RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5033, 11 May 1877, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Thursday, May 10. (Before J. C. Crawfwrd, Esq., R.M.) DRUNKENNESS. Three persons were charged with drunkenness, One forfeited the amount of his bail, another was fined 10s. and costs, the usual alternative being .allowed in case of default, and the third was fined 55., as he had not been previously before the Court. IDLENESS, OR POVERTY ? William Nelson was charged on remand with vagrancy. The day previous he was brought up for having been drunk and disorderly, and a remand was ‘granted ou the application of Sergeant Monaghan, to the end the information might be amended to vagrancy, as defendant had gone about begging, his last act being to try and obtain a hat from Mr, Pirie for nothing. Sergeant Monaghan stated the circumstances of the case, but it appeared that a witness who should have given evidence was not present. His Worship said, as the defendant was originally charged with drunkenness and disorderly conduct, and as he had already been imprisoned for two days, he would dismiss him from custody, but warned him to mend his ways. AN INCORRIGIBLE. James Carr, an old offender and confirmed inebriate, was charged with having been drunk and disorderly. The defendant begged the Bench to let him of this time. The arresting constable deposed that Carr was going about the town on Wednesday in a state of drunkenness, and conducting himself in a most blackguardly and disorderly manner, and he therefore took charge of him. Sergeant Monaghan stated that this was the third offence of which defendant had been guilty within the past week. Mr. Hayes stated that Oarr had been employed by him for a number of years. His only failing was drink, and it had been found impossible to cure him. On Wednesday he met witness, who promised to take him on to work, but he was shortly after drunk again. Prisoner : I am going to join the Good Templars, your Worship. Mr. Crawford lectured prisoner severely, reminding him that his wife and children were starving in consequence of his neglect to pay the 30s. a week which he had been ordered by the Court to contribute to their support. He was capable of earning good wages, and yet was always drunk. If he came up again at that Court, he (Mr. Crawford) would be very much inclined to give him three months’ imprisonment. He would now remand him for a week. SUSPICION OP LUNACY. James Thompson was brought up on suspicion of lunacy. i Constable Smart said that Thompson had been so eccentric and noisy in his behavior at Smart’s boarding-house that he had prevented the lodgers there from obtaining any rest. Thompson said he was going away on the day following to Dunedin. Remanded for one day. BREACHES OP THE CITY BY-LAWS. There were several cases of breaches of the Municipal Corporations Act, and fines were imposed in every case but one, in which the defendant (a marriecl woman whose husband deserted her three years ago) promised to abate the nuisance, and the case was adjourned for one day. PETTY LARCENY. James Johnson was charged with stealing a coat, value ss, the property of James Martin. He pleaded not guilty. James Martin deposed that he was employed in the Botanical Gardens. He was working there on the Ist May. Took off his coat and placed it on the side of the walk at about 1 o’clock. After dinner he missed the coat. Saw prisoner the next day, and found the coat on him. He was wearing it under an overcoat. The prisoner was then charged with stealing an umbrella from the shop of Messrs, Wilson and Richardson. H. F. Davis, one of the shopmen in the employ of Messrs. Wilson and Richardson, said he put a number of umbrellas outside the door in a stand on the Ist May, in the morning at about 9 o’clock. Recognised the umbrella produced as being one of those placed in the stand. Alfred Deverill, proprietor of the Provincial Hotel, Thorndon, stated that defendant cam© to him for some liquor ; but he was refused, as he had no money with which to pay for it. He had the umbrella produced in his hand, and told witness that he picked it up in the street. Witness regarding the circumstance as suspicious, gave him Bs. for the umbrella, and advertised it. Detective Farrell stated that he knew prisoner in Dunedin, where he used to prowl around. He was an old Tasmanian. Prisoner was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be cumulative. VAGRANCY, A man named Michael J. O’Connor, who appeared to be suffering considerably from hard drinking, was sentenced t© one month’s imprisonment.