-in-law, Mrs. Annie Thomas. Evideneo was to the effect that acoused, whilst ill a.state of intoxication, struck Mrs. Thomas over the face twice.