MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 170, 12 April 1919, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

LICENSING CASES

A VARIETY OP CHARGES

' Mr. F.-'V: -Fraiier,-' S;M< presided over yesterday's'sitting of the Magistrates Court. . ' Charges of being: on licensed premises when such premises were required to bo closed were preferred against Hamilton Crilmor and Thomas Madden. ' Evidence was given by Sergeant Lopilelt tliat on February 22 last he entercd-tne Carlton Hotel, which wra .required-to bo closed in compliance with tho War hegulations 'on account.of tho arrival of .troops. He saw-both accused 111 n sittingroom at tho back ol' tho office. J.lndden .put aqflass of whisky, under a couch as witness entered the room. There was also another '({lass ill the room containin? liciuoi-. lie also.saw Gilmer put. a glass' under the sofa. Defendants denied that they'had'put, them there, and ulso said thnt they were not boarders. Mr. A. Gray, K.C., who appeared for the defendants, stated that Mr. Gilmer was managing -director of Staples s.ilreuerv Co and Mr. Madden was the secretary of the company. Both defendants htid-gono to tho hotel to .see Mro. lau sen on business connected with tho hotel. It was while they were discussing tho matter that tho police entered. A bottle of wide, was consumed, /be defendants wero not on tho hotel for tll™ pose of getting ,a drink. l he^\ ad J ,ot endeavoured to conceal tho drinks when the police entered. . • . His Worship said that there was lo doubt that they visited the hotel foi purely .business; reasons, rh? information* would be dismissed... Floronoe May Paulsen was then 'charged with allowing liquor- to be .consumed •'on tho premises, and wlule tlio Magistrate recognised that it was a trivial offence lie could, not al.togethei overlook .it, Defendant would bo convictcd'find ordered to pay lis. costs, Joseph Burke, who was represented by M'' E/ M. Beechey, 'was .'fined. <£3 and costs for. refusing to admit the' poll*, int.jxtho. Upstairs bar of the Grand Hotel. Tho offenco took placo on lebruary -1, when tho hotel was required' to be clo»e<l oA account of the'arrival of troops. J. he police entered tho hotel nnd went, upstairs to'a bar, and endeavoured to gam admittance. They ultimately got inside, and found.the defendant... hiding under a L 0' "1 charge of permitting i.li'e salb of liquor during prohibited hours- on mruary'2l, preferred agiunst 1-lorenco Ala) Paulsen, of the Carlton Hotel, was dis"inissed. '. The. barman' had -. supplied. cwtain di'inks, but hail not-sold tlieni, .as they were not paid for. : ; •.- • , : A fine of jei'nmV.costs was imposed on Johh Patrick Dunn,' who-was. chargeit with being on li'eelfepa premises- alter 'hoiiTS.- . A MISSING PUSHCART.''' A voung married womnn'named Elsie Weston was charged with the theft ol a pushcart,. and pleaded not' RUilty. - Chiof-Detectlvo- Boddam Bald that on December 10 last a pushcartwasleft at tho foot-of the D.I.C. lift, hnt when the owiier 'returned -a-few minutes later it was missing. ; The matter was rojwrml .to tho manager of the D.I.C. and to the police, but no trace of the missing pushcart was found lill_.March2J. "X u ■6eireoiie was seen Avith it in Cubabtrcu. Tho police'then'traced it to Hio defendant, who : etatejl that '-she also -had lelt a pushcart near tho lift in the D.1.C., and found it missing when she returned. She Piiw''the'other -pushcart, -and i resinned, that-it had. been left iu. exchange for'her own-. - not report.the loss of her .ownrpijshcaxt, .but took the-othor, and for somo day.s watched . the newsnailers ."for.'an advertiscinont regarding •someone's possible mistake. After- hearing- tho - evidence - of both parties, His Worship was.satisfied-that fcl'pre-had-ljron more-of misunderstanding than ol tlieit in defendant's action, and lie-would therefore dismiss tho information as trivial. ■• .""■ •' " five o'clock Rosing. Prosecutions . under the Shops , arid Offices. Act .were'eoiidu'etod. ,by .FredericKWilson, 'Inspector. ,of -Factories,, against A . Guv, E. H. 'Hankins, -and- D.- Marshall, , 'butchers', .having.: their .shops.- jn |>irin Street and Molesworth Street . iespectively, .wh.6.,adiui.tt«d that 'they had failed to close th.cir shops ;on a batuvdaj lit 5 p.m,. iij compliance, .with tin; •> o'clock closiiig regulation...'! lie defendant 'Guy.ptated. that, lie h ? d -signed. the. refiuieition, favouring 5.6, block out had not received any. notice as to w.hen it came into 'dperatipn. Both Rankin -and Marshall.staled that.they, had rot simicd tho requisition, nor had they seen'it.- "They wero absolutely as to any such requisition, and the lirst intimation thiy received; of its existence, was when the inspector .called. His'U or•ship entered a conviction, and imposed-a nominal penalty of 10s. and costs m each 'case. ■ " •'•• -FIGHT DURING A DANCE. A charge' of creating a'breach of'the peace' was preferred ' against tivo_'incn'named George M'Farlane and.Noel Elvey. M'Farlane appeared, but Elvey sent a , letter to IliS' Worsnip alleging prov.ouil'Kvidenco was , given . by _ a caclet employed at tho Johiisonville Post' Office 'that on the night of March M'Farlane and Elvey, who 'were attending a dance, left the nail"'and had' ft "light outside. In his letter Elvey said lie was sitting with a young lady, when M'Farlane came up and remarked that .Elveywas sitting with a relative- of his (M'Farlane s) and that he' had bettor lie careful. Ml'arlanc Was the cause of the trouble, M'Farlane -Stated that )>o ,hear(L that Elvev was sitting,-in tho hall_vith ills arm mind- a.relation-of his. Defendant admitted that- ho- hact had: a few drinlw. •'The Magistrate-said that Ml'arlanos intentions wero no -doubt-good;-and bo , would have to give, -him credit for good intentions.''M'Fiivl&iw'WOUm bo ed nnd ordered /to pay costs amountiug to 15s. As Elvey was fighting in se fdefence anil had done nothing ivrong the case' against- him ■ would be dismissed. . INFESTED .SHEEP. 'A' fine of'.£3 was imposed on- Alfred Coster, who was charged with having placed, sheep - infested with lico in tho Johnsonvillo. sah-yards. Mr. T. who appeared for the Agricultural Dc.puvtroent, said that there h«ul, been f«tr •too-many complaints regarding infested sheep lately. Defendant stated that tho sheep had been dipped'three weeks prior to tho sale, and as far as.he knew they wera perfectly clean. ' OTHER. CASES. Charges of being absent 'without leave from the steamer Toromeo were preferrec. ■ against James Farrell, Patrick larrell, William Feoney, Michael Morrison, l'.dward Darner,-Thomas .Cross, and John Murray. '.With tho exception of Cross, who was convicted and discharged, ail defendants were convicted and to nay costs, Us. , , ,- .n. A man' named Jl'Millan pleaded guilty to a clinrge-of having speared trout in tlio ■ Wainui-o-nifttfl Stream, and was'convicted and fined %£2 with costs. •V line-of '.£3 and costs lis. vas l.ni--pbsed on : Gilbert ■ SaHierley, _who wa» ; charged with drunk whilst in charge of a motor lorry. His Worsnip V remarked thnt the offence Olio in view- of Hie menace to olhil traffic. The default was lixed at l-l d.ij.r imni'ifonment. • i„„ - For a. breach of his prohibition oidel, AViiliam Henry Taylor was fined .El-and eo.sts 7s.