Feilding R.M. Court

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 95, 27 January 1885, Page 2

Feilding R.M. Court

• -» ---- ■■ ■■':■-> ..»._-..*. i. <• Monday, JAnttaet 26,» 1885,: „.-_'_; . (Bbfpre'His Worehiplthe Mayor* a_id [ D; H. Macarthur, Esq.,, J._?s,).^ r o,f POLICE. OFM_«3EB ACT. .Harriet Norris, from." Wanganiui, '• was charged, on the infoijhatioh- of j Constable Meehan with- Being fotii-d' 7drunk in a public place oh-Saturd_y^ 24th inst.. . ~7~~~ . .._ She was further charged with using prof ano and obscene language at ther same time and place.- Mr Staiieti appeared for the defendant, wtfcr pleaded guilty to both' charges. Constable; Meehan .gave.- evidence in both charges, and produced in writ-,. ing the language used by.defendatitr' The offences took place ih. Warwick street late on Saturday evening in the presence of 30 to 40 persons. r ....... .<■- Witness was briefly crosshexamuied. The defence of the. second ch_rgfer was that defendant was mobbed by a gang of larrikins, who proyoked-her to misbehave herself, and that, _____ her .drunkenness, she. renumbered nothing of the' language saia to have been used by her. ... >-!v:-,.. t . 5 ..,,... r,r' Mr Staite applied for a conviction, without . punishment, .- ,on ~ r tha ground of its being the first charge brought into that court, and the first against the 'defendant under the Police Offences Act. .. . :-—— - — For the first offence' defendant %aa fined in. the __a__ftium _penalty jior first conviction)- of 265, and- fo?* tMe second offence the~ minimum penalty of 24 hoi_r*s imprisonmenti '-flhe f.risoner was then removed- to_t_te ock-iip. -U UU. A&up\ The Bench said the penalties were not. commensurate with the cipmes bnt under ; the mitigating cir_i_i_tst-_£es Urged by. the defendant's -bficiiiir, they would not make ihe fM__3___£*nt heavier. ' J ' '■'"'{, ..." ■ ij{ont '--«■ They thought it was a ' j). Jjy •_a larrikins who had ; provoked ' defendant had not been brought tip. also^-a they were were evidently as bi_ i: br worse that she was. Coiistab.eMe.__u_-. was reminded of ,!&.' duties' under* the Act with reference to such- Characters, and was instructed^ to bring'all-Offen-dors before the c'6 tiii, 0 whioh he p-ftxn-ised to do. ••--•■■-- tf.' The Befrch called' attention toe the following clauses of the Act :— Any person who behaves in a' riotous ardn.decent inanner in any public place shall be Ha-le to imprisonment for Sniyixme not exceeding ;3Tmpnths. Any person who sing- any obscene song or ballad or writes jOr draws any.indeeent-pr obscene language, in any *p f ub_ic place shall be liable fo impri^nment -^th hard labour for any time not exceeding one year." ' - -.ir: : • -» I'.-'i" " jmxnsns.. -w-y.ss' » " William 'Storey- was charged with being drunk in a public- place _-t_the 24th instant, He~ pleaded guilty, but urg-ed entenuating and promised that if discharged he would go at once, to his~work and. not appear again. '■••■^•' - ■ ':"■■>■&. ,'u-:tUiu-l This being his ib*^ charge he was dismissed with a caution; : - ,_ The court .hen' adjourned.