CITY POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 4091, 6 April 1876, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

Thursday, April 6. (Before Y. Pyke, Esq., J.P., and J. Griffon, Esq., J.P.) Drunkenness.— William Miller was fined 10s, in default three days’ imprisonment; Richard Miles, of donkey-celebrity, 40s or fourteen days.’ Just previous to being locked up himself, Miles had brought Miller (who was under the influence of liquor) to the police station. The Dunedin Cup Sweep.— Caleb Moore was charged with having,' on or about March 20, disposed of certain rickets by which permission was given to have an interest in a scheme by which, money was drawn by lot. l —Mr Harris, who defended, admitted that the facts stated inthe information did take place. This was a matter of annual occurrence in Dunedin as well as in every other town in the Australian Colonies. Last year a similar case was brought before the Court against Mr Thomas Dodson, and on that occasion the case was dismissed. Mr Tkidson making, a promise that if it was held to be. an infringement of the law he would not be guilty of anything of the kind again, Mr Moore, behoving that there was no infringement, and at the same time knowini; that it was a custom regularly admitted anc' practised in eveiy other town in New Zealand without any notice being taken of the proceeding, had got up the sweep to accommodate a great number of persons, and without himself participating whatever in the transaction. It seemed impossible in any British community to put down horse-racing er any other incidental thing connected wdn it. Everybneinthe place was,interested in this annum event (the Dunedin Cup); and by taking part in something connected with the event they showed a special interest in it. This year similar sweeps had taken place in Tokomairiro, Oamarn, Tuapeka, Canterbury, Wellington, and 'other places in New Zealand, without the slightest, notice being taken of them in any Court of. New Zealand, but this one. He did not know why the police authorities here .should take this action. In Canterbury it was not only openly done—he would not say with the connivance of the authorities—but was so publicly recognised that on the last occasion a bellman was actually sent round to announce that the sweep would be drawn. It was hardly fair that. such persons as Messrs Moore and Dodson, whp derived no benefit from the matter, should be specially pitched, on for a particular infringement of the Act, when a more offensive thing was daily done at. bazaars and other places. People had recently been openly swindled by the bazaar at the University Buildings, Where lotteries of this description occurred.—Mr Pyke: But charitycovers a multitude ' of i sxhs.—Mr Harris: There was not much charity in that. This case will compare favorably with anything that goes on at these ItazaarS, where pure swindling is carried on. To prove this assertion, he mentioned that oh one occasion a gentleman, an acquaintance of his, went to a bazaar with over Ll9 in his pocket, and when he left all that he had to represent the money was one box of paper collars. This year two other similar sweeps to that which defendantwas connected with had taken place more publicly than the one before the Court in a licensed house in.Dunedin without any notice being taken of tb«in— Inspector Mallard : I knew nothing of them or I should have treated’ them in just the same manner. - Mr Harris did not mention this as an excuse if there had been a breach of the law, but merely to show that it was almost impossible to suppress sweeps of this kind. If the Bench were of opinion that a breach of the law had been committed defendant had instructed him to promise that it should not be committed by him in the future. ' It was merely done at the request of many townspeople and Mends of defendant in the country and without any remuneration or reward. There was hardly a class, sect, or religion in Dunedin that was not fully represented in' this transaction, which had been carried on in ah open way without any gain accruing to defendant. The Court might take a lenient view of-the matter and adopt the same course as in Dodson’s case.—The Bench intimated its intention of giving a decision on Saturday morning. A Sad Case.— Louisa Hardy, twelve years old, was charged with obtaining from Esther and Low, grocers, a quantity of sugar, maizena, etc., by means of false representations. Accused had used the name of Mr > Thomson, of dark and Thomson, a customer of the firm.—She Was also charged with obtaining a cucumber, peas, and pears from James Pryor, greengrocer; and potatoes from Mr Meehan, produce dealer. In these instances she obtained the goods is thVmuan of Mrs s'ogh.*»Mr Thobion

elfawd^t^^ve Ch^L ahdfthe'ißejtioh ftonejaarad tb send children to School, which was very improperly rued M a reformatory, but before they oonld do that they most inflict acme punishment. Hie sen* tepee of the Court, therefore, was that accused-be impriaonodibr onehMUMurd'thn be taken to thelndtistnal SchooTfor twelve months, to be brought up in thoßomar Catholic religion, amt to~be claimed by hei A** 1,