MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 475, 19 June 1912, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

OTOROH A NG A—FRIDAY.

Before Mr F. O'B. Loughnan, S.M. For being drunk while in charge of a gig John Petersen was fined £1 and costs.

For imbibing too freely Jas. Smith w as convicted and discharged. Learning the Liquor Laws. —Austin Morris was found carrying two bottles of liquor not labelled a3 it should be in a "dry" area, and explained that he had purchased the bottles at two places and was unacquainted with the liquor law in the King Country, this being his first visit. His introduction cost him <£l qnd costs.

Frank Bright drove from Kihikihi on a Sunday in a gig, got drunk and was bringing back a parcel unlabelled when met by the constable —£1 and costs.

Prohibition Order. —A native named Wera was presented with a prohibition order on the application of the police. Accounting for Liquor. -Constable Drummond read out a long list of the times and amounts of liquor that Chns. Hewer had consigned to him amounting to 232 pints of beer and 15 bottles of whiskey. The magistrate informed Hewer that according to the law the onus was on him to to show what ho had done with that amount of liquor. The accused, who was represented by Mr Hosking, denied ever having sold any and stated that he had been drinking heavily himself and had at times invited friends to have drinks at his expense, and one witness stated that he had been entertained by Hewer on more than one occasion and had even offered payment but the money v»as refused. Constable Drummond was called as a witness for the defence and ptated that he had taken cut a prohibition order against Hewer because lie was drinking heavily. The magistrate stated that there had been a great quantity of liquor consumed, but there did not apppear to be any suspicious circumstances such as men being drunk about the premises, and he dismissed the case.

Claim for a Morse.— Tawhi, represented by Mr Phillips claimed the sum of £2l ag compensation for the loss of a three-quarter bred draught horse which he alleged another native, Tame, represented by Mr Hosking, took from his paddock and the animal died. Tawhi said he agreed for Tame to break in the horse to riding, and was to pay 255. Tame rode the horse two or three times and the horse got lama so he, told Tame not to ride it again. However, Tame, took the horse away another day and after riding it hard left it tied up to a post and later the animal was found dead. Tame said he was breaking in the horse for Tawhi, and on the eventful day Tawhi lent him a saddle and bridle and he rode the horse to Waitomo, where ha left it tethered to graze and to be easy to catch. Later lie went to the horse and it looked sick and he went and told Tawhi so and wanted him to go and have a look at it. When he got back the horse was dead. Mr Phillips then asked leave to call another witness, who was out of the town on behalf of the plaintiff, but the magistrate considered it unnecessary and dismissed the case.