MAGISTERIAL.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2359, 25 October 1881, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

CHRISTCHURCH. Tuesday, Ootobeb 25. [Before G, L. Mellisb, Esq., R.M.I DbunkennesS. — William Beard pleaded tuilty to being drunk and disorderly, using obscene language, and to having committed a breach of the peace (fighting), He was fined 30j and costs. For a first offence a man was fined ss.

Failing to Pbotidr pob his Child.— Samuel Bransfield Braeofield was charged with neglecting to provide for his illegitimate child. Prisoner was arrested on a warrant issued at Waimate in 1879. He now pleaded poverty, ho had not been able in the interval to contribute anything to the child’s support. He was remanded till the police at Waimate could be communicated with.

Vaqbanoy.—John Irvine was brought up charged with having no lawful visible means of support. Constable Wallace stated that he arrested prisoner the previous night on the South town bolt, where ho had been knocking about by day and sleeping out at night for tho last two weeks. Sergeant Hughes said accused had frequently been an inmate of various charitable institutions in the district, and has as often been turned out for misbehaving himself. He was remanded for twenty-four hours, the police to communicate with Mr March, charitable aid officer, in the meanwhile.

Bebaoh of the Peace. —David Douglas and Hugh Douglas pleaded guilty to having been fighting on tho previous day at Lincoln. It appeared that prisoners had been arrested while engaged in a free fight at the Lincoln Hotel. The Magistrate recommended them to in future discuss the topics of the day in a more peaceable manner, and fined them each 10s and costs, and ordered them to pay the expenses of two witnesses, 13s 9d each. Shocking Oeuelty to a Hobsb.

On October 17th a man named George Hawkins was arrested on a charge of cruelly iilusing a horse. Ho was found driving the animal in an empty dray in Montreal street, and was brought up at the Court on the following day. The horse was brought up for the magistrate’s inspection, and was in a pitiable condition. Its shoulders were completely raw whore the lower part of th» collar Pad been ; its legs wore swollen at the hocks to nearly twice their normal size, it had several wounds on the legs as if from blows, and it appeared to be in a state of starvation, its bones nearly protruding through the skin. The man said he had bought it for a small sum from someone whom he did not know at Tai Tape, and the case was remanded, the police being instructed to find out whore ho had got tho horse. The accused was ugain brought up this day, together with a man named James Brown, who was charged jointly with Hawkins for the offence against the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The horse was again produced, and, though it had been carefully tended in tho interval, did not seem to be much improved in condition, being evidently in a high state of founder fever. R. J. Fleming, a farmer, deposed that about September 25th last, prisoner Brown asked him f®r the loan of a horse. Witness declined, but told him that if the old horse, then in a paddock, and now outside the Court, was of any use to him, ho could take it as a gift. Brown accordingly took it away. The beast had been foundered, but had been running in a grass paddock for two years. It was in pretty fair condition, and these was not a chafe then on it. Constable Wotherly, stationed at Lincoln, deposed that he saw Hawkins with tho horse at a blacksmith’s shop on October 13th. It had sore shoulders, but the extent of the sores was concealed by tho collar. It certainly was not fit for work. He asked Hawkins what ho was going to do with it ; Hawkins said he was going to have it shod. Witness warned him not to work the horse, in its then state, on any account. He knew prisoners ; they were squatters on the paddock of on absentee, at Shand’s track. They had some sort of a dug-out or whare, each of them, whioh they lived in. They made a living by buying straw, &c., from farmers, and disposing of it in town. Robt. McPherson, soda water manufacturer, staled (hat prisoners brought him a load of straw on tho morning of the day of Hawkins arrest. Tho horse outside the Court drew it. After discharging the straw they wont away, leaving tho horse and dray in the yard. Afterwards ho made Hawkins take it away, and it was left standing in the street till about five in the afternoon. Hawkins and Brown then took it away. Th-v horse had nothing to eat all day and seemed completely empty. Witness called the attention of Hawkins to tho horse, which was vomiting clear liquid, and told him he ought to give it something to eat. Hawkins replied that it was all right, it had had plenty of feed. The prisoner Brown went into the witness box and swore tfcat ha had given the

I horse to Hawkins. Ho had before that used I it to draw a little gorse from one paddock to another, which had galled its shoulders. He did not know that Hawkins was going to bring in the straw, although he had helped to load it up. The Magistrate said he did not believe a word of this story. The men were evidently partner.*, and Brown knew as much about this transaction as the other- It seemed to him that he remembered Brown as being up for something like this before; did the police know anything about that? Sergeant Hughes and Constable Cullen then deposed that prisoner was convicted on November 24th, 1879, for having left two horses standing exposed to very bad weather for fourteen hours; and again on March stb, 1880, for having left his horse without attendance. The animal fell into a ditch, full of water, and remained there all night; it received severe injuries and had to bo shot. His Worship said those cases were sufficiently brutal, but the present instance was one of appalling cruelty. Ho should punish Brown to the full extent the Act permitted ; he would be sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labor, and, added he, “ I only wish I had the power to order you to be flogged for your cowardly and brutal conduct.” The other prisoner, Hawkins, not having anything werse than drunkenness recorded against him, would be imprisoned for three months with hard labor. The horse was ordered to be destroyed, and the dray, which had been taken with the man, to be sold to defray the expenses connected with the action.