MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 72, 19 December 1918, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

. THEFT OF BUTTER WATERSIDE WORKER SENT TO GAOL Another case of theft on the water front wa^ heard before Mr. P. V. rimer, S;M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when Louis Everitt was charged' With the theft of a case of butler valued at £i 10s. The evidence of the police was to tlio effect that, accused was seen to remove n block of butter weighing 361b. from n coal sack near the King's Wharf. 'J'lie butter had been removed .from its box niid placed in the sack. .When accosted by Constable Graham- accused said lie' knew nothing .'about the butter; ' The accused denied all knowledge' of the butter, mid said he was taking a short cut home when he was found in Iho vicinity of a timber stack where the sack was concealed. -Mr. J , . .1. O'ltegan, who appeared for the accused, nsked that a fine be imposeil instead of a term of imprisonment, but His Worship said that he could not: uepnrffroin the practice in such.cases. Tim defendant would be convicted and sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment. ALLEGED BIGAMY CASES. Alice Louisa Allteand was charged with having:, on June 11 last, committed bigamy by going through n form of marriage with Thomas Kennedy when sh'o was already married to Theodore All brand. Mr. D. ]!. Hoggard appeared for Iho .accused, and Chief-Detective Boddam conducted the. prosecution. In outlining thrc case Chief-Detective lloddam said that on June 25, 1910, the accused was married to Theodore Allbrand, and shortly after tho marriage Allbrnml cleared out, .re-' niaining away for two years. He then, returned, but only stayed a short while. Later accused met a man known as "Paddy," who told her that her husb.inil (Allbrand) had been killed in a railway accident in Australia. She believed this,as "Paddy" know Allbrand well. This, however, V.-as not true, for Allbrand recently reappeared. Evidence was given by Thomas Kennedy that when ha married the accused he understood her to be a widow, and as far as he knew Allbrand was dead. To Mr. Jloggard: Witness had been told by Alibrand that he had been reported dond, but did not take, tho trouble to contradict it. After completing tho evidence, counsel for the accused submitted that tho charge should be dismissed, far the reason that the accused was entirely innocent. Tho accused genuinely believed that Allbrand was dead, and the police evidence supported this. His Worship considered that a pnma facie case had been mado out, but a very weak one. There was no doubt that the accused believed, that Allbwnci was dead, and the evidence all tended' to show t'\at the accusod had acted honestly. After reviewing the evidence Ilis Worship decided to dismiss the information. Isabella Mignonette Campbell, who was already ■ married to Percy William Campbell, was remanded to December U o:i a .charge of having committed .bigamy by going through a form of marriage with Arthur Stevens at Wellington on Juno 17, 1918. A remand till December H was granted in the case of William Garthgatc White, who, whilst already being married, was alleged to have gono through a form of marriage with Alia Winter. Two charges of wilfully making false declarations for the purpose of securing registration certificates were also preferred against Whito. Bail was allovtd in the sum of .£SO and one surety o' j!SO. A FASCINATION FOR DRESS. Fivo charges of obtaining various garments by means of false pretences were preferred against a, young woman. Tho charges were: (1) Obtaining a fur and costume, valued at j>l3 10s. Gil., from Messrs. C. Smith, Ltd., by ' false representation: (2) obtaining four dozen skeins of silk thread and other articles, valued at £3 Cs., from tho same, firm by false representation; (3) obtaining wcarI ing apparel valued at JLW from Iho same firm-by-false representation; (i) obtaining woaring apparel valued at .£ll ss. 2d. bv falsa representation from Messrs. Ivirkcaldie and Rfaiins, Ltd., by faleo representation. The uffonces wero committed during a period dating from October 21 to November 11, 1918. Chief-Detective Boddam explained that tho majority of the articles in the information were intact, and the firms had expressed a willingness to take them back. Tho accused had only worn a. few of the articles, and had the others stored at her home. Her explanation of the reason of acting in such n mannnr was that she- had a fascination for dress. Tho Chief-Detective further, mentioned that tho accused had suffered the loss of her mother and a brother, who succumbed to attacks of influenza during the recent epidemic. The accused elected to be tried summarily, pleaded guilty to tho charges, and stated,, in answer to a question from His Woiehip, that she proposed to use tho

