MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 538, 9 March 1876, Page 2

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Wednesday, March 8. (Before G. L. Mellish, Esq, R.M.) Civil Cases.—S. A. Patrick v J. Durham ; claim £1 Is ; judgment by default for amount claimed, and costs 6s. Same vB. Wood ; claim £l4 ; judgment by default for amount claimed, and costs £2 2s. Same v J. Cooper ; claim 15s ; judgment by default for amount claimed, with costs 10s. F. Innes and Co v S. A. Patrick ; claim £2 9s ; judgment for £1 2s 6d, and costs 9s. H. B. Huddlestone v G. Buckley ; claim £1 ; Mr Garrick for defendant; judgment for 10s, and costs £1 13s. S. Toon vA. Ellis; claim £lO 10s; Mr Joynt for plaintiff, Mr Thomas for defendant ; judgment for £6 6s, and costs £2 2s. M. Robson v J. Rosser ; claim £3B 19s 6d ; Mr Joynt for plaintiff, Mr Thomas for defendant; judgment for £ls, and costs £4 Is. Superintendent by Upper Heathcote Educational District v J. Callaghan ; claim £1 10s ; judgment by default for amount claimed, with costs 21s. P. Spanger v L. Schmid ; claim 4s 9d ; judgment by default for amount claimed, and costs 9s. Estate of late A. Fussell vJ. Millard ; claim £9 7s lOd ; judgment by default for amount claimed, and costs 265. T. Bates vR. Herbertson ; claim £27 ; judgment by default for £22, and costs 18s. Thursday, March 9. (Before G. L. Mellish, Esq, R.M.) Drunkenness. —The following cases were dealt with :—William Burke, who was also charged with using obscene language, was fined 10s. Ann Wharton, who was also charged with soliciting prostitution, was fined 60s, and cab-hire Is. Wife Desertion. —Charles Hopkins -was brought up on warrant charged with deserting his wife, A. H. Hopkins, and three children. The defendant was arrested at Ashburton, and the apprehending constable stated that through iduess Mrs Hopkins would not be able to attend for a fortnight. The prisoner said that his wife was just confined, and the child did not belong to him. Inspector Feast said that Mrs Hopkins did not wish the defendant to support her, but only two of the children. The Bench ordered the defendant to enter into his own recognizance in the sum of £3O to appear in a fortnight, and endeavor to come to some arrangement for a separation or otherwise. Cruelty to a Horse. —Charles Deal was charged with ill-treating a horse. It appeared that on the 17th February defendant was in charge of a horse and dray in St Asaph street. Defendant beat the horse about the head with a thick stick for five minutes ; the wheel of the dray was in a gutter. Defendant knocked the horse down on its haunches. Mr A. Duncan said that he never saw' a horse more disgracefully used ; the horse could not pull the wheel of the dray out of the. gutter. Fined 20s, and the costs of two witnesses,

Creating a Nuisance.— James McKenzie was charged with creating a nuisance, in no t burying the remains of a dead animal. Th e defendant had partially buried a horse, bu t not sufficiently deep to prevent a nuisance The defendant was fined 10s.

Horses and Cattle at Large,—The following cases were dealt with :—Jame s Kearney, find 5s ; J. H. Andrews, fined ss.

Maintenance. Thomas O’Keefe was charged with disobeying an order of the Court for the support of his child in the Industrial School. He stated that he was only casually employed, and had other children to support. Mr Colee, the superinten dent of the school, said that defendant had repeatedly promised to pay; the money had run on for nine months. Defendant said that he was networking at all now ; when he was constantly in work he paid regularly. He was a labourer. It was utterly impossible for him to pay the arrears • The case was adjourned for a month, in order to enable defendant to pay up current payments as they fell due.

Deserting Children. Ann Hulston was charged with deserting her children. Mr Thomas appeared for the defendant. Albert Hulston, defendant’s son, said that his mother had left him for three weeks in charge of three younger children ; witness was working at Toomer and Sons, and his mother at Lightband, Allen, and Co’s ; witness on the average had earned 28s weekly, and had been paying 15s a week towards buying a house for himself ; had not spoken to his mother for two months ; did tell his mother that she might go away to Melbourne ; would swear that his mother had not offered to support the children. A Mrs Clark gave evidence as to bad language used by defendant. .The defendant, examined by Mr Thomas, said that during the past six months her son had only contributed &2 for the support of the house; three weeks ago her son ordered her out of the house, saying that he would not have her under his roof ; she was willing to take the children and keep them, but her son would not let her. Two witnesses were called on behalf of the defendant, one of whom said that the son was anything but a good boy to his mother ; the defendant was a hard working woman, and did not intend to desert her children. Mr Mellish said that it would be better that some arrangement should be come to. He thought that both parties had been injudicious, and it would be far better that some arrangement should be come to with regard to the chidren. He was afraid that Mrs Hulston was not altogether judicious in the treatment of her children who ought to be sent to school. The case must fall through, but if the children were not better looked after, the police would have to interfere.

Larceny op Peaches.— William Penn, a little boy, was charged with stealing peaches from a garden in Cashel street east, belonging to John Cremer on Sunday afternoon last. The lad said that the branch of the tree was hanging over the fence, and be and two others got the peaches. Mr Mellish said he would not enter a conviction against the boy, especially as Mr Cremer did nob wish to press the charge. The lad would be dismissed with a caution.