MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 27, 27 October 1920, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

GAOL FOR A JOY-RIDER

POLICE, CIVIL AND BY-LAW CASES

_The police business at tho Magistrate's uiurt yesterday was dealt with 'by Mr. IX. Hunt, S.M A motor mechanic, Frederick Jackson. J? A eari L of . a K e ;. was charged that on October 23-no "did unlawfully and without colour of right,-but not so a.s to be guilty ot theft, convert to his own uso (i motor-car valued at ,£450, the property ot 1 nomas 1-tannery," and was further charyed with the theft of two tins of benzine, value 375. 6d Sub-Inspector 1/Dierson said thrt Flannery placed the car m a garage- at Masterton on Friday night, and when returning later lie die* covered that the car had disappeared. The police in Wellington were notified by telephone. Constable Cieverley, who was on duty on' Lambton Quay, noticed a oar which answerod the description, and followed it into Brandon Street, whore a'young woman got out of the car. The constable then jumped in and ordered the driver to drive -to the Central Police •Station. The accused iirst stated that the car was his own, and later said that it belonged to iris boss, and that "it would be all right." Afterwards he made 0 statement, in which he admitted that he had taken tho car from a shed in Masterton.- The Magistral said it was no use fining such men as accused. Ho could only fine accused J3lO, and his friends would find the money, so there would be no punishment. Ho thereforo sentenced the youth to U days' imprisonment, and directed him to be kept apart from other prisoners Jackson .was ordered Also to refund tlio value of the two tins of benzine.

Bov Gordon Whittington and Donald Murray Whittington were jointly charged with tho theft, of a tarpaulin (value i' 6), the property of Andrew Anderson. Mr. J. O'Donovan appeared for both.accuscd, who ploaded not guilty. The complain(int said he wus the owner- of the tarpaulin, which he purchased from ITutcheson and Wilson on October H. On October~~lS the tarpaulin,:which was in a bag, was missed from hie motorlorry. A few days later Hoy Whittington endeavoured, to sell it- jo an expressman. >When seen by' the police, Donald Whittington said fhat'hc found the tarpaulin on Jervois' Quay at 3 p.m ; there was a .wharf labourer there at the time, and the. latter whistled, but no'one came back for the tarpaulin. Ho gave it to his brother to take-home, and he looked iu tho papers to sre if it was advertised,, and not seeing any "lost" advertisement he told- his brother to sell .it if lie could. Do,raid AVnit'tington siml lie f bought he had a right to hold the tarpnulin until it .was advertised for Roy Whittington Said his brother gave him the tarpaulin to take home. Neither of the accused could say l why the police were not informed of the finding of thi» tarpaulin In view of the previous good character .of tho two young men. the Magistrate fare them the benefit of the doubt nnd dismissed the information, but ordered them to pay expenses (18s.).

A remand until this morning was granted in the ease of Donne Clement Twynehuin, grocer, of Petone ; who was charged with attempting to commit suicide.

Arthur Uankin. was charged with sleeping out. in a'shed on Lambton Wharf, where lie was found at' 4.20 a.m. yesterday by a policeman. Rankin said he was a bushfeller, and was unable to get a bed in the city, although he was able to pay for it. He' was convicted ' and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon

CIVIL CASES

. Mr. .T. S. Evans, S.IL, dealt witli the civil business • and gave judgment for plaintiff in the following undefended coses:—L, A. Line.v. A. E. Townsend, 10 s. 6d., costs lis.; B. Smith v. , W Puddle, 275. 9d., . costs, 10s.; Commissioner of Taxes r. Otatara land Proprietary Ltd,,. .£67 13s. 10d.. . costs. i! 2; same v. Mary Bowell, £3 os. 3d., costs 95.; Fame v. Ethel Gurney (representing the estate of Richard Gurney), .£12.1? 9d., costs 235.; same v. Annie Buchanan, ■it Us. id., costs 95.; same, v. J. Bell, '£! fc. 7d., costs 175.; same v.. Lake and William I). Ayson, 21s • (Id , costs Bs.; e.vnicw. H. T.. Avery, ,£35 ss. 7(1., coats ■£l Us.; C. W. Tanner v. A. C. I). Pay, <87 17s fid, costs' .£1 13s. (id;

