RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4423, 24 May 1875, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Saturday, May 22. (Before J. O. Crawford, Esq., R.M.) MINOR OFFENCES. Mary Ann Brown, a disorderly drunkard, was fined 10s. Antonio Matachieri, a jovial Italian, who had pledged himself too freely in wine, was fined 20s. for leaving Ms horse and cart unattended. vagrancy. John Gerreher was charged, on remand, with having no lawful or visible means of suppoit. The charge originated out of the unmannerly, or to put it properly, the unmanly conduct of the defendant, who had, on several evenings during the past week, accosted females in the street in an insulting manner. Several witnesses testified to having seen the defendant stop females in the street, the lady in one case being compelled to appeal to passers-by for protection, when Gerreher slunk away. _ Mr. Shaw, who appeared for the defence, satisfied the Bench that the defendant was’possessed of means, and his Worship dismissed the charge, at the same time regretting ' that Gerreher had not been charged under some other Act, that he might have punished Mm as he deserved. “ - ' ROWDYISM. Jas. Farelly and Patrick Earrelly were charged with fighting in a public-house at the Hutt. The evidence showed that one day last week the prisoners began a disturbance at Whitewood’s Hotel, which assumed such a serious aspect that Mr. Lansdon, the ‘proprietor, was compelled to send for the police. This conduct on the part of the prisoners was quite consistent with their career for some time past, Patrick in particular being a notorious rowdy. Inspector Atchison said this was not the first or the second time he had been in the hands of the police on a similar charge, and Ms Worship, in dismissing the case, gave Patrick a severe caution, telling him that as he had been before the Bench on a previous occasion, he had better be very careful in future. A DISORDERLY MOB. Charles Muir was charged with exposing his person and using obscene language. Prisoner is a seaman belonging to the Anne Melhuish, and was arrested by Constable Mead for committing a nuisance in a public place, after being cautioned. Prisoner was the worse for liquor, and upon being arrested three of Ms shipmates, Thomson, Martin, and Brown attacked the constable, knocked him down, jumped on him, and got the prisoner away, Mead being badly bruised. With the assistance of Constable Buchanan, he proceeded to the Maori pa and arrested the whole mob. The prisoner being still muddled from the effects of drink, was remanded till Tuesday. Peter Brown, William Martin, and Charles Thomson were then charged with assaulting a constable, rescuing a prisoner, and with damaging an overcoat valued at £3 10s. Constables Mead and Buchanan gave evidence similar to that taken in the former case, which was supplemented by the statement of a witness named Linley, who was going to assist the constables by pitching into the prisoners, but got pitched into instead. Inspector Atchison said the prisoners were the scum of Newcastle, whence they had arrived in the Anne Melhuish. The prisoners were sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, with hard labor, and ordered to pay costs, including 70s. for the damage done to the constable’s coat. ARCADES AMBO. Rafaele Portelli was charged with assaulting Mary Portelli, Ms wife. Mrs. Portelli stated that she was'hard-at work that morning scrubbing out • the house, when her husband struck her a violent blow on the back of the neck without any provocation whatever. Defendant said. Ms wife was drunk at the time ; in fact, she was always drunk, and was such a nuisance to Mm that he would gladly pay her a sum of money to get her off Ms hands altogether. His WorsMp said both parties were to blame. He knew Mrs. Portelli to be a dissolute character, as she had been frequently before the Court on charges of drunkenness. That, however, did not justify the defendant in assaulting her, and he would be fined 10s. His WorsMp advised the unhappy pair to come to terms for a separation if possible. The Court then adjourned.