MAYOR’S COURT.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2126, 28 February 1870, Page 2

MAYOR’S COURT.

This Day, (Before W. H. Reynolds, Esq., and Dr. Buchanan, J. P. ’s.) DRUNK AND DISORDERLY. "William Silverton was fined 10s, or 24 hours imprisonment; Matthew Cunningham, not putting in an appearance, forfeited his hail; William Chambers, fined 10s, or 24 hours imprisonment; William Clark, 20s. or 48 hours imprisonment; William Spray and James Rower, for fighting in M aclaggau street were fined, the former 10s, or 24 hours imprisonment ; the latter 20s, or 48 hours imprisonment ; Alex. Thompson was fined 10; or 24 hours imprisonment. ESCAPING FROM THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. John G -tely, a hoy about nine years of age, was charged with having runaway from the Industrial School. -The Commissioner of Police stated that Gately had b.cn sent to the Industrial School for stealing, and since then had escaped three times. The Bench ordered the runaway to be sent back to the Industrial School, and be whipped. PREACH OF THE OYSTER FISHERIES ACT, Andrew Cuss was charged under the Oyster Fisheries Act, 1860, with having in his possession, and offering for sale, bank oysters during the close season. Mr Harris appeared for the defendant. It was admitted on the part of the defendant that the oysters in question were offered for sale by him ; but it was contended that they wore not bank or hod oysters, but rockoysters, the sale of which was not prohibited by the Act during any period of the year. The whole case rested on the point as to what description the oysters were. After hearing the evidence of several witnesses on both sides, the Bench gave it as tin ir opinion that the oysters sold by defendant were not rock oysters but bank or bed oysters ; however, as this was the first case of the kind which had come before the Court, and the Commissioner of Police having asked for a merely nominal penalty, the defendant was lined 10s and costs. STEALING A WATCH. Betsy M'Laughlin was charged with stealing a watch, value L 5, the property of Neil Douglas. The prosecutor sta'ed he had been in the house of a Mrs Murdoch, in Stafford street, on last Saturday week ; and he believed the watch was stolen while he was there. He did not see the prisoner there. He was quite sober at the time. He denied ever having been at the house of the defendant. Detective Colder stated that in consequence of information received he went to Mr Davis’s pawn office, where he obtained the watch produced, which had been pawned by some girl on behalf of the prisoner. He then proceeded to the house of the accused, who admitted having pawned the watch, but stated she had got it from the prosecutor to obtain some beer. The prisoner repeated the statement made to the last witness as to the way in which she obtained the watch, and asserted that the prosecutor had visited her house several times. In answer to a question from the Bench as to why she had pawned the watch after obtaining it to pay for drink, the prisoner said she had paid for the beer with money of her own, and had pawned the watch because she thought it would lie sder in the pawn office. The Bench stated that although they had strong suspicious they would give the prisoner the benefit of the doubt occasioned by the indistinct statement of the prosecutor, and ordered her to he discharged, MINOR OFFENCES. Patrick Leo, for allowing two horses to

stray, was lined 10s and costs ; Win. Barnes, and Duncan Cameron, for a similar offence, were fined os each and costs. A charge against Daniel Brown, for allowing two head of cattle to wander, was dismissed, he having a license to depasture cattle on the town bc’t. and it was proved the cattle were going to water at the time. John M'Lcllau, for allowing four cows to wander, was fined 10s and costs. Jansen Samite, for neglecting to keep his premises clean, was lined ‘2os and costs. Jas. Muir, for allowing live cows to winder, was lined l‘2s (id and costs. Two men named Word-worth and King were charged with blasting stone in .Pitt street at a quarter-past six on the evening of the 2oth February, without permission from the Corporation After hearing an explanation from the men, the Bene j dismissed the case. Win. Hough, for allowing his horse to depasture on a re-.rve, was lined os and csts. ■■mah Ann Coonan and Sarah Shaw were charged with using abusive and insulting language to Mrs Hammond. Sarah Coonan, being an old offender, was fined L 3, or 30 days’ imprisonment ; and Sarah .Shaw was fined 20s, or 14 days’ imprisonment.