MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 19 April 1921, Page 2

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

GREYMOUTH, April 18 At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Mr Orr-Walker, S.M., dealt with a number of charges including the following:— FALSE PRETENCES. John Payne elected to be dealt with summarily on charges of issuing valueless cheques. After hearing evidence, accused was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour. YOUNG BOY TRHASHED. Walter Sherratt was charged with assaulting a lad named Philip Anderson. He pleaded guilty, but said that there was provocation to justify it. The Magistrate, in inflicting a fine of £2 and costs, said that defendant had no right to take the law into his own hands. WAIUTA REVELS. Recently during the progress of a dance in the Miners’ Hall, Waiuta, the harmony of the evening was temporarily disturbed by an exhibition of horse-play. Indeed one of the spectators was lassooed. An echo of the occurrence was heard, when charges of assault were preferred against Silas Lewis, William Brough and Thomas Wilcox. Lewis was charged noth assaulting James Kimsett; Brough with assaulting Lewis and Kimsett; and Wilcox with assaulting Lewis. They were also charged with disturbing an entertainment-

On the charge of disturbing an entertainment, the Magistrate stated that he considered no disturbance had been created, although skylarking of an exaggerated order had taken place. In some respects this might be considered part of the entertainment, but It was very reprehensible conduct. However, the locality and type of individuals present at the dance had to be taken into account. On the charge of assault, Silas Lewis would be convicted and fined £1 and costs £2 3s. The charge against Wilcox of assaulting Lewis was a more serious affair, and would be met by a fine of £5 and costs £2 3s, in default 14 days’ hard labour. In the case of Brough, against whom two charges had been preferred, the evidence was of a contradictory nature. However, most credence could be given to that stated for the prosecution. For assaulting Kimsett he would be fined £2 and £2 3s costs, and for assaulting Wilcox he would be convicted and discharged. In default of payment, . the alternative was seven days’ imprisonment with hard labour. One month was allows for payment of the fines,