MAGISTRATES’ COURT.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1083, 18 December 1877, Page 3

MAGISTRATES’ COURT.

CHRISTCHURCH. Tuesday, December 18. □Before G-. L. Mellish, Dsq., Vagrancy— George Murray Wentworth \ya£ charged with vagrancy. —Detective Beniamin said he had arrested the accused at Mr Dean’s place, Riccarton. The man had done no work for eight or nine months—pothing but loaf about the streets. —Mathew jjyon, overseer to Mr Dean, had seen the pian yesterday roasting potatoes in the bush. The fire was well secured. —The accused said he had not been in employment lately, but had fceeo ih hopes of getting work at harvest time.

—The Court remarked that there was not the slightest excuse for prisoner now, as there was any amount of work to be done if he liked to look for it.—Sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labor. Drunk rnness. —John Taylor was fined 10s for this offence.

Breach Licensing Law, —Mary Burns, of Shand’s Track, was charged with selling liquor on the 4th December without a license. Mr Thomas appeared for the accused. An old couple, a man named Martin and his wife, gave evidence that they had obtained drinks in the house of the accused on the day mentioned, and that they had paid for a quart of beer and a glass of brandy. This was controverted by the accused and John Carter stating that the Martins were drunk and quarrelling when they came from the Wheat Sheaf to Mrs Burns’s. Daniel McGHnaghill and his wife also stated that they had been in the house when the Martins came in drunk, wanting drink, but they were served with none. His Worship dismissed the case.— William James was charged with selling a bottle of brandy on Sunday, the 2nd inst., at Solwyn. He stated that he had given the brandy to the man, H. Stacc, who came saying that he wanted it for a valuable mare which had just foaled. Stace said that he got the brandy as soon as he asked for it, without saying he wanted it for the mare. He lived about three miles and a half from the house of accused. Constable Cartmell thought the distance was about a mile and a half. He had got his information regarding the sale of drink from Mrs Stace. Case adjourned till 14th January, in order to ascertain the chainage between the place. Failing to Support. —John Nixon was charged with failing to support his step-son in the Industrial School. Nixon said he was willing to support the child outside, but not in the school, as it had been sent there by its mother, while there was no charge against it. Ordered to pay 7s 6d per week towards the child’s support, Unbeanded Sheep. —William McLennan was charged with having unbranded sheep in his possession on the sth of December. The prosecutor (the sheep inspector) did not press for a penalty, and the accused was fined one shilling. Assault. —Daniel McGinaghill and John Carter were charged with assaulting Luke Martin and Eliza Martin on the 4th inst. at Mrs Burns’s on Shand’s Track. Mr Thomas for the accused. Carter’s evidence showed that Mrs Martin was the solo cause of the row, as she provoked anger between McGinaghill and Martin after they had shaken hands three times. When the Martins came in to the house some difference arose between the parties regarding McGinagbill’s son and Martin’s daughter, but the two men settled the matter, and would have been good friends had it not been for Mrs Martin. McGinaghill gave similar evidence, and if Mrs Martin had not been there there wouldn’t have been a scene at all. His Worship dismissed the case. Threatening Language. —Charles McGinaghill was charged with using threatening and abusive language to Eliza Martin. Case dismissed. Thomas Pearson was charged with assaulting G. Byron on the 10th instant. Mr Thomas for accused, who was fined 20s and costs. Destroying Peopeety. —Henry Dewey was charged with wilfully destroying property belonging to J. H. Stewart. The case was dismissed. Henry Dewey was also charged with using abusive language to George Howe. The accused was fined 10b and costs. Pbotection of Eaeninqs. Harriet Riley applied for an order to protect her earnings from her husband, John, on account of cruelty. Her husband drank. The case was allowed to stand over till Friday. LYTTELTON. Tuesday, December 18. [Before W. Donald, Esq., R.M., and T. H. Potts, Esq., J. P.] Wounding with Intent to do Bodily Haem. —John Jones, an A.B. of ship Rakaia was charged with above offence.—Charles Thornton, cook of the Rakaia, said ; I know prisoner ; he was able seaman aboard the ship. On Wednesday, December 12th, between 5 and 6 p.m., prisoner came into the galley and made use of obscene language. I warned him to ; go away ; he then hit me with his fist in the stomach, and afterwards picked up a potato masher and hit me on the left cheek bone. I then put him out on the deck, when he ran forward and returned immediately with a sheath knife in his hand. When I saw him coming I went through the galley to the other side of the deck to evade him. He followed me through the galley, picking up a fork as he came through. He chased me to the main hatch, where he caught me; a struggle ensued. I tried to take the fork from him, but he flourished the knife and fork about, one in each hand, and struck me in the left temple with the fork (the implement produced is the one). He was holding it in the right hand with the prongs downwards. Accused said he would kill me. I remember no more till some one took me to the surgery. I bled a great deal. Dr Eadson attended to my wounds. I have been confined to my bed since till yesterday, 17th inst. On no previous occasion did I ever quarrel with prisoner. When I put him out of the galley on the day of the occurrence, I used no more force than was absolutely necessary. 1 was sober at the time, but the prisoner had been drinking. —By accused: I know of no cause for your abusing me in the galley.— Samuel Ammon, assistant steward aboard Rakaia, said : I know prisoner and Thornton the cook, I was in the galley on the 12th Dec, talking to the cook when prisoner came into the galley between 5 and 6 p.m. Accused put himself into a fighting attitude, and I thought at first ho was playing —he struck Thornton a heavy blow in the face when prosecutor asked if accused was in earnest. Accused then used some vile language. The prosecutor caught hold of accused, and tried to put him out of the galley, but John Jones took down the wooden potato masher produced which was hanging up in the galley and hit the cook in the head. Prosecutor however succeded in putting accused out of the galley and a seaman named Sullivan caught hold of him, and prevented his striking the cook any more. He broke away from Sullivan and using more vile language went towards the forecastle returning in about two minutes with a tooth brush and a knife, one in each hand. He went into the galley, dropped the toothbrush, and took up the largo fork produced, which was sticking up in the galley. He came out on the port side and went after the cook, who ran away, but faced accused between the galley and main hatch. I then saw prisoner slab the cook near the eye with the fork ; the cook ran aft and accused then turned and ran after me. I then ran aft.—By Bench : When Sullivan had hold of accused the cook

