RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, GREYMOUTH.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1912, 22 September 1874, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, GREYMOUTH.

Monday, September 21. (Before W. H. Revell, Esq , R.M.) Thomas Griffen was charged with being drunk and disorderly at the Railway Hotel on Saturday evening. Constable Keating proved that defendant was shouting and creating a great disturbance. The defendant corrected the constable, and said he (the defendant) was only seeing a man home safe, when he got lost, and in trying to recover himself he might have made unnecessary inquiries of the bystauders. Fined ss, or 24 hours' imprisonment. VAGRANCY. John Mitchell was charged with not having any lawful visible means of support on 19th September. The accused, who is a strong, tall, able-bodied man, was found on the day named in the bush at Sawyer's Creek under peculiar circumstances, and not being able to give a

sufficient account of himself he was arrested. Inspector Hickson said complaints were made to the police that the defendant was likely to perish in the bush, where he was lying under the partial shelter of a piece of old blanket, but he was all but exposed to the^full force of the inclemency of the weather of last week. He wa* offered work and money, but would not take either, and the singularity of his conduct altogether justified them in having him arrested to have a professional examination made as to the state of his mind. Dr Morice said the defendant was not insane. He was coherent and rational in his speech, and apparently in good mental health generally. Two other wit' nesses were examined as to the state in which the defendant was living in the bush. He had no tent or any covering except the piece of blanket mentioned. One of these witnesses offered the defendant money to get something to eat, but he declined the proffered assistance. The defendant said he had been working at Titter's brick-yard and at M'Carthy's brewery ; but he had not received any wages. He said he lived under a blanket because he had nothing else for a covering ; he had a good fire, and he was not lazy as alleged, and he defied anyone to prove so. He asked for a remand to procure the evidence of the people for whom he worked to show that he was not a vagrant. The defendant, who was recognised as an old mining resident of the Little Grey, and Ahanra, was remanded for a day. There were no civil cases, and the Court adjourned.