MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 126, 30 May 1919, Page 8

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

The sitting o£ the Magistrate's Court this morning was presided- over iby Mr. F V Frazer, ; S.M. Three first-offending inebriates, were dealt with according to scale. Thomas fatrick M'Kenna came up for the second time in forty-eight hours; He was given another chance—convicted and discharged; Patrick M'TJeod, a previous offender, was fined £1, with the option of going to-gaol for three days, and/ at his own request, prohibited. Kdna Langdon was charged with, the theft of a jersey coat,= valued- at £3, and two chemises^ valued-at 7s sd, the property of Kathleen Oliver. The offence was admitted. Acting Sub-Inspector Emerson said the girl was about 23 years of; age, and had been away. from home sipce she was 18. She was apparently leading an improper life, and should 4be put under control. Accused said she was willing to go to the Mount Magdala Home at Christchurch, and was on that understanding convicted and ordered to come up for sentence at the expiration of "twelve months. ■ '

An elderly man named George 3?arquhar Ross was charged with being an idle and disorderly person —he had been begging on Clyde-quay, and even asked Constable Lefevre for money. Accused was remanded for a week for medical observation. .■-..-

A seaman on the ship Terpsichore, named Albert Bergstrom, pleaded guilty to charges of having assaulted the mas-, ter of the ship yesterday,, and also with Laving used obscene language. Defendant had just finished a. sentence for having assaulted the captain, and got-drunk and again assaulted ihe ' captain. The language was used while he' was being taken to the police station. Acting-Sub-In-spector Emerson said the mail was a dangerous person, and the captain would not have him on the ship. He suggested that the man should be sent to gaol until the company could send him back to San Francisco. He was- convicted and sentenced to two months' imprisonment, to be; put on the s.s. Whakatane if she sails before that time.

George Waterman, a young Man, pleaded guilty to having stolen a razor, three shirts, and two pairs of socks, valued at,£2 6s, the property of.John O'Keefe.' Mr. G.. W. Mellish appeared for the defendant, who, when arrested, said he.did not remember going into the Duke of; Edinburgh Hotel, from which. Ihe articles had been stolen. " He had been drinking about town all day, and the police reported that since he had) come from the front'drink had been the chief trouble.- Mr. Mellish said that de-fendant-did not drinlc before the war, but that since he .returned he had. been on1 "one ( big_ drunk.". Defendant, who had been"badly wbuiidedj "was wishful that a prohibition order should be taken out against him. Defendant was prohibited, and remanded for sentence for a fortnight, in order that inquiries may lie;made:;for his disposition.

For having driven a motor-car without a light at Eastbourne, Wilfred Lankshear was convicted and ordered to pay 9s costs. ■ ■ '

For having failed to attend drill, W. J. Ormrod. was fined £3, 'with 7s costs, in default fourteen days' detention. William James M'Nally pleaded guilty to having used provoking language to Edward Scott, the Corporation dog catch.er, on the Corporation premises. The City Solicitor (Mr. J. O'Shea) said it was a very bad case, and the language •■was of «.the^ foulest description. Defendant's excuse appeared to be merely that an. unregistered dog- that had been "run in" belonged, to a returned soldier. Defendant was ordered to find sureties, to keep the peace for twelve months in the sum of £20, and to pay costs amounting to :£2 ss.

Laura Jackson pleaded guilty, to having sold adulterated, milk. She said she sold the milk as she received it, and had complained to the vendors about it previously. The cans were delivered at the door, and on one occasion she had found' the lids of the cans removed. The Magistrate- said it was probably .that the offence was the result more of carelessness than anything else. Defendant would be convicted and fined £2, with 7s;costs. •-'■•■ -■ -• • ■ •- ■■