MAGISTRATE'S COURT
A STRANGE CASE. VERGING ON KLEPTOMANIA A young man named William George Moss pleaded guilty in the Magistrate s Court yesterday to the theft of a. varied assortment of toilet articles (valued at £16 2s. Id.) on divers occasions from Kempthorno, Prosser and Co. Mr. H. F. CrLeary appeared for the defence. Chief-Dotective Broborg said that accusod had been employed for the last four years by Kenvpthorne, Prosser and Co.- as storoman, and latterly as paoker. The firm had suspected that petty thefts had been going on for some time, and as a result Detective Dempsey had been discovering the thief and arresting him. Moss lived in a whare at KilEirnie, and thexe the police discovered all the articles mentioned in the charge , lining the shelves. A number of empty scent and bovril bottles had been discovered in and aibout the whare, which indicated that other articles had probably been stolen. In asking for lenient treatment of the prisoner, Mr. O'Leary said it appeared that his conduct was something verging on kleptomania. Hβ had stolen articles a great number of which were of absolutely no : nee to him, had lined the shelves of his whare with the "remainder, and. .had not made the slightest attempt to malt© any profit out of his thefts. Mr. O'Leary instanced the fact that, included in the list of the , articles Btolen, were 20 or 30 bottles of pills, which were useless to Moss. Ho appeared to have taken articles promiscuously just out of the mere love of stealing. The Magistrate remarked that Moss appeared to have a very varied taste. He was a .first offender, but, ae ChiefDetective Broborg had explained that the charge embraced a large number of sepa-rate thefts, tho fino he proposed to inflict would be heavy. Accused would be fined £20, with the option of one month in gaol. The stolen articles were ordered'to be returned to Kempthorne, Prosser and Co.. YOUNG MAN IN TROUBLE. A considerable amount of evidence was heard m respect to the charge against George Charles Beynon of boing a roguo and a vagabond, in. that ho was found by night without lawful excuse in the enclosed yard of a private house in Abel Smith Street. Mr. Jackson strongly objected to accused, "a respectable young man, going through life branded as a rogue and a vagabond." '■ He added that ho proposed to call further evidence for the defence. After hearing this the Magistrate decided that the chargo had not been sustained. ■ . ' Inspector Hendrey asked that the charge be reduced to one of trespass. The Magistrate said he had not power to do this. Beynon would be discharged. ■ ''—~„ * Inspector Hendrey: "Then he will be arrested again, and charged with trespass."
STEP-FATHEII ASSATJLTED. Albert Josopli Hill and Edmond John Hill botJi pleaded guilty to c'htuges of assaulting their step-fathor.. liiepcctbr Hendroy said that the two young men had committed the assault, as a result of their step-father ordering cue of them, who was under tho influence of liquor, out of the ]iouse. Both then attacked thoir step-fatlier and knocked him about so badly that he had to have five stitches put in ■-.his faoo Tho victim of-the assault had i&ico informed the police "'that they were oiftonrae good boys, and had lost their tempers. . . _ . lii-vievr of-this statement, the Magistrato took a lenient view'of the matter and fined each of:tTie accused £1. ARRESTED IN AUSTRALIA. Eric George Eden, who was recently arrested in Australia on a chargo that, being a person against whom a pomplaint was mndo under tho Destitute Persons Act, 1910, ho loft New Zealand with intent to evade an order made, -against him, appeared to answer the On the application of Mr.. J. F. \V. Diekson, he was remanded to October 23. Bail was allowed in £50 and two sureties of £25. An application, for an affiliation order was also made against the accused. REPEATEDLY CONVICTED. • \ "This man has been repeatedly convicted for theft," said. Inspector Hendrey when Kenneth Minaham appeared on remand for sentence on a chargo of stealing a. picture valued at £3 35., from Albert Eaton. A further charge was preferred against Minaham that lie stole another picture valued at £2 2s. from Albert Eaton. Accused pleaded not guilty to this, and was remanded until Monday. On the first charge he was given seven days in gaol.
'; BITTEN BY A DOG. ' A charge of being Hho owner of a dog wliich attacked a small boy (Walter Brydges) in Adelaide Roa-d was preferred against Mrs. Florence Ormond. Mt. A. M.. Salek ap-peated for the defence. After hearing the evidence tho Magistrate said ho would liot order the dog to be destroyed, as it was ' not proved to be dangerous, but lie. would order defendant to pay 15s. medical expenses incurred aaid Court costs. OTHER CASES. William Leonaxd was charged with wilfully breaking two'panes'of glass, valued at 10s., tho property of Ernest Hunter. Inspector Hendrey explained that the trouble with the prisoner was that ho occasionally went "on tho spree," and wa3 then of an overbearing temper. Otherwise he had' the reputation of being a hard-working man. he', had made reparation for the damage done, and had expressed contrition, the Magistrate convicted accusod, ordering him to come up for sentence when called upon! A prohibition order was taken, out against him. James Alison ■ M'liitosh, who has been declared a habitual' criminal, appeared on remand and pleaded guilty to tho theft of one safety razor and blades, tho property of Wm. Doran. M'lntosh, -who had' committed tho theft from a boarder's room in a city hotel, and disposed of the stolen articles to a second-hand dealer, was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment. He had already been undor lock and key for 14 days. '. After hearing evidence, the Magistrate dismissed tho charge against John -Thompson, of stealing a purse and its contents, valued at Bs., from Annio Richards. .Mr.' P. W. Jackson appeared for accused. Alfred AYm. Yarlett wan remanded till October 23 on. a charge of stealing fioven dozen corn-sacks, valued at £2 25., from David Andrews. Bail was allowed in tho sum of £10,. with two sureties of £5. For drunkenness, Thomas Kelly and Wm. Valentine wero each fined 40s. or seven days' gaol. The latter was a pro-, hibited person. Michael Murphy was fined £1 or three days, and John M'Donald and Barney Burns each fined 10s. or 48 hours. James Sturdy was convicted nnd discharged for drunkenness, and fined £2 or seven days for indecency.
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Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2283, 17 October 1914, Page 5
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1,084MAGISTRATE'S COURT Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2283, 17 October 1914, Page 5
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