MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 138, 6 March 1919, Page 4

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

ALLEGED BIGAMY COMMITTAL FOR TRIAL The proceedings at tJie _ Magistrate's .Courtr - presided • over , by Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M. A charge of having committed bigamy .was..preferred against a middle-aged uuvn j niimcd- 1 -ilauieß Jackson.- It was alleged against him tluit'on January 1; 1910, ho went-.through a form of marriage with Gladys 'May 'Morris when, he was already married to Martha White. Mi P Jackson appeared for accused'.'iivkd pleaded not guilty. Wiltrid W. Cook, llcgwtrar-General of ,Bir.tKt ; .])ealhs, and .Marriages, produced a.' certificate showing tliat a- mail named • .lamps Jackson was married to Martha /White on January 81, 1912. .-Witness also ■putJh the certificate of a marriage solemnised at the Sacred Heart Basilica, ,Wellington, on January 1, 191G, between .Michriijl James Ja\k=on and Gladys May . Morris'.v On the first certificate the bridegroom nvas describe! as a- widower, and '!on'\tlie '.6econd ho /was sthted to be a bachelor.-. The name in the second in--1 stan'<:g..';.'was girew as' "Michael James Jackson." / Mr. Jackson: Are you prepared to swear that they are one and the samo person ? Witness: I can't, swear that. •' Gilbert Graham Hodgkins, doEjily-chief electoral officer, Wellington, stated that on January 31, 1912, jie was Registra." of Births, Deaths and' Marriages at _ %'• lington. On that day he solemnise?; a marriage 1.-etween James Jackson asu Martha White. ■ • John Reginald Herd, clerk at. the Supreme Court, Wellington, produced, iu: affidavit sworn by James Jackson, in which he stated that he was lawiully married to Martha Jackson. Patrick Joseph Smythe, priest in Holy Orders, stated that on January 1.,. 1916, he solemnised a marriage between Michael James Jackson and Gladys' May Morris. He identified the accused as being the bridegroom riFtlio marriage. Plain-clothes Constable Russell gave evidence to the effect that, on February 26 Jie 'interviewed; accused, who stated that at the time he married Martha White' he was' half drunk, and that lie .was in a similar condition when lie went round to the Registrar's office. H.e also jnade certain allegations against the .woman, and stated that he had dommeneed divorce proceedings, but did not go on with them. The fact of his being called Michael' James Jackson was explained by the woman he was at present living with thinking his name was Michael, as ,lie w'jis always known as "Mick." Accused reserved his defence, and-was •committed to the Supreme Court for trial. . . .DAMAGED A .DOOR. James William Richardson was accused of having wilfully damaged a glass door panel to the extent of 165., the property of Michael Walsh. ' It was stated that ncnused went into Mr. Walsh's, tobacconist shop in Molesworth Street to purchase some tobacco. He ,had no .money at first,, but went outside, and- subsequently returned. He bought some tobacco, and then wanted to fight "everything standing." Somevbody pushed him out of tho\shop, ar.d the'next thing h'o 1)folco the glass panel of the, door. > Defendant said the whole thing was a pure'accident.' His elbow must have struck the door during the course of the argument which ensued as'the result of Walsh's refusal to. change a packet of tobacco. Defendant was ordered to pay the ' amount of the dainage. ■ - LIQUOR-CASES,' ' John Pryse-was charged with drunkenness and the breach of a prohibition order.- As his case 'was described as being quite hopeless, he having broken the conditions of his order for. the sixth time,' ho was sent to Roto Roa Island for a .period of twelve months.. Oil charges-of'having'broken'the conditions of their prohibition-orders William Charles Harvey was fined A in default fourteen days' imprisonment, and Thomas Lowry <£2, in the alternative of seven days'- detention. Each of the defendants was convicted and discharged for drunkenness.

For insobriety, Timothy Delaney was .fined 10s.. in default .forty-Digit hours' imprisonment. One first offender was fined 10s., another'ss.. nild <Vthird was convicted and discharged 011 payment of 31s. 6d.. penses.INDECENT ASSATJLT ALLEGED. All elderly man named Charles Deeblo was accused of having indecently assaulted a male on the reclaimed land on February 19.. ; • ... „ . Mr. 11. F. O'Leary appeared for the accused, who pleaded not guilty, and was committed to the Supremo Court for trial. Bail was allowed in the sum of J!150. FORGERY' OF A 'CHEQUE. •'.' A plea of guilty was entered by Joseph Humphrey Roberts, who was charged with having forged tho name of H. Brittain to a chequo on the Bank of Now Zealand for iEIO, and uttered it to Francis Richard Cannon, with tho intent that it should bo acted upon as genuine, The offence was committed on February 26. Evidence was given by Henry Brittain, chemist. : that he knew, the accused, who was given to heavy drinking. Francis Richard Cannon, clerk in the employ' of the Gear Meat Company, Lambton Quay, stated that on February2(i accused asked him to cash the cheque. Accused said the signature on the cheque . was \that ..of. his father-in-law, 1 and witness advanced him the cash. Twenty minutes later witness discovered that tho cheque was a forgery. • Detective-Sergeant Lewis, who arrested tho accused, said that when he took him to tho police station lie found .011 him the slim of =C 9..15, Gd., also the remains of a bottle of whisky. He had .the appearance of a man who had been drinking heavily. ! . , Accused, who was represented by Mr. P. W. ,'facksou, was .committed to the Su-. prenre Court for sentence. Mr. Jackson asked for bail. Detective-Sergeant- Gox said there was nothing known about the man, who had a wife and five children. The only trouble in respect to him was that ho was a heavy drinker., Hail was allowed in the sum of ,£SO.