MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 245, 10 July 1920, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

OPIUM FOUND IN A WOMAN'S POSSESSION BENCH INFLICTS FINE OF £5 , Mr. E. Page, S.M., presided at the ' Magistrate's Court yesterday, and dealt ' witli the police cases. Minnie Walsh was charged with drunkenness, with using obscene language, and [ with being in possession of opium in a : form suitable for smoking. She pleaded ffiiilty to tho charge of drunkenness and not guilty to the other two charges. Ah ' Chiug, with whom Minnie Walsh was alleged to have been living, was charged j with obstructing Constable M'Call in the execution of his duty, and with wilfully [ damaging a coat valued at £5, the property of Patrick N.. Carrol. . Ching pleaded not guilty to both charges. Mr. H. F. O'Leavy appeared for both accused, and all the charges wore taken together. Constable M'Call tsated that Walsh was very drunk, nnd was using obscene language. He went to arrest her, and ' just as he was about to do so the Chinaman came along, and tho woman threw ' her handbag down and swore at the Chinaman. The hag, on falling to the ground, flew open, and some money and the opium fell out. The constable caught hold of 'the woman to take her to the station, while the Chinaman grabbed tho woman, and tried to prevent her removal. Eventually, a man named Carrol came to the assisance of the policeman, and took charge of the Chinaman, who damaged his coat. The obstruction on the part of the Chinaman was not very serious. He was mainly concerned in trying to get the woman away. For the defence it was alleged that the woman, having "fallen out" with Ching, went to the house of another Chinaman, who was a notorious opium dealer. There she wes supplied with liquor, and got vbtt drunk. Ah Ching, passing that way, heard her voice, and went in and tried to get her away, but 6he refused "to go with him. Ching then asked an old man to go for the police. With that the owner of the house, it was alleged, pushed the woman outside, placed tho opium in her bag, shut tho door, and put out the lights. The police found the woman lying at the back door in a state of helpless intoxication. Ching denied' damaging -Carrol's coat, and stated that both his arms were held by Carrol. . The Magistrate recorded a conviction oh all the charges. For being in possession of opium, Walsh was fined £5 and costs 75.; for using obscene language, JSi: and for drunkenness 6s. Ching was ordered to pay £3 10s. for the. damage done to Carrol's coat, and was fined ill for resisting the police. The Chinese interpreter was allowed £1 Is., which both defendants were ordered to pay in equal amounts-. A GAME OF HAZARDS. Wi Papi Nikora, a Maori, was charged with playieg hazards on the "tug wharf on Friday last. Mr. H. F. O'Learr appeared for tho accused, who pleaded not guilty. \ The facta were that a young constable was detailed to visit the tug wharf for the purpose of seeing whether hazards was 'being played. The constable, who was in plain clothes, saw money on the wharf and saw the Maori- throwing dice. There were four others playing, and at a given signal three more policemen, including Sergeant M'Kelvie and Detective Tricklebank, came on the scene and arrested the men. Whon the players saw the police, someone shouted "Here they come!" and the dice were thrown into a coal basket. The accused denied that he played hazards. He said he was on the wharf looking for a job, and went down to the tug wharf. He saw the men playing, and stood by. He did pick up the dine and throw them down. He went on tu the wharf with 6Jd., and came off wirh thnt amount. The Magistrate recorded a conrictioa after hearing tho evidence, and SuuInspector Emerson said that Nikora had beeii previously convicted of gambling. Nikora was fined .£5 and 7s. costs, in default twenty-one days' imprisonment. John Graham, Samuel Jarvis, Arthur Jones, and! George Reeves, watersiders, who were associated with the Maori in the playing of hazards, were also fined £5 each and costs 7s. the alternative being twenty-ono days imprisonment. Mr. C. A. L. Treadwoll appeared for the four accused. A POMERANIAN DOG. ' Victor Bass, for whom Mr. A. B. Sievwright appeared, pleaded not guilty to a charge or stealing a Pomeranian dog, valued at .£2O, the property of William Vitori. The complainant stated that he lost the dog from his yard about February 15, and advertised the loss on February 17-* sad 19. He did not hear anything about it until June 20, when he heard where the dog was. He went to the house of the defendant, and saw the dog thore, and identified it. At the time at which he advertsied the loss,, a man called at his house, and said' he was sent by Mrs. Bass, who wished Mrs. Vitori to go up and see her. Nothing was said about the dog. Several-wit nesses gavo evidence, and identified the dog, ivhicfli was (produced in court. When interviewed by Detective Walsh, the defendant made a statement that he bought the dog from a man on the Taranaki Street Wharf in January or February. Bass had not teen the advertisement, but Mrs. Bass said she had seen it, and'that'she had sent word to Vitori, but that the latter had not come td the house. The defence was on the lines of the statement made by Bass to the police. The defendant, in hie evidence, stated that he took the animal about with him wherever he went, and on one occasion when ho lost it he went to the Newtown police station, and reported the matter there. He would not deliver up the dog to Detective Walsh because he wished to be convinced that he was not entitled to keep it. The Magistra-te accepted tho defendant's statement. His Worship said thqre was a suspicion, but he was not satisfied that the case had been proved. He therefore dismissed the information, and at the 6ame time expressed the opinion that there was no doubt the dog be- ' longed to Vitori. By consent, the dog was handed over to the rightful owner. OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOUR. Vin Dickson was convicted of behaving in an offensvre manner in a railway carriage between Ngaio and Johnsonville, and was fined £i and ordered to pay costs amounting to £2 6s. Bd.