MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2255, 15 September 1914, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

POLICE CASES. ILL-TREATING A HORSE. Mr. D. G. 'A. Cooper, S.M., presided at yesterday's sittings of the Magistrate's Court. The list was a,!.fairly lengthy one and the hearing of "cases' extended into the afternoon. A charge of cruelly jll-treating a torse was preferred against a young man named Frank August, who, it was alleged, Mα worked the animal in harness while it was suffering from a very bad shoulder. Inspector Hendrey prosecuted, and Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared for August, who pleaded not guilty. At the conclusion of the evidence, Mr. Jackson asked His Worship to personally iiispect the horse, which lad been brouglit to the Court yard by Au-, gust's employer. His Worship made the inspection as requested, and, from the present condition of the sore on , the animal's shoulder, expressed himself as satisfied that the horse was not fit to be worked in harness at the time the information was laid. August would therefore be convicted. A fine of £2 was imposed, with , costs 75., default being fixed at seven days' imprisonment. DISMISSeFas" TRIVIAL. Arising out of an incident which occurred on the coastal steamer Hawe'ra o'iv thfc afternoon of August-3, John M'Glinchey, a fireman on the .vessel, laid an information against J. Nelson, the engineer, charging the latter with aEsault. The information oame on for hearing yesterday morning, when Mr. J. F. W. Dicksori appeared for the informant. A plea of not guilty was eivtored by Nelson, for whom Mr. E. K. Kirkcaldie appeared. ', . • It appeared that on the afternoon in question M'Glinchey, after consuming some liquor in the city, returned to his ship a little late and was rather rouahl> dragged abpard by the engineer. The gravamen of the charge was, however, an allegation that the engineer kicked M'GHnohey, after the latter was actually aboard.

Aftor hearing the evidence tho Magistrate dismissed the information as trivial. INVITED TO BREAKFAST. Herbert Furness pleaded not guilty to a charge of being found in the Foresters' Arms Hotel on a Sunday. Ho had been discovered in the hotel by the police at about 8.15 a.m () but, when he appeared in Court he put forward the defence that lie had been invited to breakfast. The licensee gave evidence in support of this statement and the Magistrate decided Ifl give the accused the benefit' of the doubt and dismiss the information.. , • . AN OVERCOAT THIEF. After stealing an overcoat from the Wavorley Hotel, William Henry Mitchell disposed of it to a second-hand dealer in the city for the sum of 3s. ■The sale led to the theft being traced to Mitchell, who pleaded guilty to the offence. There were no tawer than 34 previous convictions against the accused, and the Magistrate sentenced hiin to a month's imprisonment. I ONE OF THE SOLDIERS. Harry Atkins, who: appeared .in the dock in khaki uniform; admitted haying been found drunk on Saturday, but stated that he know nothing about reoiating.the arresting constable. .The" latter stated that. accused had bitten his linger rather badly on the way to tho police station. The' Magistrate ehtorod' convictions on both charges, remarking that he was iorry to see a man .in 'uniform in such trouble. Fines totalling 80s.' were imposed on Atttine, tho option being three days' imprisonment. IMPROPER LANGUAGE. , : Norman Campbell) who had been arrested while. drunk, admitted several previous convictions for the same class of olrenoe and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. For using obscene language, the same accused wati lined 405., the alternative being fourteen, days' imprisonment. Alexander M'Donald pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness and to a further charge of using obscene language. For the first offence he was lined 10s., with the option of 48 hours' imprisonment, while for using tho language complained of, he was fined £3, the default being fixed at one month's imprisonment. ' ; , , MAINTENANCE. ' Mary Ann Satchel .Robertson was granted summary separation from her husband, Charles Robertson, on the ground that the latter was an habitual inebriate. Defendant was ordered , to pay 255. per week towards the support of his wife and also to pay 2 guineas solicitor's fee. Leave to appeal was granted on.the usual security. Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared for the complainant and Mr. J. J; M'Grath for the defendant.

For failure to comply with an order of the Court for the , maintenance of his wife, Jesse Harlen was sentenced to a month's imprisonment, the order to be suspended so long as the 6um of 2s. 6d. per week is paid off the arrears. Harold Francis Walker was ordered to par the sum of 4s. 6d. per week towards the support of his son. OTHER CASES. An old woman, named Jessie. Hay, was convicted of importuning and fined ; £2, in default to undergo one month's imprisonment. For similar offences Mary Jones and Aiwie Murdbck were each fined £1, the alternative in their cases also being a month's imprisonment. _ For entering tho Imperial Hotel during the currency of a prohibition order an elderly man, named Daniel M'Bandie,, was fined 205., with costs ?s. He iv as allowed a week in which to find the money. Similar monetary penalties were imposed on William Haydon and John Hyde for breaches of prohibition orders. The last-named made no appearance. For insobriety Minnie Brown, against whom there were several previous convictions, was fined £2, in default to undergo seven days' imprisonment. A prohibition order was issued against hor. ' •' . Five first offenders for insobriety were convicted and discharged.