4 On judgment summonses H. T. Avery ~.tvas ordered' to pny the Hutchesnn Engineering Co. ,C 1 ss. l>y November 2. in default forty-eight hours' imprisonment; J. S. M'Nicol to • pay : Crawley,. Eid'.ey nnd Co., Ltd., J:3 165. 6d. by monthly instalments of £1; A. Jordaii to pay T. .T. Lewis, 45 19.5. 9(1. by monthly instalments of 30s. .. .. TENEMENT CASES.

Two tenement cases wero heard by Mr. I-'.' Iv. Hunt, S.M.'

In the first George. M'Carty (Mr. W. G. Mellisli) sought to' obtain possession of a house at Plimmcrton from Mrs. -T. Jones (Jlr. J. Scott). For the plaintiff, it was stated that,he had acted the part of a "good Samaritan" to the .Tones family in. the, post; he had helped them financially, and had placed them in the house. The. money advanced had all since been repaid, and the plaintiff, having been' advised by his doctor to move out of tho liousc he at present occupied, wished to get into the house at Plimmerton, but Mrs.. Jones refused to vucate •tho premises. It was alleged that she had had- several opportunities of obtaining another residence. The defendant denied .this, and stated that she had a family of seven children, and could 'not have taken the one place that was offered lo her, as it was on "the edge of a precipice." It wa,s stated that many fain-lies residing at-I'limmerton had received notices to quit, to make room for sumi|ie.r-holiday residents. The Magistrate. while sympathising with the plaintiff, said that in view of the fact that Hie defendant had a family of sevjn, ho could not turn her out. He wouli, however, jidjourn'the case for a month.

The circumstances in the second earn: were that a nine-roomed lioune at Jlatait,ni .had been let by Mrs. Bird to" G. V'nr-:1 when her three eon* went to the war. The mother had since died, and when the sons returned they found thai the' four-roomed house which she had occupied was too small for them, and thev wished to qet back into the larger house.' They offered to exchange houses with Ward. For the defendant it waa stated that lie had n fnmilv .of • night children, and could not possibly lit the famiiv in to 1 a four-roomed cottage. The Magistrate said it was the d.uty of the Court to do everything possible to reinstate returned soldiers in tlieir. homes. All things eons'dered, the defendant was not su badly olf, as he had at least aiiothfi' house to go to, although it was.a entailer one; while his occupation as ». rcnScollector should enable him to find another house. The defendant was ordered to vacate the house in a month.

BY-lAff CASES

Mr. P. K. Hunt, S.M., dealt .with tho by-hw cases. ' '

S. E. Williams and A. P. Brown were each fined lfls. and 7s. castj 'for having Jfft (heir motor-ears in city streets without lights. . For failing to stop his motor-car when requested to do so by a constable on point-duty. G. A. Lawrence was (inert Ids. and costs 7s. I'or a similar offence, 0. E. Flyger was ordered to pay costs and'expenses totalling 7s.

Henry Ilanisli wns fined 20s. and costs Vs.. and C. Jarden 10s. and 14s. costs for failing to have proper registration numbers on their motor vehicles.

For exceeding the speed limit in C'ourtenay Place, where the jjolice recently kept a special watch, R. Little, D. Patrick 'and L. Speed were each fined 40s. and costs, and a boy undier sixteen years of tLTc was ordered to pay 7s. costs.

Matthew Livingstone.., who was alleged by the police to have driven his motor-car in Molesworth Street at a speed of 30 miles per hour, wns lined .£5 . and costs. Tor allowing a horse to wander, F.f Kettieivell was fined as. and 7s. costs.

The daily milk supply to the Featherston cheese factory now totals !)200 gallons, from which over four tons of cheese are •• being -manufactured.• i- ■ ...