MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 79, 28 December 1918, Page 5

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

TROUBLE IN FRED2RIM STftJSET

MAN CAUGHT BEATING HIS WIFE There was trouble in Frederick Street shortly after JO o'clock on Tliur.srliij When James Patrick H.i.ssfltl ivns climbed before Mr. V. V. ftwr, S.M-, iit tun Jlagistrate's Court yc.-ilcrdiiy w\Hi hnving been drunk ami' will] (Hiving used obscene lnnguiige, Acting , Hiib-liiftiu'c-tor Emerson said thai at 10.15 p.m. on Thuraday necused was benting his wife and using vitriolic lunguiige, 'i'lie police went to the house in Frednrick Street, and from the outside they heard Unbelt tiding disgusting expressions in ;i loud tone ol voice.' 'Ultimately accused himself camu into the street, when he was iimnediatply urreslcd. "His wife was pretty badly knocked about," said the Acting Sub-Inspector. "Her eye,s were blackened, and she was bleeding , about tho face and mouth. Apparently she lm<t had a pretty bad time. When the police first arrived on tho scene this man waa about the house drinking from a bottle of beer."

Accused said that he had had a bit of bad hick. One of his boys had had to go to the Hospital. He himself had been laid up for six weeks, and, of course, he Imd had a few drinks. The rushing about between the Hospital and his home had affected him. He knew nothing nbout the language. It was stated tiiat accused had been convicted twenty-three times previously for various offences, four convictions being for obscene language. His Worship remarked ; that for a lnan of accused's tendencies to indulge in liquor was a very dangerous thing. Acting- Sub-inspector Emerson: He was in pretty good fighting form yesterday for a sick man, Hassett was sentenced to fourteen days' hard labour, the Bench taking into consideration the fact that he had not been before the Court for fifteen months. "AN EYE FOB AN EYE." Somewhere about "closing time" on Boxing Day somebody boxed John Wilcox in the left eye. At that time he was in the rear of an hotel in Lambton Quay And the hostile action so provoked him to wrath that he determined upoii revenge. A plasterer named Ernest Newson scorned about the most likely person nnon whom to practise retaliation, so Wi>;ox waited until he got linto a right-of-way, when ho turned round and projected his clenched fist into Nowson's left oye. He then made off along Lambton Quay, Constable J. Graham in hot pursuit. Wilcox succeeded in outrunning the constable, however, for that officer had to secure the services of a motor-car in order to eatch_ his qunrry. This feat lie succeeded i>; ac-' complishing just near the top of Mee's Steps. As a consequence Wilcox was charged with assaulting Newson.. He pleaded guilty, but declared that the latter had struck him first as a result of an argument in which they becnine entangled. News" denied that ho had laid a hand upon lVileox. His Worship came to the conclusion that it was a, case of mistaken identity. Someone had struck Wilcox, as the ocular evidence sufficiently demonstrated, but ho had made a mistake in hitting the wrong man in return. Wilcox was fined Jjl, with costs 125., in default seven days' imprisonment.

SEAFARERS IN TROUBLE. Two sailors, Carl Noren and Ivan Ljndbloom, who admitted having been engaged in a stand-up fight in Lambton Quay on Thursday afternoon, were each fined 10s., in default 18 hours' imprisonment. They were arrested by Detective Mason outsido an hotel from which they had been ejected. A fireman belonging to the Mapourika, named Waino Eautio, who was described as a Finn, admitted having mad.i use of obscene language to some girls on the wharf. He declared that ho had been a sufferer from the influenza, and that the drinks he had consumed on Boxing Day proved too much for his constitution. It was explained to tltc Bench that accused was required for the Mapourika, as the company was desirous of getting tho vessel away.

"They'll" ifot him wlien we've finished with him," said Mr. Pram , . "He is sentenced to a , month's hard labour." ALIEN SEAMAN INVITES AREEST. Hugo Johnson, a Russian Finn, aiid a member of the croiv of the Salvor, pleaded guilty to a charge of having landed on the wharf without being iu possession of an alien's permit. ActiiiK Sub-Inspector Emerson stated that defendant was warned by the Customs officials that as lie- was an alien he must not come ashore without n permit. In spite of that, however, lie did go on to the wharf, where ho was met by the captain of the ship, who told him that ho might fall into the hands of the police. "Oh, to hell with the New Zealr.nd police," remarked Johnson, "I'm going to spend Christmas in town." Accused spent the remainder of Boxing Day in tho cells, however, for he very soon fell into tho clutches of a policeman. Ho was fined £1, with the alternative of 72 hours' imprisonment, for his, defiance of the War Eegulations. OTHEE CASES. Robert Joyce admitted having been drunk, and was fined 55., in default 2-1 hours' detention. Thomas James Stimson.was convicted and discharged for drunkenness, but was fined JEI, in default ?1 hours, for a breach of his prohibition order. Five first offenders for insobriety were mulcted in small penalties.