MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1887, 23 October 1913, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

$___ PAK-A-POO DENS: Pak-a-poo cases in. the Magistrate's Court have attracted some little attention of late, and the Court was. filled yesterday when another Chinese was fined £20 for. keeping a common gaming house. Mr. W. G. Riddoll, S.M., was on the Bench. . . In.this case Wong Joe,.pleaded guilty to a charge of using his premises, No. 131 a Taranaki Street, as a common gaming house. A fine of £2C was imposed, tho alternative being fixed at six weeks' imprisonment. As the offender had no goods to distrain, he was committed to the Terrace Gaol. RISK IN CHINESE HOUSES. In regard'to the case of James Burde'tt, who had been found on Chinese premises, the Magistrate said that it had been pleaded that Burdett had entered tlie house for a lawful purpose. Under the Gaming Act, the onus was thrown on the defendant to show that lie was there for some lawful purpose. Under the circumstances, it seemed to His Worship that a conviction must he recorded. Entering a gaming house was not a crime, but only an offence, and he did not consider that this offence should interfere with Burdett's position in the Railway Service. He would be convicted and ordered to pay Court costs amounting to 3s. OTHER COURT CASES. John David Speight pleaded guilty to charges of theft of two overcoats, valued at 10s. and 20s. each. He was fined 40s. on each charge. A plea of guilty was entered by ' Frank Maidment, when charged with attempting to steal 18s., the property of ( Yee Wah. His Worship imposed a fine of 405., with costs 45., in default 14 days' imprisonment. Henry Andrus was sentenced to two .months' imprisonment for disobeying a maintenance order. Tlios. Reeves was fined £3 for .using objectionable language. On a charge of • resisting the police lie was fined 40s. For insobriety Andrew Larsen was fined 205., and Henry Greenfield 40s. . Three first offenders similarly charged • were leniently dealt with. y