CITY POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 4092, 7 April 1876, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

Friday, April 7.

(Before V. J.P., and j. Griffon,

Esq.,” J.P.)

Drunkenness.— Elizabeth Rhodes,' Geo. Smith, and James M‘Knight were all fined 6s, in default, twenty-four hours’ imprisonment ; Thomas Cross, 10s, or three days. A Notorious Character. Mary Thomson, a well-known character, was charged with drunkenness, with being a common prostitute, and with behaving m an indecent manner.—Prisoner pleaded that she was living with a “ chap ” who was able to keep her.—Constable Lynch deposed that last night he saw prisoner **prancing about ” and “wagging round” a man who refused to go with her.—Constable Gilbert stated that he had known prisoner for two years; she was a common prostitute.—Mary asked for one more chance, promising to go to Melbourne if released, but as it appeared she had made a similar promise on twentythree previous occasions the Bench refused to listen to her story, and sent her to gaol for three months. The charge of drunkenness was dismissed.

Attempting to Rescue. —John Bambury was charged with attempting to rescue a prisoner from legal custody.—Mr Hay, who defended, said that, according to prisoner’s statement, this case was on a par with one recently heard in Wellington. He was instructed that accused was not at all interfering in the arrest, but was, suddenly attacked by the policeman. He asked for a remand till to-morrow to obtain a witness who could testify to these facts. The party referred to being in Court, Mr Hay held a short consultation with him, and then stated that this person entirely corroborated prisoner’s statement. If a remand till tomorrow was granted, and prisoner admitted to bail in the meantime, two other disinter- 1 ested witnesses could be obtained. A remand was accordingly granted, bail being fixed in prisoner’s own recognisances for L 5, and one surety for a like amount. =- ; Merchant Shipping Act.—Mr Adams asked that charges under the Merchant Shipping Act against five of-the men belonging to the barque Lizzie should be adjourned till to-mbrrow, the summonses having only been served at a late hour , last night.—Mr Stout, who appeared to prosecute, said that when the men found vi ages here were higher than the port at which they shipped they annoyed the captains as much as they couljl in order that they might get their discharge. —The remand was granted on the understanding that the men should go to work today, so that the owners of the barque should hot be inconvenienced.

Soliciting Prostitution.— Margaret Ferrier pleaded ghilty to soliciting prostitution in High street at 10 o’clock last night. The charge was an aggravated one.' Prisoner had only recently come out of gaol.—Mr pyke said that for this, the most odious form of: vagrancy, the sentence was much more lenient than for any other charge nnder the Act. The extreme penalty was IS, or .one month’s imprisonment, which would be, indicted in this case.

Stealing a Rabbit. —Dunean M'Laren, a ; young lad, was charged by Peter Thomson with stealing a rabbit, hie property. Ttherabbit had been stolen from prosecutors house yesterday morning, and was found concealed in.a box in prisoners yard. Mrs McLaren had told Constable Cosgrove when he went to make inquiries about the matter that the rabbit was running about the yard.—Mr Pyke said he wished to convey to Mr M'Laren in the politest manner possible that his wife had told a falsehood.—The accused said the rabbit was taken by another boy while he was “up a tree” and given to him. He did not know he was doing wrong.—Mr Pyke (addressing accused): Surely you have not been brought up in ignorance of the first principles of honesty; if so, the more disgrace to your parents, (To Inspector Mallard): I really do not know what to do with juvenile offenders. The boy deserves to be well flogged.—Accused was then told to stand down till the Bench could consider Ids case. When the list of eases was disposed of, he was again placed in the dock, and the Bench told him that they had power to send him to gaol for two months and to order him to be privately whipped. Without wishing to hurt the feelings of accused’s parents* they must say that the lad should be better trained. They had power, under the Act, to inflict a monetary penalty, and defendant Would be fined 6s and costs.

The Stoic.—-J. 6! S. Grant was charged by Henry Yonngman. Ranger, with selling a book known as “The Stoic” in Princes street, without a hawker’s license.—lnformant’s evidence was to. the effect that on April she purchased a copy of the abovenamed work from defendant, who was unlicensed.—The Bench were of opinion that the regulation did not apply to this oase. If they punished defendant they would require to fine all news-vendors, whether selling the ‘Southern Mercury,’ ‘Witness,’ ‘News,’ or Evening Star —for if they stopped one they must stop all. The case was dismissed. Destroying Corporation Property.— A boy named Chas. Vivian admitting cutting a shrub on the Town Belt, but pleaded ignorance of doing wrong. Mr Pyke: You are fined 5s and costs, which your father; will have to pay, so I suppose yon will get your deserts in the'shape of a good whipping.The lad had the money in his pocket, paidtile fine, and walked out of Court, muttering that he had “ done ” the beaks.

Matrimonial Squabbles.-- John Daly charged Isabella Daly, his wife, with using profane language to him for the purpose of annoying him. He also asked that she be compelled to find sureties for her future good behaviour.—Complainant stated that he was separated from his wife, and allowed her £1 a week. She continually annoyed him by following him about, and had threatened to hunt him out of the town. Ip crossexamination he admitted that he had not allowed his wife anything since the 29th of last month, owing to some disagreement about his child.—The Bench demined to make an order just now, but warned the parties that, if such an offence were repeated,, they would bind both over. A Bap Case. —Archibald Cameron was charged with deserting his wife, Ann Cameron, and with leaving her without means of support.—Complainant stated that she had been married twenty years, and thalron Sa-. turday night her husband turned her out of his house. She returned to the house afterwards, but he had refused to let her in.— Archibald Cameron, a young man, said that on Saturday night he found his mother outside the gate. She told him that his father had turned her out of the house, and advised him not to go in. He went in to the house and was also turned out. His mother had eight children, of which he was the oldest.—The Bench considered it was a monstrous thing that a man twenty years married should turn his wife, the mother of eight children, out into the roads in the middle of the night. Defendant was fined 40a and costs, but if he was brought up again a much" heavier penalty "would be enforced. —Mr Pyke : Are you prepared to take your wife home now?—* Defendant; No, 1 wish to maintain her.— Mrs Cameron : He wished me to leave, UT order lost ho might get a better vtit&ax

my place.—The Benohmade iff* o*der_t!>At Mumorttfig «*- - able to pavit.—, : her a hotoewe will soon fihd where anchmen dege|rvg% ffiy* ■» Aar E»tAKaxioK.Mße£rae thi «• ■ burned Mr Pyke made some refei .mp cpto an I irticle m this * Times! ■.?> • He said ’ hie should not have referred to ft, ht. ad» it not been that misitatenichtß; were in * do which would do mischief if allowed W < 5p to the public. Commenting on a case hear d against two men 6t feloniously 8 heerin transitu at the Eail .way 8I»« ffli the article had said that the’ JUfiti ices considered the case trifLing, ( and I therefore dismissed the charge with ai caution. Now, no such remark was made by the Bench, and no caution. a*[tered, the Bench saying that it the nh were honest they would not do ; sc* Again, if they were dishonest a cautrioh "wo, be useless. No such statement was nu vdo in the report of the tl tiiS' ’* case, which was an exceedingly fair one, ami somn person had certainly deluded the editor. The Bench would be sorry that it ehojfl)J& g>o forth to the public that they cousicleroii stealing goods in transitu, other than a Verjy serious offence.