MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2701, 22 February 1916, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

THE LIQUOR lAYIS SEVERAL BREACHES PROVED Licensing cases again figured on tie charge slieet in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., was on tlio bench. Mrs. Lucia Mercer, who was licensee of the Metropolitan Hotel until recently, was charged with selling liquor, to Constable C E. Harvey, on Sunday, December 19. Henry Mercer. brot'hoi>inl-law of the licensee, was also charged with tlio same offence, the polico allegation being that Henry Morcer had actually supplied the liquor, and that Mrs. Mercer was responsible for the aot of her servant. Inspector Hendrey prosecutcd, while Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared for the defendants and pleaded not guilty. The evidence showed that Mrs. Mercer had actually refused to supply liquor on the day in question, . and that the other defendant did so without the knowledge of the licensee. Mr. O'Leary did not dispute the facts, but quoted authorities to, show that, as Mrs. Mercer was on the premises at the time, had not delegated her authority to Henry Mercer, and had no knowledge of the act, she could not bo convicted.

Tho Magistrate uphold this contention and dismissed the information against Mrs. Mercer, while the other defendant was oonvicted and fined £3. with costs 7s.

John James Firth, licensee of the Albion Hotel, was convicted of supplying liquor, on January 12, to a person already intoxicated. Ho was fined £3, and ordered to pay costs and expenses, totalling £1 7s. A charge of permitting; drunkenness was held to be not proved in connection with the- same set of circumstances.. and tlie information was dismissed.

Elizabeth Green, licensee of the Caledonian Hotel, was convicted and ordored to pay Court costs, 75., for employing in the bar a person under the age of 21 years. The defendant had, it appeared, allowed her son to render assistance without knowing that by doing so sho was contravening the Licensing Amendment Act, 1914. ADULTERATED. JAM. Sidney Morley, trading as the Hastings Fruit Preserving Company, was charged by the Defence with selling;to Joseph Nathan and Co. adulterated jam without informing the purchasers of the nature of tho adulteration. The information was kid under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, the jam having been sent to Tronfchaiii Camp. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey, of tho Crown Law Office, appeared for the prosecution. Mr. T. Young, on behalf of the defendant, pleaded guilty, and explained that the omission to properly label tho i tins was accidental. _ ! A fine of £2 was imposed, with costs totalling £1 18s. 6d. MAINTENANCE. Hugh Tomplotoh' Clark was sentenced to twelve days' imprisonment for disobedience of a maintenance order, but tho warrant is to be suspended so )<rg as the defendant makes weekly payments of 20s.

A sentence of two months' imprisonment was imposed in tlio imse of Leonard AVilliam Elliott, who was ever £50 in arrears with maintenance payments. Tlio warrant will not be onforced if weekly payments of £1 7s. Gel. are kept up. 'I'lioinas Hodges, charged with- hrcach of a maintenance order, did not appear. He was sentenced to a month's imprisonment, hnt as an alternative way pay 30s. weekly to comply with i.lio order and clear up the tirrenrfl. Mary O'Brien, for whom Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared, was granted summary separation from her husband, Michael Joseph O'Brien. The defendant was ordered to pay £1 per week for the maintenance ,of his wife, and also to pay her solicitor's fee, £1 Is. Henry Low Pearce was ordered to pay £1 per week towards the maintnnanco of his wife. RESULT OF DRINK.' James Oorrigan, aged (34 years, pleaded guilty to a nlmreo of falling to account to Harold Alfred Peard for the 1

sum of £10 165., an amount 17111011 ho should liave paid to Peard 011 or before February 17. Detective-Sergeant M'llveiiey stated that Corrigan had collected ttio amount 011 commission, but had been drinking, and had refused to hand it. over. Since lis arrest tho sum of £9 had been recovered, and this represented the net amount due. As far as could he ascertained, Corrigan had previously been of good character. Tho Magistrate recorded a- conviction, and ordered the accused to come up for sentence when callod upon. VAGRANCY. Violet Paton, who was charged with being an incorrigible rogue, pleaded guilty. Mr. I'. W. Jackson, who appeared for the acoused, stated that lier mother, who was a respectable resident of tho Waikato, was prepared to take her daughter home again if this could be arranged. Drink and evil associates had been the young woman's trouble, and counsel suggested that,. if she' were convicted and ordcrod to come up for sentence when called upon, it would be for her own good, provided that His Worship ordered her to remain in liesmother's home for a fixed period. The Magistrate adopted this course, making it a condition that the accused should return home, remain there for a pnriod of two years, and abstain from liquor during that time. OTHER BUSINESS. For drunkenness, Ernest Edwin Cox was fined £3, in default to undergo 14 days' imprisonment. Robert M'Olure, ■ for a similar offence, was fined '205., with the option of going to gaol for three days. William l John Patterson and Andrew Williamson, who did not appear to answer charges of drunken-, ness, were ordered to forfeit their bail, 50s. in the former case, and 10s. in the latter. Four first offenders were 'leniently dealt with. A youth named Alfred Roy Williscroft, whose age was given as 16J years - was charged with throwing indecent documents on to premises in Herbert Street. The documents consisted of pieces of cardboard, on whidh most objectionable matter was written. Ho pleaded gijilty, and was ordered to come up for scntonce when called upon, and to pay Court costs., 7s.