MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 72, 24 August 1874, Page 2

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Monday, August 24. [Before C. C. Bowen, Esq., R.M., and Colonel Packe, J.P.] DRUNK AND DISORDERLY. James Whitclaw, charged with being drunk and indecently exposing himself, in Hereford street, was fined 20s. J. G. Osbourne, for drunkenness, was fined 10s ; and Thomas Little, for a similar offence, was also fined 10s. William Wells, arrested by by constable Hughes, for being drunk, and creating a disturbance in the White Swan Hotel, was fined 10s.

ATTEMPT TO COMMIT SUICIDE. Louis Smith was charged with this offence. , ; , Sergeant Wilson stated that he arrested the accused between 4 and 5 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, in his own house. He was drunk, and attempted to cut his throat with the razor produced. He (witness) had been sent for to the depot. James Fitzsymons stated that he was in charge, as bailiff, and the wife of the accused screamed and called him into the room, on Saturday, and ho saw accused with an open razor in his hand. He (witness) held his arm r and told Mrs Schmid to send for a policeman. The accused in reply to the Bench, desired to make a statement, and said that |he had had a great many troubles in his life through illness.and on last Saturday he was very unwell, and was obliged to take some port wine and brandy. He had not taken any before for a long time. He had lately had a great deal of trouble in business matters, and on Saturday he felt very low spirited, and the port wine had affected; hip brain so much that he did not know what he was doing. He would ask the Bench under the circumstances to dismiss the charge, and he would take care such a thing should not happen again. He could call a witness to prove that he was very unwell at the time. Mr Fitzsymons recalled by his "Worship, said the accused was under the influence of drink at the time. He did not wound himself, as when Mrs Schmid screamed, he (witness) rushed in and seized his hand directly. Mr Anderson stated that he saw the accused on Saturday morning, who told him that he was very unwell, that his mind was very much troubled with business matters, and that he was of raid he was going to have the same illness he had some time ago. He (accused) had been a Good Templar for the last four or five months, and the drink had no doubt had a much greater effect on him than it otherwise would. Accused had also complained of suffering from diarrhoea during the past week.' His Worship hoped that all this had arisen through momentary aberration from drink ; but the question before the Bench was, whether this expression by accused, to the witness Anderson, was an implied threat against his own life, and whether' this was likely to occur again, as in Such a case the accused would certainly have to be sent for trial. Evidence had, however, been given that he had not been in the habit of drinking for some time past, and in the hope that this action had been a momentary impulse through drink, and that he would abstain from drink in the future, the Bench would dismiss the charge. John Jordan was charged on remand with attempting to commit suicide. Inspector: Buckley stated that from information received, on the 19th instant he went to the house where accused was lying, and found him in bed, in very great pain. He said he had taken the powder (Battle's vermin powder) produced. He also said he had mixed the powdei in a glass, and taken it. Afterwards removed him to the Hospital. —. Duke, dispenser at Wallace and Co.'s, chemists, remembered selling a packet of rat-poison to the accused one day last week. The Bench —The accused did not sign a book, when he bought it. We do not take signatures for this poison or the paste. Mr Parkerson, house surgeon at the Hospital, described the state the man was in when brought there. He seemed to be suffering more from the effects of drink, and told witness that he had taken poison, and had been drinking heavily. The man was now out of danger, but still weak. In reply to his Worship, the accused said he had been drinking for over a fortnight. His Worship said the Court would like to consider the matter. It was a very serious thing, buying poison in that deliberate way for the purpose of self-destruction. The deceased would be remanded to Lyttelton until Thursday.