MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1984, 14 February 1914, Page 14

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

"PACKED HOUSES" OVERCROWDINC AT THEATRES. ■ MANAGERS FINED. At the Magistrate's Court Yesterday, before. Mr. E. W. Burton,"S.M., the manager 0 f His Majesty's Theatre (Mr.' \\ m. Douglas) was proceeded against on two informations, under the City ByLaws, for allowing overcrowding at the theatre on Thursday, February 3, and with failing to stop the sal© of tickets when ordered to do so. Tho offences alleged, ware on the night of the amateur trials at the theatre. The City Solicitor (Mr. J. O'Shea) stated that 011 tho occasion iti question the theatre was packed, and . the passages were all blocked, evert those leading to the. private boxes. It was a serious breach of the bj;-law, Mr. Douglas was notified, but .the. selling of tickets continued for ten minutes, after. It was tho first occasion, oil which Mr, Douglas had not stopped selling tickets when notified. He suggested that a sufficiently heavy penalty should be fixed, so as to stop any repetition, Tho public had to be protected, and tho only way was' to enforce the by-laws rigidly. Mr. T. Young, who appeared for the defendant, said that they stopped the sale of tickets immediately they were notifiod. Tho Magistrate said it was a, class of offence which was a great danger to tho public. Thoy knew that, too often public lives were sacrificed by overcrowd" ing. They by-law was in the interests of the public, and a heavy - penalty should be inflicted. On tie first ohargo a fine of £0, with 9s. costs, would be imposed, and on tho socoiui chargo a fine of £1, with 9s. costs. An information was also laid against Walter Monk, manager of thfi Britannia Theatre, for allowing persons, other than employees, to remain standing in tho passages of the th.6a.tro oir Saturday, February 7. "This is another case similar, to Fullers's," said Mr. O'Shea/ "but it is worse." Ho quoted the inspector as saying tho 1 theatro was dangerously overcrowded. The stairs were absolutely impassable, and had a, panic occurred great loss of life would have resulted. Mr. Monk explained that it was the end of tho session, and two minutes later tho theatre was clear. A fine of £5, with 7s. costs, was imposed. WHARF THEFTS, BAG OF'SDGAR FOR 2s. '6d. A young man named Win. Hsllis was charged with having received a bag of sugar from some person unknown, well knowing that such sugar Was dishonestly obtained, and that it Was tho property of the WeUington Harbour Board., Broberg conducted tho prosecution, and Mr. F. Kelly appeared for the accused. , Archibald H. Munro, chief wharfinger, gave evidence that sugar bad been unloaded from one of tho Union Company 's vessels, tho Monowai, on tho date in question, and had been stored in one of the Harbour Board's sheds. No authority was given to any jersott to' sell a bag of the sugar. Thos. S. Young, manager at Wellington for the New Zealand Express Co., said that tho accused had been in his employ as a driver. On February 8. from information 110 received, he asked accused whether 110 could givd any information as to having a bag of sugar in his possession. Hollis Bald be had purchased it on the wharf from a man. To Mr. Kelly: Accused hid a good character as a driver. Dofccctivo Abbott said that on February 3 ho saw accused, who told him that on the previous Saturday ho purchased the on tho wharf from a man whom lie did not know for 2s. Gd. To Mr. Kelly: The accused was quite frank in making his statement. Evidence was given that there was a shortage of five bags of sugar in tho consignment sent on , to Christchtirch from Auckland. Mr. Kelly contended that there was 110 evidence to show that the. sugar had been stolen. Tho short-shipment to Christchurch was not discovered till the. consignment reached Cliristchurch, nnd tho theft might have token place either at Auckland, Wellington, of Christ-

