MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2373, 1 February 1915, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

THE EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF A FOREIGNER. The extraordinary case- of Ludmis Grotnica camo before Mr. D. G. A. Ccoper, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court on Saturday, when Gromica appeared to answer the charge of being idle and disorderly. Gromica, who is a mild foreign-looking little person, only looked once at the clerk of the Ckmrt when the charge was read over to him, appeared not to comprehend one word of it, and said nothing. Inspector Hendrey immediately stood up and said that apparently accused could not understand a word of English and proceeded- to relate the circumstances surrounding his case as reported in The Dominion on Saturday. It was understood that Gromica was a Russian by nationality,_ and nothing; could he done until an interpreter was secured. He would ask that accused be remanded to February 8 so that an interpreter might bo secured. As to the man's sanity, the doctors n-t Greymouth had refused to state the man was not sane and probably had been faced with the same difficulty as tho police were.

The Magistrate intimated that he would remand d'ecused for 'curative treatment while the doctor would perhaps be able to report on Gromica's mental condition., OBJECTED~TO~'AR,REST. : Hugh M'Mahon, who, while he wae being conveyed to the police station in a cab on a charge of drunkenness, nearly knocked the.bottom out of that vehicle, was charged in addition to the charge of drunkenness mih wilfully damaging a cab belonging to A. Mudgfl'ay. He was convicted and discharged for drunkenness, and fined the amount of tho damage done to the cab, 225. 6d., and ordered to pay witnesses' expenses '4s. Donald M'Pherson was convicted and discharged for drunkenness and fined £2 in default 14 days'' imprisonment for indecency. . For drunkenness John Pryse, for whom Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared, was fined £2 or seven days' imprisonment; Percival Richard Waddy (prohibited), fined £1 in default three days' imprisonment; and Otto Brenea and John Ritson, each fined 10s. or 48 hours' imbrisomnent.