MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 110, 3 February 1920, Page 5

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

, A WATERFRONT THEFT STIFF FINE IMPOSED* * Mr. E. Pago, S.M., heard a number of ."oases in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. » • '" A seaman named Walter Harris pleaded guilty to the theft of a bag of sugar, valued at J!l, the property of the Wellington Harbour Board. Defective-Sergeant Knwle explained that Harris, who was n member of tho 6.5. Hippie, was a married man with five children residing at Gisborne. About midnight on Friday he was seen going ulong the wharf carrying what looked like a. bag. He was coming from the direction of the s.s. l'oherua. On' Saturday morning' Constable Tricklebank round a bag of sugar secreted in accused's bunk on the Ripple. Mr. Mellish, who appeared for Harris, stated that his client was under tho. influence of liquor at the time, and had not a clear recollection of what happened. The police report showed that nothing was previously known y against the accused. The Magistrate pointed out that the Court was not inclined to look lightly upon thefts on the waterfront. Ho imposed a fine of .£ls, with the option of. on? month's imprisonment, and made an order directing that the fine be paid off at the rate of -£1 a week. BREACH OF ALIENS ACT. Charges of insobriety and of failure to register under the Aliens Act were preferred against Joseph Dossenbaik, a native of Switzerland. Mr. J. A. Scott, who appeared for tho defendant, explained that the latter had endeavoured to. enlist in the N.Z.E.F. and had had no intention of evading tho Act.- The Magistrate inflicted fines of 10s. for failure to register and .£1 for insobriety, A CASUAL OFFENDER. "This young man here has promised' to find .me a job," casually remarked a youthful defendant, William Feters, as lie indicated his solicitor. Peters was arraigned on a charge of having stolen a number of empty bottles, valued nt- Gs„ the. property of Percy Rogers, proprietor of the Te Aro Hotel. Through his solicitor ho ad-n-itted the offence. • His Worship inflicted ft fine of >£4. with 12s. costs, and ordered the accused, who had been in trouhle before, to pay this amount off in weekly instalments of 10s. SEPARATION. AND MAINTENANCE. A rather strange. story was disclosed during the hearing•• of an application made by an elderly woman for a separation order against her husband. Tha complainant, who was granted her request, stated that she had been married for 18 years, but her husband had neve* supported her and she.-had not known of his whereabouts for eight or ten years. In a defended maintenance case, Airs. A. Holland sought to obtain a separation order against her hushqnd, William Holland. The grounds of the application were charges of cruelty. After hearing tho evidence of the parties and of their children, the Magistrate granted th» order, remarking that a sufficient number of the allegations had, been proved to warrant Mrs. Holland in taking thf proceedings. Custody of -tho three child- 1 ten of tho marriage was granted to Mrs. Holland, who was also allowed _ .62 ,2s. costs. An order was made directing the husband to pay to the wife 35s weekly for the maintenance of hersell and the children. < ( - " OTHER CASES. : For insobriety, six first offenders were arraigned. One,' .a woman, who had been remanded a week for medical treatment, was discharged iipon undertaking to pay 17*. 6d. medical expenses. - p he others were fined tho amount of their bail. Edward Boyson, previously convicted, was fined «£1 and prohibited. ' Henry Edwards admitted having been intoxicated and having made rise of ob6<ene language. According to the i-uh-Inspector, the "language" was very bad, and tho accused had six previous conviotions against him for similar offences. A. sentence of 21 .days' imprisonment was imposed. , I