RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, GREYMOUTH.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 723, 6 September 1870, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, GREYMOUTH.

Monday, Septembers. , r (Before W. H. Revell, Esq., R.M.) William Twaddle was fined 5s and costs for allowing his horse and waggon to stand unattended on the street. SLY-GROG SELLING. Andrew Wilson, of Coclc-a-Bhiia, was charged, on the information of Sub-Inspect' tor Hicksou, with ur lawfully keeping and ( exposing for sale spirituous liquors without " a license, on the 26th August, Sergeant Boyle stated that thedefendant lived about two miles from any store, in the bush, on the main track, and was a ferryman: He saw a' keg lying 'outside the house. He had no warrant, but he entered the house, and saw a five-gallon ■ keg standing on its end behind the door.. It was empty, and had been used as a seat. In the back-bedroom, a small keg > was found, which contained about one : gallon of brandy. : . Mr Perkins argued that the liquor found was only a reasonable quantity, and waar rather hidden than exposed for sale. The case was dismissed, although the Magistrate could not agree with the argument that because a man lived in the bush he could keepa quantity of brandy on the premises. ; .• : ■•;■■' • SUNDAY TRADING. The following persons were charged with keeping open their hotels or stores at South Beach, Paroa, Rutherglen, Nemqn^ : and Marsden, on Sunday, the 28th ult, except between the hours of one and two o'clock :— John Shepherd, Robert Keowp, Margaret MAuley, Henry -PridgeoD, . Edmund Clark, Peter White, John t O'Dowd, Davison Gardiner, Hugh Barnhill (2 charges), Wm. Leach, M. O'Connor, James Hamilton, George Paul, Henry Russell (2 charges), Hartley Stnddardj' John Card, James Reilly, Francis Simmons, Ellen M'Donald, and Ellen Kennedy. They all admitted the charge, and were each fined 10s and costs. :'■■':"■ With regard to these convictions the Magistrate said he hoped the publicans in town would take warning, as the lawwould be enforced. Not only must their houses be strictly closed, but the bars?' must not be lighted up as if for business.They rendered themselves liaWe ; to/a' F penalty of L2O if their houses were open, except between the hours of one and two, o'clock. ' ' • : THREATENING TO BUBN DOWN" "AHOTEiJ J. W. G. Beauchamp was charged, on the information of Mrs Burchell, with threatening to burn down the Hibernian Hotel, and she asked that, he should Ije .bound over: James Cattle, of the Golden • Age Hotel, remembered the defendant being in his house, and in conversation he said he would do Mrs Burchell all the. \ harm he could with the merchants in ' town, and he had put a good house over her head, and he would burn it down over her. head. Defendant was much excited. He was speaking to Mrs Anderson, and witness heard the conversation. Jane Anderson remembered defendant ; saying he would get' Mrs BurcheiFs license cancelled because he had telegrams from. Otago which proved that Burchell was not her name, and he would burn the house over her head before he waa done •; with her. Mary Bnrcheli sairVthe defendant was architect for her liouse, and they had recently had law proceedings. She was frightened the defendant would carry out his threat, and had asked for sureties of the peace. The defendant now said he never had such a thought as that imputed to him, and he (totally denied ever haying made use of the expression said to have been used. So far - from this he had, since the law proceedings, called at Mrs Burcheltts hotel, and^ - had offered, to certify to an account which would have saved her' money, and she {ordered him out. He called witnesses as I to his character, Mr Jame3 Browne and Mr W. Syms, who had : known him" < between six and seven years, and during the time he was chief ; surveyor to the •' Marlborough Government, and they had never heard a word said derogatory to his 1 ' : character, and from what' they knew of him they did not believe him to be capable of nsing the threats imputed to him. The Magistrate thought it was clear from the evidence that threats had. been used, and he would bind the defendant over to keep the peace for twelve months, himself in LlO, and two sureties in L 5 each. ..-.;■■ .... .-■■; BREACH OP THE PUBLIC-HOUSE ACT. James Cattle was charged with keeping ' his licensed house, the Golden Age Hotel, open till 1.40 on the 23rd August,, and also on a second charge of keeping it open till 2 a.m. on a subsequent day. These charges were proved by Constable Flanagan, and the defendant admitted a previous similar conviction within twelve ! months. The Magistrate said he had power under the Act to cancel the license. He would give the defendant one other chance, so far as the license was: con. v cemed. On the first charge he would be fined LlO and costs, and on the second L2O and costs.