MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 201, 14 May 1918, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

ALLEGED THKI'T AT SKA. Mr. S. E. ll'Cartliy, fUI.. presided at (he Jlagislrate's Court yesterday, and dealt with the police and maintenance cases. John Dimmock and Roherf Donald Murniy wero charged that nbout May 12, on board the s.s. ilaori, while travelling between Lyttelton and Wellington, they did steal ,£t in money from the person of Irene Towers. Inspector Marsack stated that the two accused wero on board tho vessel which left Lyttelton on Saturday night. The complainant was also a passenger, and during tho nlpht .£-4 was taken from her handbag, which was in her cabin. Suspicion tell upon the accused because they had been seen prowling about tho cabins, and when searched the exact money was found on them.

Irono Towers, waitress, employed at the l?oyal Hotel, Auckland, said that sho had been spending a holiday in Christcliurch, ami left Ly.ttelton by the 6teamer Maori on Saturday evening. She then had in her possession three .£1 notes, a 10s. note, and half a sovereign, besides a fen- shillings in silver. She had the money in her bag in her cabin, and when she retired she believed she placed the bag under her pillow. Sho awakened somewhat hurriedly during the night, nnd discovered that her bag containing the money had been removed, and was lying behind tho cabin door. She examined the bag in the morning, when filio discovered that nil her money except 2Jd. had been abstracted Che was present when the accused were searched by tho police. On. one'of them two £1 notes had been found, and on the other one ill note, a. 10s. note, and a haft-sovereign. She identified tho notes as boing~exactly like those sho had in her possession. She recognised them by the way they were folded. »

At this stage Inspector Marsack asked for a remand for a week, in order to call other witnesses. The remand "was granted.

RESISTING THE POLICE, Alfred Slinson Flack, who was convicted a week ago of inciting a returned soldier to resist the police and also with resisting the police, came tin for .sentence. The Magistrate said that Flack, who was only nineteen years of ago, was a coward. The Probation Officer's report stated that, the lad had been called up in the ballot and.obtained temporary exemption, as he vitf tho sole support of his mother. Under the circumstances the Magistrate convicted and ordered him to cotno up for sentence when called upon, mid further ordered him to report to the Probation Officer onco a week for a period of Iwclvo months. OTHER POLICE CASES. John Johnson was charged ■with being drunk, also with assaulting Nicholas A. liertanese, proprietor of. the Uule Britannia Cafe. Johnson pleaded, not guilty, and was defended liy Mr. R. F. O'Leary. Johnson had been employed by the complainant as a cook, and the dispute arose over wages There was a great deal of conflicting evidence as to .who was tho aggressor, and as to whether Johnson was drunk. After hearing what several witnesses had to say tho Magistrate dismissed tho information.

Haroltl Francis Sherwood, a returned soldier, convicted of discharging offensive matter on the footpath in Vivian Street, was fined £5, in default one month's imprisonment, and on a charge of drunkenness ho was convicted and discharged.

A fine of .£3, in default twenty-one (lays' imprisonment, was imposed on .Tames Sliimmen for usiii? obscene langnngo in Mariners Street, and for insobriety he was convicted and discharged. Frederick James Bragg was also fined J!3. with the alternative of twenty-one day's imprisonment for using obscene lanpinge. For insobriety six first offenders wero each fined 205., with theyoption of fortyeigltt hours' imprisonment, and another was fined 10s., in default twenty-four hours' imprisonment. John Hyde, against whom there was one previous conviction, was fined 60s.,'with the option of serving seven days in gaol

MAINTENANCE CASES. ' John Gordon, for disobeying :y maintenance order, the arrears amounting to .£23 Bs., was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, no warrant to issue unless applied for by complainant, and George Henry Bradley, whose arrears totalled £9 15s. 9d., .was sentenced to three mouths' imprisonment, no warrant to issue unless applied for by complainant. .