RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, AHAURA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1392, 16 January 1873, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, AHAURA.

(Before C. Whitefoord, Esq., R.M., and F. Guinness, Esq., J.P.) Friday, January 10, 1873. There were two charges of using abusive and offensive language, and of being guilty of behaviour calculated to provoke a breach of the peace. The defendants, one of whom resided at Ahaura and the other at Half-Ounce, admitted the offence, but pleaded great provocation. In one case the defendant, who was previously before the Court on a similar charge, was fined L 3, besides being severely admonished. In the other case, the police stated that it was the first time the defendant had been charged with a like offence. A fine of 5s with costs was inflicted. civil cases. Margaret Dewson v. O. W. Anderson. —An action to recover L6O, as damages and special damages, for enticing away and harboring a. hired servant. The parties are holders of publicans' licenses at Half-Ounce, and each have- dancing saloons attached to their hotels. The case of the plaintiff was that by her agent she engaged two girla at Hokitika, to act as barmaids and to dance, when- it suited them , at her hotel. The girls came to her house' in due course, and one of them, "Cissy," stayed one week and three days. On the night of the tenth day, about half-past eleven o'clock, she left and went to the house . of the defendant. She did not make any complaint previously, and she left without reason. The plaintiff went to the defendant's house, and on asking for the girl, she was told she could not see her. The plaintiff then warned the defendant that the fugitive was her hired servant, and she would hold him responsible for the consequences, of the loss of her services. The girl was afterwards and now engaged dancing at the defendant's house. The plain! iff estimated- her- loss at^.LlOO. — She- - hired musicians for the Christmas holidays, but ad she was ill and^ unable to attend her business, she-depended Vl bja the girl, whb^|| by going awayy'lef t the house to take care of itself. The plaintiff incurred an pense of L 8 in bringing the girl from kitika to Half Ounce. In cross-examina-tion; the plaintiff- admitted that- she did not engage the girl herself. She engaged another girl, a sister-in-law of the cause of the dispute, and Mrs Leathwooid engaged Cissy. Mrs Leathwood was. not prepared to fulfil her engagement with the girl, and she, the plaintiff, agreed tc- take the responsibility off her hands. When she went to the hotel of the defendant to demand an interview with her 'runaway servant, she might have said to the'defendant that she wonld " wade up ,to her knees in blood, " or have revenge, bu t she used the threat metaphorically. Jane Eeathwood proved engaging the girl at Hokitika, and also that the plaintiff did incur the expense of bringing her to HalfrOunpe. Mrs I}ews6n guaranteed her (the witness) and the girl's hqtel expenses at Greymouth, and also paid for horse hire for both of them. The defence was that the girl was brought to Greymouth from Hokitika under a false pretence and for an infamous purpose by the wituess Leathwood. It was alleged that she had not a suitable place to take any servant to. She was not the holder of a license, and the defendant's witnesses, in their evidence, stated "she was not the holder or owner of a character." I^eathwood being unable to f ulnU her agreement, the girl was in a manner turned adrift among strangers at Greymonth, and the defendant, by his agent, engaged her. His agent brought the young "lady to Ahaura, but as he was the mail agent also, the service of Her Majesty had to be attended .to first. He had to proceed to Napoleon with the mails, and he gave the girl into good hands,j a? he. thqught/to take her to Half Ounce. Frederick Wilckins, a mail and commission agent, proved this portion of the defendant's case. jOn the way between Ahaura and Half Ounce, the guardian to whose care Wilckins confided the fair cause of all the litigation, must have relaxed his vigilance, for it vas alleged that the plaintiff obtained an interview with the girl ■ and tampered with her so far that she induqedher to break her engage? ment with Anderson and go to Dewson's house. The arguments alleged to be used by the plaintiff to seduce the girl from her allegiance were characterised by the defence as scandalously false and libellous towards the defendant and his house. The witness Wilckena was asked as an expert to give an opinion as to the -moral character of the plaintiff and her witnesses, bin he refused point blank to have a,ny? thing to say about them. The youj^ lady who was the l \ ground" of action" Was called. She said she engaged with Anderson's agent at Greymouth and came away with him. . When near Half-ounce the plaintiff met her and told her the defendant's was a disreputable house. She wenfrto the plaintiff's and next day "^ gaged with her for L2 los per weeje. i§he broke her agreement with the defendant on the representations of the plaintiff. When she was at the plaintiff's house some days she left in consequence of what she saw going on there—the witness here described the "goings on." She sent for Anderson and asked him to tajse hpr to, his place, gjhe lived the.re now, and was well treated by the defendant and his wife. Other witnesses were called for the. defence. The Bench considered thedefendent was the aggrieved party. " The. plaintiff had induced the girl to break her engagement with Anderson in the first instance. \ Judgment for the defendant, with .costs L6>: 18s. MrSiaite ior the plaintiff, Mr Guinness for the defendant. Wh^and Garth v; R Firth, by his agent James Hunter.— A claim of L.7Q 11s 6d for goods supplied to defendant,' a storekeeper at Dray ton. Judgment by consent for the amount claimed with coats. Bannon v. -Mflnroe.- — A claim of L6 log for " wrongful detention arid conversion" of a wbeelbarrowi a bag of lime, and other equally valuable property. After a hearing of some hours judgment was given for the plaintiff for 20s, with fio^fef. ■; *eh " The Qou.rt was adjourned to -17th January. ■■•■ -