CITY POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 4239, 27 September 1876, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

Wednesday, September 27.

(Before A. Mercer, Esq., and K. Ramsay, Esq., JP.’fc)

Drunkenness, Henry Pritchard was fined ss, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment.

Assault. John Moroney was charged with assaulting Henry Pritchard in the Arcade at 9.30 o’clock last night. Mr Finn defended.—Pritchaid said he knew nothing of the affair. Ho was drunk at the time.— Cross-examined; He had known prisoner for a long time, and they had never quarrelled. He did not wish to pressthe charge. Inspector Mallard explained the reason why the police had interfered. Last night some persons residing in the Arcade brought prisoner over to the Police Station and said he had violently assaulted some man who was lying in the Arcade in a pool of blood, with bis head severely cut. Being in the Police Stat on at the time be (the Inspector) made some inquiries, and ordered the prisoner to be detained in custody while Pritchard was sent to the Hospital with Sergeant O’Neill to have his wounds dressed. When he was brought back he was locked up, charged with drunkenness.- Mr Finn pointed out that Pritchard did not wish to press the charge. Besides, if it were gone into it would deprive him of any civil remedy. The men had been drinking together and knew nothing of the matter.-—The charge was withdrawn. A Double Charge.— Catherine Gibbs, who appeared in the dock with an infant in her arms, was charged with being drunk at the railway station, and with deserting her child, three weeks of age.—lnspector Mallard stated that accused left her child at the house of a woman named Rogers yesterday. She went away, leaving the baby, got drunk, and was locked up by Constable Connel. In the meantime, Mrs Rogers thought she had ran away, leaving her baby with her, and she laid an information against accused (who was then in the lock-up) for desertion.—The Bench thought there was no intention on the part of the mother to run away, and dismissed both cases.

Propane Language. Jana Crawford, for using profane language in Machines right-of-way, was fined 40s, in default fourteen days’ imprisonment. Child Desertion. was charged by Margaret Foote with deserting two little Celestials, her children, aged respectively four years and two years.— Deiendandant said that being unwell some months ago she went up the country with a Chinaman, hut the change of air had done her no good. She was too sickly to support her offspring.—Margaret Foote said that Faulkner left the children with her two years age, promising to pay her LI a week for their maintenance. Faulkner went up the country about ten months ago and had never contributed since towards the support of her children. She returned to town on Friday, hut instead of going to look after her children she passed witness’s house and went to see the “gay girls” in Machin’s right-of-way. Their mother did not care for her children, while witness thought as much of them as if they were her own. It was very hard that the woman would not go near the “little lambs.” Witness’s husband had said that he would sooner seethe children in the Industrial School than that the mother shouh I have them, after her inhuman conduct. In answer to the Bench, as to the defendant's means. Inspector Mallard said she live ! with a Chinese gardener, Chiu Chee, and he was afraid she was going from bad to worsein fact, she cohabited with Chinese. It was no use mincing the matter.—Mrs Foote said that she could not keep the children for less than 15s a week.—lnspector Mallard suggested that the defendant should bo fined in a small amount, and ordered to contribute a weekly sum for their maintenance. If the file was not paid immediately, then a dis-tress-warant might be issued, and if she had no goods she would have to go to gaol. If the gaol was held in teri orem in such cases mothers would not be so neglectful, There was no doubt that the State would ultimately have to pay for the maintenance of the children, and it was only right that in order to recompense the State the mother should be punished. It was no use maudling over the matter.—The Bench thought Mrs Foote was deserving of very great credit for the way in which she had kept the children. —Inspector Mallard said that every word she had said was tine. ~~“Tho Bench adopted the suggestion thrown out by the Inspector, and fined defendant 20s, and ordered her to pay 16s a week for the support of her children. Defendant said she had no money and no goods, and she was ocoordingly committed to prison.