MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2546, 21 August 1915, Page 14

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

TORTURING A CAT

A PETONE LAD FINED

Cruelly torturing a Persian' cat was alleged against a youth named- Henry Bond in (ho Magistrate's Court yesterday. "Cold-Wooded frightfulness was the description given to the act by, counsel for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Mr. 0. C. Mazengarb). The facts of the case, as stated by counsel and corroborated by a. wituess, wero that the Persian oa,t, the property of Ada Ash, was peacefully lying outsido her house at Petone on July 25. Some boys came along (accused among them) with three dogs, and set the dogs on to' the cat. Tho cat -retreated into .some bushes, the boys following this up by throwing stones into the bushes and sooling the dogs in an endeavour to dislodge the cat. One of the dogs penetrated tho bushes, and there was a yelp as he retired for a moment after being scratched by the' feline. - The dog made another attack, and there was a howl and the dog came out of the bushes with' the cat in its mouth. The cafs neck was badly nipped, and its logs bitten. The animal died in a few moments. Mr. Mazengarb added that Bond had' offered i!l to the owner of (he cat and £i to the Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals if no proceedings were taken. The offer had been refused, however. Cross-examined by Mr. H. P. Ayson, counsel for defendant, one of the witnesses for the prosecution, Prank Ansell, stated that defendant had told him after the occurrence that when he (Bond) saw it was going too far ho tried to stop the fight. In an endeavour to Beporate tho cat and the dog he had his hand bitten. After hearing evidence for the defence, tho Magistrate (Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M.) imposed a fine of £3, with costs £2 18s., and ordered Bond to pay £1 compensation to the owner of the cat. On Mr. Ayson's application the fine was reI duced to £2.

■ OTHER POLICE CASES. A' young' woman aged 21 years, named May Humble, ivos convicted on a ehaTge of being idle and disorderly, with insufficient means of support, and was sent to the Salvation Army Home for twelve months. . Thomas Moloney was fined 20s. for insobriety, 4(ls. for resisting Constable Cox, and 20s. for committing a' breach of his prohibition order. The defaults' were fixed at three, seven, and three days respectively. William Lynch was convicted and ordered to come up for sentenco When called Upon on a charge of being an idle and disorderly person. James Kerr was fined 205., in default three' days' imprisonment on a. charge of insobriety, and '10s. or seven days' imprisonment, for indecency. I'or insobriety, Harry Bat'ho was convicted and discharged on one charge, and on a second charge of being found drunk in the Magistrate's Court the previous day fined 205.; with an option of three days' imprisonment. Six first offenders were dealt with.

MISCELLANEOUS CASES. The Inspector of Awards . proceeded against W. B. Oliver' for failing to keep a'wages and time 1 book for tho La Pav-ou-rita Cafe. A fine of £2, with costs 75., was imposed. On a charge of supplying milk from an unlicensel dairy, William Henry Incledon was fined £5, with costs £1 Bs. On a further charge - of using an unlicensed cart for the supply of milk he was convicted and discharged. .Herbert Wakeman was fined 10s., with costs 75., on a ehaTge of_ riding a bicycle after dark without a lirfit. A youth yarned John Stewart was convicted and discharged on a _ charge of firing a pea rifle within the City. Ernest Ueorge Buchanan was fined ',-£l, with costs 95., in default three days' military detention, on a charge of failing to attend drill. ' Robert Yarrow wa3 ordered to pay 2os. a week towards the maintenance of his wife.