THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. TUESDAY, 28th APRIL, 1874.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1571, 28 April 1874, Page 198

THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. TUESDAY, 28th APRIL, 1874.

Tn our advertizing columns we publish an announcement of a Provincial Government Land Sale. We do this on our own account, as no advertisements over which his Honor the Superintendent has any control have yet been received at this office. His Honor states that he is not actuated by personal or political motives, but that having made due inquiries, he has satisfied himself that our circulation is not sufficiently large to warrant him in taking advantage of the additional publicity which our columns would afford to Government announcements. Had his Honor taken proper means to acquire the desired information, he must have been led to a different conclusion. It is not always those journals which boast the loudest of their circulation and influence that really circulate the widest. We do not as a rule allude in this column to what may be regarded as business matters; but this is one affecting our subscribers as much as ourselves. Our numerous subscribers, both in the town and country, have an equal interest in Government announcements with the subscribers of our local contemporaries; and therefore, until we receive definite orders to insert Provincial Government advertisements, we shall continue to publish such as appear to us to be of sufficient importance pro bono publico. Mails close for Auckland, per Star of the South, on Wednesday, at 2 p.m. We are again compelled to hold over our detailed report of the Havelock licensing meeting. The instruments for the Wairoa telegraph station arrived per Rangatira on Sunday night, and will be forwarded to their destination at an early date. Our Tauranga correspondent telegraphs: " 27thf April.—Governors Fergusson and DuCane are at Rotorua; they are expected to arrive here tomorrow, and leave for Auckland immediately after arrival." Our Wairoa correspondent, writing on the 25th, says:—The bar still remains closed, notwithstanding the large volume of water accumulate! in the river ; the fords are of course more or less affected.. As an illustration of the adage—an ill wind &c, I may add that Mr Gardiner recently drove a mob of cattle across the bar at the river's mouth. The s.s. Fairy is still a prisoner, pending the removal of this awkward impediment to trade. The telegraph wire has reached this township, and in a short time we hope to be in communication with Napier and the rest of the Colony. The. office which, will combine both telegraph and postal departments, has been finished some time. The continuation of the line to Poverty Eay is temporarily suspended, pending the arrival of a fresh supply of posts. Mr White, who is to fill the offices of telegraphist and postmaster, is expected in a few days from Napier. In the Resident Magistrate's Court on Friday, before 11. Stuart, Esq., J.P., and J. A. Smith, J.P., one drunkard was fined five shillings. John Emery, charged with assaulting Constable Hunt in the execution of his duty, was remanded till Monday, the injured man not being in a condition to attend. John Anthony, a youth, charged with furious riding, admitted the offence. Mr Inspector Scully said it appeared that the act was unintentional—the lad Was riding barebacked, the horse bolted, and he had no proper check to apply to the animal's speed. Moreover, he was unaccustomed to riding, and had alreadv lost his situation through this affair. —Dismissed with a warning. Four cases followed, all arising out of the same circumstances:—Emma Williams v. Richard Williams, assault; Emma Williams v. Peter Hansen, assault; Peter Hansen v.' Emma Williams, assault; Seraphine Hansen v. Emma Williams, abusive language. Mr Lascelles appeared for R. Williams and Peter and Seraphine Hansen, and the four cases were heard concurrently. Two of the parties being Scandinavians, much difficulty was occasioned in the absence of a regular interpreter. After some delay, Mr Scully obtained the services of a young Norwegian lady, but though possessing a very fair knowledge of English, she was not able to master the technicalities of a Court of law. Mr A. Peters was then .sought for, and consented to give his services, and the case proceeded. Mrs Williams was the first witness. She deposed that she went to her husband's hovisc. Her husband and Mrs Hansen

