MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2404, 9 March 1915, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

SMUGGLED OPIUM

TWO CHINESE FINED £25 EACH

Mr. D. G. ; !A. Cooper, S.M., presided over a sitting of.tho Magistrate s Court yesterday.,. Two young Chinese, Ah Kan and Ju Ah Foo, who were arrested on Saturday evening by a Customs official (Mr. A. H. Boland) in tlie net of leaving the wharf with a quantity of opium, appeared to answer a charge of smuggling opium which was in a form suitable for smoking. The 1 quantity involved was eight tins of 6even ounces each, and valued at £10 10s. Both pleaded guilty. Mr. Fear on behalf of the masters of the vessel to which the two accused belonged, explained that one was a carpenter and the other a sailor. Should a vory heavy tine be imposed the masters of the vessels would lose the services of these two men.

The Magistrate took the latter statement into consideration, and imposed a minimum fine of £25, with costs, in each case. Mr. E. T. W. M'Laurin ap-, peared for the Customs Department. A MISSING RING. A sentence of the month's imprisonment was imposed on Cecil Bullot, a young man who appeared on remand charged with the theft of jewellery and money, of a total value of £8, from Ernest Ching. When accused was previously before the Court the Magistrate intimated that if accused informed the police what he had done with a portion of the stolen property—a ring—it would influence any penalty that might be imposed. Tho accused had remained silent, however, and as the probationer's report was not very favourable the sentence mentioned was imposed. OTHER CASES. Joseph Jolrn Johnston was remanded to appear at Hamilton on Friday next on a charge of altering a cheque drawn in his favour at Kawhia. from £5 Ss. to £15 55., and uttering the same to tho Bank of New Zealand at Kawhia. The , previous police record against Francis M'Cluskey being a varied one, consequently on being charged and convicted of stealing five bottles of stout front Thomas B Darroll, he was sent to gaol for 14 days. 1 • A remand to Lyttelton to March 10 was granted in the case of Cecil George farrow, a young man charged with'the theft of £7 10s. from the Lyttelton. Borough Council. ' John Spa'nn, who was responsible for a disturbance on Lambton Quay on Saturday night, was fined 55., in default '.'4 hours' imprisonment, for drunkenness, and .40s! or seven days for re-: listing Constable Melville. ' Alfred Stokes and Robert Down, two men who were discovered at night sleep-: lag in a railway carriage in Thorndon Station, were each sentenced to one month's imprisonment on charges of being :rogues and vagabonds. Violet Paton was sent to gaol for a month for'importuning. ■ f For ■ dmnkenness, John O'Neill and Joseph Thomas Barrett were each fined 405., or seven days' gaol. Michael Allen was.fined 205., or three days' gaol. Five tlrst offenders were dealt with.

' Patrick Williams was adjudged to be the father of. ail illesntimate child,': and ordered to pay 7s. 6d. weekly towards its maintenance.

For failing to comply with a maintenance order, George R. Watts was sentenced to three days' imprisonment,, tbe warrant to he suspended on payment, of ss. 6d. weekly.