articles obtained on her marriage, which had been arranged for an early date. His Worship, in summing up," remarked that perhaps the day would come when some'reform of feminine dress would he introduced lo eradicate this fascination for fine, garments. lie considered accused's offence more mental than crimiiinl. due. no doubt to tho loss of her relatives and tho fascination that dress had for her. Tie decided to treat all the charges as one offence, entered a coni viction, and granted probation for a , period of thrco years, during which time in her ow,i interests she must give mi account of Imr earnings anil expenditure to the Probation Officer. OTHER CASES. The appearance of Robert James Hazelwood on a cluu'go of theft of pne dozen silk handkerchiefs, valued at <£1 18.?., the property of Butterworth Bros., was attributed to his Iraving home, and associating with bad companions. His Worship allowed probation for a period of two years, on condition that Hazelwood lived at home and paid tho value of the stolen goods. . Doris Helen M'Cullough admitted the theft, of a silk costume valued at Mb, the property of Mrs. Robert Hannai'.. In spoctor Marsnck explained that the accused was in the, service of Mrs. Ilnnnnh for a short while, and when she left site took tho costume. In a letter to His Worship the accused stated that her girl friends were all well drossed, and as elie had no money with which to buy fine clothes she took the costume. She further explained that she was married, and a maintenance order against her husband had not been complied with. She would take steps to recover money from her husband to pay Mrs. Hannah for the costume. On condition that: she remained at the Salvation Army Home for a period of twelve months, and took steps to 'recover moneys duo from her husband, His Worship recorded a conviction and ordered her to come up for sentence when called upon. David JC'Arthnr Todd, a soldier, was charged with the theft of approximately J. 139 worth of luggage, the property of Grace Richardson. The case was "previously beforo tho Court, when the major ptirt of the. evidence was heard and Todd wns committed to the Supreme Court for trial. At the time of tho previous hearing the owner of the property could not bp found. She had been undergoing hospital treatment for n considerable rime, and on becoming convalescent informed (he police of her whereabouts. Tn lifer evidence yesterday she, outlined the circumstances leading up to the theft. She had been travelling round with the accused, and had left a considerable quantity of luggage at. Napier railway station. Tndd, she alleged, snatched her handbag, containing money and her luggage ticket, and ran away, later securing the luggage. This completed the case, and, as slated above, accused was sent to the Supremo Court for trial. On n charge of- having stolen about 6ft. of leather belting, and part of a set of harness, of n total value of £7 Bs., the property of John Brightling, of Sydenham, fiporge Piirdom was remanded- to appear at Ohristchurch on Monday next. Thomas James Helsham was charged with having voted in the name oC William Frederick Beliham at St. Peter's Schoolroom polling booth on the, occasion of the recent Wellington Central byelection. Inspector Marsac.i; conducted the case for the'police and Mr.. H. 'F. O'Learv appeared for the accused. Evidpiico. wns given by the .police to the pffeot that, tho aroused' applied at the booth .for permission to vote •■ in his mother's, name', and on being told that he could only be allowed to.'vote in his own name he applied for' iv voting paprsrin his father's name, his own name not being on the roll. The', accused pleaded yiiilty. and was committed to the. .Supreme Court for sentence., bail king allowed in the sum. of .CIO and one surety of .£lO. Frank Page C'ookes was.sent to gaol for. h period of six months on a charge of being a rogue and a vngnlwnd. Whilst, driiuk Jeremiah M'Oathy <lnmaged a mirror valued at J!3, the u'rniierly of the licensee of the Britannia Hotel, and. to this, charge and one .of drunkenness Jip pleaded guilty. He was. convict- , pd and ordered to pay the cost of the damage donp. and on tho charge of drunkenness he was convicted and'discliargeJ. ■ For a breach'of his prohibition order Dobert Collier was fined £2, and on a ch:ii|<e.ol' drunkenness was convicted and discharged. A fine of £]. was imposed on .William Convic l .-. who admitted a breach, of. his prohibition order, and for drunkenness he was convicted and discharged. Two first offenders wero fined 10s. each.