Patea B.M. Court.

Patea Mail, 16 December 1881, Page 2

Patea B.M. Court.

Friday, before Mr C. A. Wray, R.M. ROWDY WOMAN. Ellen White, wife of Geo. White senior was charged with using abusive and obscene language in a public place near the brickyard, Patea Bridge, against a 3'oung married neighbor, Mrs Moore. Complainant and a boy deposed to the improper language, and Mrs Sykes, a neighbor, corroborated. Defence was that her husband had been drinking in plaintiff’s house (this was denied), that she was annoyed by neighbors enticing him away to drink, and that she was often kept without food or clothes, and was shamefully beaten when he came from drinking with other women. Magistrate said this sort of quarrelling and obscenity had become a public nuisance. and he regretted he could not imprison without a fine. He imposed a fine of £5, or 30 days’ imprisonment in default. Mrs White : I will go to prison. I shall be better off there than I have been. Mr White asked for an hour to pay the money. Mrs White : Don’t get it, George. I won’t have it paid. I will go to prison. She will be sent to Wanganui tomorrow. CIVIL CASES. Haywood v. Brown was a claim in detinue for recoveiy of a watch left with defendant to repair. The case had been adjourned for production of the watch when repaired. It was afterwards handed to plaintiff, and the question now was as to costs of the action. Defendant said he had kept the watch eight or nine months, but the delay was to get a certain thing to do the repair. Magistrate ; The delay is most unreasonable, and you must pay the costs. Costs were £1 12s.