MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2463, 17 May 1915, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

THEFT OF TICKETS TRAMWAY CONDUCTOR'S LAPSE A tram conductor named Alfred Gilbert Wallace appeared before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S;SI., in the Magistrate's Court on Saturday charged with stealing 1200 tram tickets, valued at ,£5, the property of the Wellington City Corporation. Tramways, between April,! ar.d May 15. Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh, on behalf of accused, entered a plea of guilty. Chief Detective Boddnm said accused had for the past four years been a tram conductor. During the last three weeks there had been suspicion that tram tickets were being stolen, and as a result accused had been arrested on Friday night by Detective Lewis. The method adopted by accused had been to board a fellow conductor's car, and while the latter was going atound collecting fares would appropriate tickets from the cashboxes usually caried on oars. These no doubt accused disposed of. The theft was a particularly mean one, and besides casting suspicion on his fellow employees by his action, the owners of the stolen tickets had had to refumd money of. their own for the missing tickets. Accused was a married man with two children,

Mr. Hindmarsh asked the Magistrate to admit accused to probation. Previous to the present charge accused had borne a good character. His wife and children were also to be considered, and altogether no gdod would be served by sending accused to gaol. The Magistrate said that for the sake of accused's wife and children he would adopt counsel's suggestion, and admit accused to six months' probation on condition he refunded the M forthwith .to the tramway authorities.

WORDS AND AN ASSAULT. Win. Boulton and Alfred Harrington were each charged with drunkenness, and Boulton had an additional charge preferred against him of assaulting Harrington. Inspector Hendrey explained that Harrington had been found m an unconscious condition in one of the Harbour Board's sheds. Boulton admitted ,he had assaulted him because Harrington had used grossly insulting language to liim. The Magistrate convicted Harrington' for drunkenness, .tnd ordered him to ' pay doctors feo .£1 Is. Boulton was convicted and discharged for drunkenness, and fined J6l, in default three days for the assault.'

A PERSISTENT BEGGAR. Ail old man named Wm. M'Kenna, who in addition to begging at a street corner tried to help himself from the pocket of a trdoper when refused alms, had two charges preferred against him. On the first oharge of drunkenness he was convicted and discharged, and on the charge of being idle and disorderly in that no was found begging for alms, was sent to gaol for a month. OTHER CASES. John Elliott was convicted and discharged for drunkenness, and fined 205., in default three days' gaol, for resisting the nolice. ' Leonora Parker was convicted, and discharged. for drunkenness, and sent to gaol for six month's on a charge of being a rogue and a vagabond ixL that she consorted with people of reputed ill-fftmo. A trooptT named Alexander Milne was fined 10s., in default 48 hours, for drunkenness, and ordered to be handed over to the military authorities. Charged with drunkenness, Thomas Gardiner, Alfred Cooke, and Thomas North were each fined 10s„ in default 48 hours imprisonment. SeTon first offenders were dealt with.