MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1980, 10 February 1914, Page 11

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

POLICE SIDE. OLP WATERSIDER'S DIGfIQN. Mr. E. W. Burton, S.M., presided at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, _ Peter M'Cabc, a member of the old Vi-atorsulo "VVorlwrs , 'Union, was charged flt the- Magistrate's Court, before Mr. E. W. Burton, S.M., with having used obscene .language to another worker who had not been a striker. Defendant pleaded guilty, but with seine hesitation. His witnesses, lie said, had gone down to the South Island grass-seeding, ana he had now no alternative but. to plead as indicated. Inspector Hcndnsy stated that ho had evidence that ladies were passing:at the time that the language- was used, and that they must have heard it, ..M'Caixj was convicted and fined £3, with-costs.£l 17b., in default 14 days' imprisonment. MOLESWQRTH, STREET SCENE. . Three yoang men appeared in the dock, two of thorn with black eves and sticking piaster, charged with a series of offences arising out of an affray in Moleswortb Street, T;ho broad facts as related_ by Inspector Hemlrey were that some, six of seven young men who had been taking liquor quarrelled, and fought in. Moieswetth Street; The police were eent for, and oiio of .the men was arrested by ConstaMo trioklebanjc. The others immediately endeavoured to take the man from the constable, and, but for tlio fact that theto were good citizens in the. vicinity to assist the constable, the latter must have been roughly handled. Gordon. Patqn pleaded guilty', to charges af having tisorl certain lailgtrago and with having resisted tho «Histablo. Ho was convicted and fined 405., in default soven days on eacii chars;*. • Tho | other two defendants, John Johns and Xhqmas Francis Jones, fer whom Mr. 1. SI. Wilford appeared, were remanded for one week. • THE "MISTAKE" THEORY. . Judith Barsht pleaded not guilty to a change that on August 6ho stote a. watch, valued at £3, the property of John Homy Tho'ftison. The accused, it appeared, is a jeweller, and in March «r April last Thomson took his watch to Barslit's shop for repairs,. Barsht' told him to call for it on the Saturday following, and he did so, but, on this ami ninny following Saturdays, Barsht stated the watch was r,ct ready.'' Filially tho complainant put the matter in tho hands of the police. Detective Cameron recovered the watch from a pawnbroker to whom accused had pledged it for C 3, Tho answer of Barsht to. the charge was that ha must, TiaVo made a mistake*. Ho had been drinking at .tho time, and he believed that the lvateih vfas Ms own when h» pawnnd. it. ■ '■ • . Tliis theory His Worship Said he was ■unable to accept. The accused was con- . yietod and fined £2, with costs I6s. (jd., in dofatilt 14 days' imprisonment. PIiAIN WOBDifBV' BENCH. . "In nay 30 years of practice I hare never hoard of a caso more atrocious. The man has.sounded all the depths of infamy." These remarks wore made by tho Magistrate concerning Stephen Cairns,' defendant in an action , ttfcnight by his wife, Ainy Cairns, for niainte'n.n.nce and a summary- separation. His Worship made ah order against tho mmi , Cairnsj directing him to pay £2 per w6ek towards. tiro support of his wife, 'and 10s. pw wwh towards the support of his three children. The coniplaiiai.it was granted a separation, with custody of the; children, and the complainant's solicitor jvas granted leave to apply fjr a charging order against defendant's property-far the papjaeiit of tho mainTerinnco, . His Worship stating that the order would bo issued. Mr. J. J. M'Gfatli appeared for the complainant; and Mr. P. W. Jackson for thsi defendant. . ' ■ ■ ■' ■ A BROKEN SLASHES, A. powerfully-built, middle-aged man named Eugene Mahoney ' wns charged with having been drunk, and with having wilfully damaged a skslier, valuo 45.. Gd., uie property of Harry Livesey, Accused pleaded guilty to the .e'liargo of dnuikenaess, but not guilt; to the other charge, , Inspector Heivlroy said that unfortunately tho complainant in the ease had not been summoned, and lio would therefore have to ask. for an. adjoiiriiinciit.- The evidence against the accused would bo that lie approached Livesey, <v-he was tising a slasher, and a-sled Ixijii- . for a shilling, and that when Livesoy refused to give it to him accused -snatch',eel tho dasher from his hand ind broke it. ' Accused was fined 10s. or 4.8 hours ■oil: the charge of dninfamiiesß, and remanded until to-day on tho other charge.; ' ■ . A LAJIE HORSE, Jolm Zortca ivas charged with having on Dec-ember 24 cruelly EJI-trcated a horse by working it when it Was suffering, from kihono&s caused by enlarged tendons. Sir; R. M. Watsfln: appeared for tlio Society for the Prevention; of Cruelty to Animals in support' oif tho charge, and Mr. J. J, M'Grath for the defendant, who pleaded not guilty. Tho caso for tno prosecution was that tho horse's forelegs were painfully inflamed, and that the- defendant had bren warned of this fa*t by the inspector for tho society on a day prior to December Mr. M'Srath's cross-csaniination was in the direction of showing that enlarged tendons ftere exceedingly common, and t'bat they woro not necessarily painful. Before calling evidence, Mr.- M'Grath asked that .the easo ha dismissed, on the ground that there was no evidence of guilty knowledge on tie part of the defendant. His Worship, held, however, that there was a ease to answer, and Mr. jM'Graft ashed for time in which to consider whether lie would appeal on that point. He suggested that tho case bo adjourned, as it could not be .finished'that day. Tlio caso was accordingly adjourned •until Thursday. MAINTENANCE. Thomas Henry Bransgrove was sen* > tenced to oiie month's imprisonment for disobeying a maintenance order on which the arrears amounted to £25 10s. Walter Baldwin, f<?r disobeying ' a maintenance order, was sentenced to oiio month's imprisonment, tnxS, John Millanta, for a similar offence, to 14 days' imprisonment. MISCELLANEOUS. ■ Frederiek Kingau, a man Who had been remanded for medical treatment, Was convicted and fined 10s. for drunkenness, and ordered to pay 17s. 6d. in defrayment of expenses for treatment in gaol, Christina Lawsoii, who had been arrested for insobriety on Saturday night, was finod 405., in default three days' imprisoiiTfient, and at lior own request a prohibition order was issued against her. Ono first offender who did Jiot appear forfeited 10s. bail, mid five others were convicted and discharged. j Arthur Dougtos, charged on remand with breaking and entering and theft at Wellington on December 23, was further remanded until February 11: The hearing of an informatron, Poliee v. Henry Mavtindale, In which it is al* leged that tho defendant published a notification relating to betting on horso races, wns adjourned until to-day. . Two young utoii Tiamed Hugh Steele and Jarees Wnllcer, who bad beeii interrupted in a stand-up- fight in the vicinity of Tory Street on Saturday, pleaded gtiilty to a chnrgo of hnring used threatening bohavkmr. They we're convicted and firibsl 40a., ia default seven .diote , imirisojanent. ■ [