struck him. I saw no other provocation given. Prisoner was very drunk ; the cook was sober. John Trewin, chief officer of Rakaia, said: I was at tea when the row occurred on deck. I went up and met prisoner coming aft. He gave me the fork produced, saying “ there I’ve done,” very quietly. I got him to bed at once. I afterwards saw Thornton, the cook. Accused was the worse for drink. —Hr Eadson, surgeon of the Rakaia, sworn, said : On December 12th Thornton, the cook, walked aft to me as I was sitting in the saloon. He had a jagged wound one inch and a half long and rather deep on the right temple. T stopped the bleeding and put in a few stitches. There was little bleeding, and I do not consider the wound a dangerous one. The man had been sick on the voyage, so I advised him (o keep his bed for some days. Had he been in robust health he might have been at his work next day. On the 13th and 14th I consider the man’s life might have been in danger had erysipelas supervened in the wounded part. — Detective Benjamin proved the arrest of prisoner in Christchurch on the 13th instant. —Henry Sullivan, seaman aboard the Rakaia, said : I remember the quarrel between accused and the cook. I was passing the galley when I saw prisoner and cook, as 1 thought, skylarking in the galley together. The cook pushed prisoner out of the galley, and seeing prisoner was drunk, I parted them and advised prisoner to go forward, but he wouldn’t go. Whilst 1 had hold of the prisoner Cook struck him twice on the face. I then let go prisoner, and he went forward.—The Bench sentenced accused to two months’ imprisonment with hard labor. Breach op Borough Bye-Laws. —Hobbs and Williams, for neglecting to keep a light on a hoarding in Norwich Q,uay on December Sth and 9th were fined 5s for each case and costs 4s. Stallion at Large.— J. O. Dewey was fined 10s and costs for this offence. Cattle Teespass. —Mrs Hedgman was fined 5s and 4s costs for above offence.