CITY POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 4251, 11 October 1876, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

Wednesday, October 10. (Before H. S. Fish, Esq., and A Mercer, Esq., J.P.’s.)

Drunkenness. Thomas Murphy was fined ss, in default twenty-four hours’ imSrisonment; George Maddison 40s, or seven ays.

Vagrancy. —Anne Harper was charged with being a common prostitute and with behaving in' a riotous manner in Machin’s right-of-way at 1 o’clock this morning. Mr £. Cook defended.—Constable Green stated that prisoner was very violent and excited and kicking at a brothel-door in order to get inside to fight another woman. On several occasions he had known prisoner to parade the streets with half-drunken men at 4 o’clock in the morning.—Sergeant Anderson gave corroborative evidenc. He had known prisoner as a prostitute a considerable time. Some time since she was brought up on a charge ef soliciting prostitution, but discharged on her promise to leave Dunedin. She then went to live in Kensington. Of late she had been keeping a brothel at the corner of Lees and George streets, and numerous complaints had been made against her. —Mr Cook asked the Court to overlook the offence, as the accused was drunk.—Their Worships pointed out that this was not the first time the accused bad been before the Court. Under the circumstances they could not overlook the offence, and the accused would be sent to gaol for fourteen days. Obscene Language.— Bridget Lynch was charged on information with this offence. Defendant was fined L 3; in default of immediate payment fourteen days’ imprisonment.

Youthful Depravity.— John Thomson, fourteen years of age, was charged with conducting himself in Stafford street in a manner calculated to provoke a breach of the peace.- Constable Porter stated that while divine service was being held in the Free School on Sabbath evening, accused interrupted the service by shouting names outside and using filthy language.—Mr Fish said that the boys in the neighborhood were the most disreputable rowdy boys he had had the misfortune to see. Signs of their habits were to be seen on fences and everywhere they had a chance of scribbling disgusting things, and an example should be made of some of them.—The lad was discharged with a severe reprimand.

The Licensing Oebinance. Adam Anderson, holder of a ten o’clock night license, was charged with suffering to be drank in his licensed house, the Annandale Arms, King street, a glass of beer at fifty minutes past eleven o’clock on September 30. Mr Brent defended. —Constable O’Brien stated that when he entered the defendant’s house a man, not a lodger, was standing before the counter drinking a glass of beer.—Defendant denied that any person other than a lodger was supplied with beer by him after ten o’clock on the night in question. One Rose was standing by the counter, but he drank nothing while in the house.— Inspector Mallard wished the case adjourned in order to produce Bose. Either the police constable or the defendant had told an untruth. —Mr Fish said that the police should have had the man here.—lnspector Mallard pointed out that the man's name had not been mentioned by the police. He would be no party to mentioning the names of all persons found in hotels unless under exceptional circumstances.—Mr Brent objected very strongly to an adjournment —ln answer to the Bench Constable Gilbert -stated that there were two men in the bar when he entered it—Rose being one, and a gardener at the North-east Valley the other. —Tho Bench said they must dismiss the case on account of the contradictory efi*

ence, but m doing so they did not wish to nvey -Hie slightest imputation on either of parties concerned. When the police Drought a case they should be prepared to P r °ve it, and if they failed to do so it was hardly fair to the accused—who had given equally satisfactory contadictory evidence—that he should be again brought before the Uoutt at an expense of some three or four guineas.—Inspector Mallard asked if their Worships would go a little further, and intimate that the police should summons all gersons found drinking in hotels after the onses were closed.—Mr Fish: I don’t think it the duty of the Bench to make any direction to the police unless we find they infringe the law, Negate l ! Children. Alice Monson Oswm (8), William Joshua vswm, and Johannah Palmer were brought before the Court by Mr Titchener, their term of commitment to the Industrial School having expired. The two first-named were recommitted for five years, the others for seven.

Maintenance. —James Brown was summoned by Mr Titchener, master of the Industrial School, to show cause why he should not help to support his four children, inmates of the Institution.—Defendant expressed his willingness to hand over his pension a shilling a day. He was ordered to pay 7s a week.