were in the roora. She said she had come for a cushion on which Mrs Hansen was sitting. Mrs Hansen refused to give it up, and her husband called Peter Hansen to put her out, and he did so. Williams then dragged her out of the gate. In cross-examination the witness stated that she had lived apart from her husband for five weeks past. She had left because he illtreated her and threatened her life. It was not because he had found her misconducting herself that she left. They had divided the furniture. She -went back on the day of the assault because it was her own home. She did not strike Hansen in the face, or tear his clothes. When Hansen caught her he threw her down and kicked her, and she told him not to murder her.—She then called Ellen Owens, a female friend, who was passing the house and heard Williams order" the Scandinavian man" to put his wife out, and immediately heard Mrs Williams cry " Murder." Went into the garden and saw Mrs Williams lying senseless outside the kitchen door. Told Williams it was a shame for him to ill-use his wife. Did not see him strike her.—Mr Lascelles said that the plaintiff being the defendants wife, he occupied a position of great disadvantage, his mouth being closed in his own defence. With the leave of the Court, he would briefly sketch the circumstances. From causes which it was unnecessary to particularize, Mr and Mrs Williams had long lived unhappily together, and had lately decided to part. They had made an equal division of their furniture, even to dividing the carpet. Mr Williams then let his house to Mr and Mrs Hansen, boarding with them. Since this arrangement had come to the knowledge of Mrs Williams she had taken every possible means to annoy her husband's tenants, and on the occasion m question had behaved in a very violent and abusive manner. She was very properly ejected, no more violence being used than the circumstances warranted, and he could show that Mr Williams had not so much as laid a hand on her. Peter Hansen, sworn, deposed that he was a carpenter, and a married man, living with his wife at Mr Williams' house, which he rented. On Saturday Mrs Williams came to the house about 6.30 p.m. She began scolding, and stamped her foot, saying she would not leave the house. Witness said he had hired the house, and referred her to her husband. He ordered her out several times, and when she refused to go, took her by the shoulders and put her out. Mr Williams did njt lay a hand on her. She turned on the witness and struck him in the face, also tearing his waistcoat. She was speaking to him, but he could not understand her. When he put her out she fell, outside the doorstep, and began crying. —tSeraphine Hansen deposed that Mrs Williams had come frequently to the house and given a great deal of trouble. On Saturday she was very abusive and refused to go, and Mr Hansen took her round the waist, and put her out. Mrs Williams was very abusive to witness, who could not understand all she said ; she called her, among other names, a " Scandinavian " which she did understand. The Bench retired to consider the cases. They found Mrs Williams guilty of assaulting Mr Hansen, and bound her over in the sum of £2O, and two sureties of £lO each to keep the peace.—The other three cases were dismissed. The Bench having thanked Mr Peters for his services as interpreter, the Court rose. The Court sat again in the afternoon, when Thomas Cunningham was charged with stealing a certain mare, valued at £6, the property of J. M. Hewson, mail contractor. Prisoner pleaded not guilty. The evidence was to the effect that the prisoner borrowed the mare from the owner at Waimarama, for a journey to Havelock and back; and that he took her to Waipawa and sold her to Mr Boyle for £3 10s. Prisoner, in defence, stated that he had bought the animal from Hewson. Committed for trial at next sittings of the Supreme Court. On Saturday before A. Kennedy, Esq., J.P., two drunkards were fined five shillings each. William Taylor, charged with assaulting Constable Hunt, was remanded till Monday, the injured man not being in a fit state to attend. Yesterday, before A. Kennedy, Esq., J.P., and J. A.,-Smith, Esq., J.P., John Emery and William Taylor were charged with assaulting Constable Hunt in the execution of his duty, on the 24th April. John Emery admitted the offence ; the other prisoner, who was defended by Mr Lascelles, pleaded not guilty. Daniel Hunt (who still bore marks of the ill-treatment he had received, both eyes being seriously injured) deposed that between midnight and 1 a.m. on Friday he saw the two prisoners on the verandah of the down Hotel, Port Ahuriri, indulging in some " dirty language." He recommended them to go on board their vessel, telling them he would be compelled to lock them up if they did not go. Emery said it would take eight men like the constable to put them in the lockup. He replied that he did not wish to lock them up. The three then walked quietly .towards the pier, till they came abreast of the narrow passage by Routledge, Kennedy, & Co'sstore, when Emery tripped Hunt up with his foot, throwing him down in the passage, and falling on the top of him. He then " hammered" him as ho lay, and rising, began to kick him about the head. Hunt called for assistance, and a man named Wilson came. Taylor then ran away to a vessel, and came back with two men, one of whom was the master of a vessel. Hunt fearing they would be overpowered, sent Wilson for more help. Almost as soon as Wilson had gone, a man named Nelson came and pulled Emery off. Hunt and Nelson then handcuffed Emery, and locked him up. The other three men stood by.—John Wilson, mariner, deposed to seeing Hunt on the ground, and Emery holding him down. Pulled Emery off, and then at Hunt's request went for assistance. On returning in

about five minutes, saw Nelson and Hunt with Emery in charge, and three other men standing by, one of whom was Taylor, and another the captain of the Crest of the Wave.—Henry Nelson, engineer, was in Mr Routledge's private house, and, hearing a noise, ran out. Seeing some men in the passage, asked what was up, to which Hunt replied that he was nearly killed. Ran forward, and saw Hunt lying on his back, Emery on top of liim. Assisted Hunt to his feet, and held the prisoner till he was handcuffed. Taylor and two others were standing by, whether interfering on not, the witness could not say. Took the prisoner to the lockup, saw Hunt home, and called up Constable Campbell, to whom he reported the circumstances. Mr Lascelles maintained that no case had been proved against his client, who had really gone for assistance for the constable. This he could have proved if the master and mate of the Crest of the Wave had been available as witnesses. The Bench, after retiring, decided that there was insufficient proof against Taylor, and accordingly discharged him with a caution. Emery w„as sentenced to two months.imprisonment with hard labor.