RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5291, 11 March 1878, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Saturday, 9th March. (Before J, 0. Crawford, Esq., R.M.) DRUSKENNE3S. : ■ A sailor named Lewis Ingram was brought tip on a charge of drunkenness. He pleaded guilty, saying he supposed he was “a little bit 1 beery," and as it was his first offence, he was let off with a fine of 55,, or in default twentyfour hours’ imprisonment. 1 An old woman named Mary Pimblo was brought up on a similar. charge, one on which she had often appeared before the Court. She admitted the offence, but stated that she was only talking about her troubles, and had taken a drop of beer too much, and bad sat down to suffer a recovery when she was taken into custody. She Wits fined 10s., or in default fortyeight hours’ imprisonment. v ' Eliza Kenny, a, middle-aged woman, was brought up on a charge of having been drunk and incapable. She admitted the charge; the .

constable explaining that he had found her staggering about ‘the streets;, but as she had not been up for some time, she .was let off with: a fine of 55., or the usual alternative. , Joseph Russell .was brought up, on remand, on a charge of lunacy from drink. As it appeared he had sufficiently recovered he was cautioned and discharged. SUB-COXTRACTING DISPUTES. James Moore Edmonds, a contractor, appeared on an information charging him with having, on Saturday, the 2nd instant, assaulted one William Newman, a plasterer. Thera was likewise a cross-summons, iu which Edmonds charged his opponent Newman with haring made use , of violent and abusive language, and to which Newman pleaded guilty. The case for, assault was then proceeded with first. ~ - . Mr. Buckley appeared on behalf of Mr. Edmonds. • ‘ The prosecutor , made a lengthened statement, amounting in effect to the fact that he had been engaged with another party to do soma plastering work for the defendant, under certain conditions, which allowed payment by instalments as the. work was completed. The work he stated had been carried on, and upon calling at the defendants place for the balance of his money (£2O) on the date referred to, he was abused and assaulted by tbe defendant, who, he stated, raised an axe, and pushed at him with it :iu the yard, at the same time threatening to knock his brains - lit. As to the abusive language, to which he pleaded guilty,- he stated that the defendant at the time he asked him for the money polled a roll of notes out of his pocket and said he would sea him d d before he would pay him until the work was completed, and upon that he called the defendant a d d rogue. Thomas Wilkes, the prosecutor’s partner, gave corroborative evidence, although at the same time he stated he had no sympathy with quarrelling,; and upon cross-examination admitted, that; the work had not yet been wholly completed.- ... This . completed the evidence in the assault base, and on the other charge of using abusive language, to ■ which Newman had pleaded guilty, Mr. Edmonds was examined. He stated;in effect that ho had paid, all that the defendant Newman was entitled to, and that the' work was riot yet finished; but upon its completion a sum . would -be , due, which he was ready to pay. ! He stated that some of the “lathing” ip, one of - the contracts he bad undertaken had, not yet -been finished, much less the plastering, and that in consequence witness had received notice that he would be held to a fine, of £l. per day if the contract were not finished within the specified time. As to the assault complained of Mr. Edmonds further stated that he felt so aggrieved at being called a d—■ —d rogue that he did lift the axe in the hurry of the moment, but only gave a sort of push ;with-it. Besides, the defendant by bis cantankerous conduct and violence had marie witness, really afraid of his life, and he had even asked his partner to see how the job was getting, on, rather than attend- himself ; in fact, for soma time past the .'defendant had been moat annoying in every possible way. - His .Worship stated that there could be rid doubt an assault had been committed, such as it was) ; but it was a very trivial one, and he thought it would be met by a fine of 10s. and costs. As to the abusive language, there could be. no doubt that the style of the defendant Neiyman had been very provoking, his demeanor .in Court even showing it; besides, as; it appeared that Mr. Edmonds considered hisdife in danger, he (Newman) would be ordered to enter into his own recognisances' in the'aura of £lO to keep the peace for three months.