church. Tho case against the accused seemed very weak. The Magistrate held that 4 point which could not bo overlooked was that the sugar had been offered for sale for 2s, 6d., a ridiculously inadequate amount, on a public wharf. There should have been no doubt in accused's mind that tho sugar was dishonestly obtained. Accused would l be- found guilty. Tho previous good character of tho accused was admitted by Chief-Betective Broherg. who pointed cut, however, that theft was particularly rampant on the wharves, not only here, but in other ports of Now Zealand. A conviction was entered, and accused ordered' to come up for sentence' when called' upon. A STOLEN TEAPOT. Two men named Frank Lindbloom and Francis Wm. M'Quire were charged with tho theft of a nickel-plated teapot, valued at £1, from tho dwelling honse of Mrs. Annie Mason, 80 Taranaki Street. Inspector. Hendry stated that the men Were seen leaving tho house with the teapot. They went into a sec-ond-hand ' shop, and sold it for 2s. <kl., which sum tliey at oneo proceeded to expend in drink. There were previous convictions against them, mainly brought about by drink, .which seemed to be til© men's trouble. Accused were both found guilty, and sentenced to imprisonment'for fourteen days, the.property to bo returned to the owner, . VICTIM OF. HORSE FACING. Arthur Douglas, on remand, on 25 counts of housebreaking and theft, appeared before Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M. yesterday, and pleaded-guilty to all tho charges. A statement was read from accused, in which he stated-that he was a native of England, 37 years of age, and had been a fancy goods traveller. At the ago of 22 years he went to South Africa, where he was engaged as a traveller. From ISOO to 1902 he served with tho Imperial Light Horse Regiment during the Boer War. He paid several visits ■to England after this, finally returning to England in 1911, owing to the death of his mother. He kept a poultry farm in Sussex until April, 1912, when he came to Australia, About tlie end of that year ho crossed to New Zealand and had remained in the Dominion since. "I am, a victim of horse racing " accused's statement continued, "and after losing what money I had I became somewhat addicted to drink. I borrowed money from friends," and while in that unfortunate position I commenced a series of housebreaking, upon which I am noiv charged." Accused made a complete confession as to the various offences, which mostly took place in the . vicinity of Wellington.' Ho was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. THEFT OF A BICYCLE. Leonard James Parker Rust-en plead* ed guilty to the theft of a bicycle in Victoria Street. Mr. M'Connell appeared for accused, and said he was tho son of respectable 'parents. . His father had been tho Mayor of one of tho suburban boroughs of Buncdin. Owing to unhappy domestic differences the lad had taken to dfink. Ho did not attempt to -sell tho bicycle, but. rodo it about Wellington.' He went to Auckland and left- the bicycle with a friend, who rodo it --about town till, it wals identified. Accused was. convicted and sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment.. On a -charge of theft of ; a motor eyele, and for failing to provide maintenance for his wife and child in Dulicdin, accused was remanded till February 18 . TERRITORIALS FINED. ' A number of young men were' charged with failing to render personal service in the Territorial Forces. Penalties were -inflicted as follow-Robert M. Hey ward, £2, with .7.5; <rosts; John JJicklingj 10s., with 7s."costs; Oswald S. Graham, £1, with 7s. costs; Cyril Mercer, 10s., with costs 75.; Vincent Berti, 10s., with' 7s. costs; William M. Holt-Harris, 10s,, with 7s. costs. BY-LAW. CASES. Edwin Chas. Young, for driving a motor-ear without a light, was fined £1, with' 7s. costs. Oswald Allen, Gavin Desmond, and Francis Summerheys Driller were . each fined Ss.-, and 7s. costs, for riding motor cycles without,having registered, numbers attached to their machine',. ; Richard Stanford, for suffering ft iiuisatrco. to arise on land at Rua Street, Lyall Bay, was fined £2, with costs £1 7s. ... Henry Evans,, for allowing horses to wander in Liardet Street, was fined Is., with 7s. costs; and Paul Olson, for allowing cattle, to wander in Mersey Street, was similarly dealt with. Patrick Cavsnagh, for allowing' 29 sheep and lambs to be at large unfonced land at Khandallah, was fined £1, with £1 Bs. costs. For a similar charge of allowing 97 sheep to be at large, ho was fined £1. . MISCELLANEOUS. A prohibition order was issued against Mary Sprowell,. who was charged with excessive drinking.- John _ Joseph Walton was similarly dealt with. For using indecent language in Cuba Street, Claude Martin was sentenced to. ono month's imprisonment. Reserved judgment was delivered in the ease S.P.C.A. v. J. Tor ten, in which defendant was charged with having ill-treated a horse by using it wheH it was in an unfit state to 'b? worked The magistrate held that it had not beeii proved to his mind that Tortea knew the animal was unfit to be worked, and dismissed the charge.