MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 76, 24 December 1918, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

TROUBLE IN A HOUSEHOLD

HUSBAND ATTACKS HIS WIFE The proceedings .-at. tho. .Magistrate's Court yesterday were presided over by Mr. F.' V. -linker, S.M. On Sunday .morning Arthur Oldham sadiy disturbed the Sabbath calm of his wife's home. Ho went round to the house in a drunken condition, with a (task of whisky in his possession, and immediately commenced to cause 1 rouble. As a consequence he was arrested and charged with drunkenness, with tho. breach of his prohibition order, and with having trespassed on his wife's property during the period in which a separation order was in force, against him. Prom a statement made by Mr. R. Howie,-who appeared on behhlf of Mrs. Oldham, and according to the evidence of Mrs. Oldham herself, it appeared that accused went to his wife's house, and demanded to bo .taken back. Mrs. Oldham refused to make up their differences, because she kiiew what she would have to put •up with if she did. Accused then raised some question about tho furniture, and said that his wife "was not a woman," as she was not weaving her rings. Further words passed, whereupon accused caught his wife by .the throat, rousing her to lose consciousness. The eldest boy intervened, and tried to prevent his father hurting ; the mother. Accused then picked up -a- chair, and threw:it. at Mrs. Oldham's brother, and made.a threatening suggestion .to him. Eventually the police -were called in, and accused was or- . rested. -

' Accused, was-convicted : and discharged for drunkenness, and the breach of the ;prohibition order,, but was .sentenced lo 'a month's imprisonment for trespassing upon his wife's properly. • A Finnish seaman, Harry Anderson, was charged with drunkenness, with having used obscene language, and (lieing an alien) with hnving landed on the : wbarf without a -permit. It appeared that the accused was found drunk on the ivhnrf nt 7.35 o'clock on Saturday night. Being an alien he had no riglit lo be ashore after 7 p.m. When taken into custody he made use of language of nil objectionable' character.

"It is not'that we look-upon Finns as alien enemies, or anything of that sort." 'said Mr. Vrazer'to accused. "The rule is that people who are foreigners arc not .allowed to land here without a permit'from the' Collector of Customs._ If you overstay your permit ye.u are liable to get into trouble." For the use of obscene language. yAnderson was lined J:2, in default seven days' imprisonment, and on the other charges he was convicted and discharged. ITis Worship did not deem it necessary to line-Anderson-for' the offence involving a breach of tho War I'egiilnlions, : -as that, charge- arose- out of accused being' drunk.. . • •' Isabella Mignonette Campbell was charged with having committed bigamy by going through a form of marriage Willi Arfhnr Stevens when she was alI'earlv married to Percivul William Campiwii; ...-■■•■ Formal evidence wos given by the Registrar of Marriages, who produced both marriage cert ideates. On being arrested' by Plain-clothes Constable )[. |l. Itussell accused .admitted ' the offence. ■In. answer to the charge, accused said that the only excuse'she hud for making this; marriage was that, she wished, to get.a; divorce from 'her first husband on the ground of ill-treatment. She arranged to nunry Slovens whilst drinking with him the 'night previous lo llic marriage. •Accused pickled guilty,, and. was .ep.m:mi't(cd to the Supremo Court for sentence. A charge of having fraudulently allixed to a letter a stamp which had. been previously lispil, was preferred against Mary 'Cai-r, a widow. ; Chief-Detective. Boddam stated that Ihe alleged offence was committed on or about .October' It, .and' the charge was laid under Ihe Tost and Telegraph Act.' Defendant's explanation was that •lier'ryesigtil: w'as defective',' and she did hoi; notice, that. the. stamp was cancelled when she affixed it to.tiio.letter.

Sir. )'!. P. Bunny.' who appeared on behalf of the defendant, said that in I hose eases (lie Postal authorities adopl'cd a course which the police would not pursue. They wrote for an explanation, never- mentioning that a charge was" to 1)3 preferred, and then handed the matter lo the police. Mrs. Canhad lived in (ho city all her life,.and the Postal authorilies should have made other inquiries before linnding the case to the police: II was unfortunate that the Poslo.l authorities' had found it necessary to' order a prosecution. In her evidence defendant stated Hint when stanining the lelter she thought she was using a genuine stamp. She stamped several Idlers at''the same time. Her trouble was hor sight. His Worship considered that it was a y-jsc of an innocent mistake, raid dismissed tho information.

For.using insulting langut.go so as to cause a breach of the peace in Tory •Street, John Thorpe was convicted anil fined 10s., and ordered lo pay witnesses' expenses ,55., in default forty-eight hours' imprisonment. . Benjamin Smith was fined .£1 for hnvir.g behaved-in a threatening manner in a public street. Par insobriety, Patrick Doran and Francis Joseph Donnelly were each fined 10s., in default forty-eight hours' imprisonment, ■ and were • prohibited.. Several first offenders were lightly punished.