MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1537, 21 January 1879, Page 2

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. TUKSDAT, JANTTABY 21. [Before Dr. Back and John W. Marshman, Esq., J.P.] Labceny.—George Skaites and John Stevinges were charged with stealing a watch and chain of the value of £4 4s, the property of Archibald Grand Beed. The prisoners, who had been arrested on the previous day, were, on the application of Mr Inspector Hiokson, remanded until the 23rd. Assault. —Sarah Doig was brought up for assaulting her husband John Doig. The case was heard on the 13th inst., and had been adjourned for the purpose of an amicable settlement being come to. Dr. Foster now appeared for the complainant. The evidence was now gone over again, the substance of which was that the defendant had cleared the house of the furniture, and gone to reside in another with her children. The complainant, accompanied by a policeman, wont to the houße she had gone to for the purpose of recovering the goods, and it was on this occasion that an assault was committed. As on the previous hearing, the defendant replied by charging the complainant with beating and illusing her to the extent that she had been compelled to call in medical aid. The eldest son of the complainant was called, and his evidence was corroborative of his father's statement, that an assault had been committed. A younger son gave opposite testimony, that on the day the complainant said he had been assaulted he returned home intoxicated, broke open one of the doors in the house, and struck and kicked the defendant. A younger son of the defendant, four years of age, swore that on one occasion his father camo to the house and tried to cut (ho window with a diamond, and broke it. Ho went away and returned with witness's elder brother and behaved violently, cursing and swearing. He broke the door open with a stew pan. He was partially intoxicated at the time. From the evidence of the two last witnesses it was evident that two separate occasions were referred to. The constable who had accompanied the complainant to get his furniture stated that the defendant on that occasion assaulted her husband, and locked him (the wi<nees) in the house. They were two hours trying to get the things, but they did not succeed. The dofondant, being sworn, made a long and lamentabJc statement to the effect that she had for a long time been the victim of her husband's illusago. Sir Inspector Hickson, being culled, gave it as his opinion that there were faults on both sides; they both possessed violent tempers. On two occasions the father and eldest son had come to the police depot to complain of Mrs Doig, but they wore both partially intoxicated, and he declined to take any action in the matter. Although the defendant drank occasionally, and became in ounsequonce violent, in temper, the complainant and his eldest son had been as bid in this respect. In fact, as ho hud. said before, there were faults on both fides. The JJonch held.

that, as it seemed the complainant and defendant could not live amicably together, it would be much better for them to consent to a separation, and tho complainant to give his wife a weekly allowance. The complainant was examined as to his means, and the Bench ultimately recommended that a separation should be agreod upon on the basis of the complainant paying the defendant £1 per week. Dr. Foster, by permission of the Bench, then withdrew the information.

Drunk and Disorderly.—John Kelly, alias Michael Keevy, with twenty-nine nrovious convictions, was sent to prison for one month with hard labor for drunkenness and indecont exposure of his person in Sluis' Hotel, Lincoln.

Lunacy from Drink. Jane Hooper, alias Ritchey, who had been previously remanded, was now brought up and discharged.

LYTTELTON. Tuesday, Januaby 21. [Before H. E. Webb, Esq., and Dr. Bouse,

J.P.'s.] JjAbcexy.—Henry Poarce, a boy 17 years of age an immigrant by the ship Hjdaepes, trom London, was sent for four weeks to Addington, with hard labor, for stealing from the British Hotel. 6