TUAKAU

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 104, 5 November 1915, Page 2

TUAKAU

SEQUEL TO A DANCE.

Alleged skylarking in the middle of the night on the conclusion of a dance held

at Tuakau resulted in a charge being' preferred at the Pukekohe Magistrate's Court yesterday

against a young Tuakau resident,

named timmett Dromgool, of having on oi- about September 22nd damaged a sign-board, the property ot James Mungall, to the extent of £1 15s.

Mr P. E. Dromgool defended. Sergt. Cowan explained'that the eigoboard had been erected on property at the junction of the Tuakau and Bucklano. ' roads, and it waa alleged that whilst returning from a dance the defendant had taken the board down and thrown it into a crjtk some 200 yards away. James Mungall, Express Tailor, ot Tuakau, deposed to beisg the owner of ths sign-board. Previous to the occasion under notice it had been similarly interfered wish and removed four times and he had accordingly advertised in the "Pukekohe Times" offering a reward for the conviction of t the guilty party.—Crose-exam- . ined.—The Sinn-board was tint taken down on the night following the day of the erection, and it was then dropped in the creek. He believed that on each occasion . when it bad been removed 'a. dance had been held. The young men of Tuakau were making a joke of it that if they got convicted of the offence they would only be lined IQs and they would get the £1 reward—a profit of 10s. j j Charles Lindler, blacksmith, spoke to walking borne with defend' ant and othera on the conclusion of a dance—about September *2lsland on reaching the earner of toe Tuakau and Buckiand roada , they stopped and talked for aomu time. Dsfendant crossed over. the rend and pulled at the sign-board, . subsequently returning to them and j saying that it could not be taken clown. Witness advised defendant to Jeave the board alone. When witness went borne defendant wis > still at the corner of the road.— Cross-examined: He was not sure of the date, but be knew it was a Tuesday in September. There were four ladies in the party and they all remained talking for about half-. an-hour. He did not bear any of '■' tbe ladies say that no one was game enough to remove tbe board. It was not on the same occasion, but on another night, that a lady friend came riding by and jumping on the horse he bad ridden away, with the horse carrying a double burden, v

John. Cyril Batkin deposed to seeing defendant snaking the ! board and bearing; it creak. • Cross - examined: The night was dark, bat be recognised ' the defendant by his* voice.' Abraham Clark corroborated the - evidtnee of the previous witness. Constable Tayloi gave evidence aa to enquiries he had made jn the matter.—ln cross-examination, Mr Dromgool proceeded to introduce i irrevelant matter and was sternly rebuked by the Magistrate who added . that in his opinion the , case was* being unduly pro- . longed by Counsel.—Replying to Mr Dromgool, Constable Taylor said it was a fact that he told defend*, ant, possibly in toe beating of other people, that he waa a young blackguard and t honid receive a thrashing from his father. The uefcnce was that there was no dance on September 21st, the last assembly ot the series being on September .14tb. Fiancea . and Thomas Dromgool, brothers, of the defendant, gave evidence to the. foregoing effect and stated that on - no occasion did defendant interfere with the board. The defendant also went into the witness box and denied being -con-' cerned in ths removal of the signboard, lie, however, admitted, that he pretended to accept the • challenge thrown out by a lady member of their party as to who wa*s game enough to take down the board, and he went across tne mad and shook the wires holding the board, but dil not otherwise interfere with it.

In reply to the Magistrate, the defendant said that he would swear on oath .that he had never touched the board at any time.

The Magistrate, in dismissing the case, said there was an element of suspicion but no witness could actually say that they saw defendant remove the board. He Was sorry to hear that "larrikinism" had again broken oat in Tuakau, as he thought the same was a thine of the past. From what had transpired it seemed that it was considered that the removal of the board would ooly cost the delinquent a lus line, but he. could promise a fine of £5 if anyone was caught removing the board.

MR X. B. McUABAN'S DEATH.

THE INQUEST.

-An enquiry into the circumstances attending the sudden death of Mr Thomas ' Bernard Mctiahan, briefly reported in our last issue, was held yesterday at' the Tuakau Hotel by Mr C. Koadley, District Coicner.

John Charles MdJaban, brother of deceased gave evidence of identification. He said be beard deceased fall in the hall at his father's house the previous morning and found bim lying on bis face, sligh'.ly breathing, but insensible. Witness and bit mother carried him ontside on to the steps and bathed his forehead with told water, but breathing completely ceased in about two minutes. Bis sister, Miss Mary McGahan, went tor medical assistance, bat without avail. Mr A. H. Tapper, chemist, arrived later, but deceased was dead. There was no doctor in the tawnUiip at the time. The deceased had never complained of feeling unwell, and had never been attended by a doctor. He was apparently healthy. Albert Henry Tapper, chemist, deposed that Constable Watson, of Pukekohe, informed him - that he had been tild that Bernard McGahan had dropped dead. Witness confirmed the information by making enquiries, and was further informed that Dt Wake was away in Auckland and that Dr Bronte would not he procurable for several hours, so do forthwith rode to Mr John McGahan's house and found deceased lying on the bed. In a careful examination be could not

Had any signs of life. Mr Madill and witness tried artificial respiration, but without result By the Coroner: From hie own personal observation he coioladsd that death malted trom heart failure. There were no marks of injury da the body Or any aigo of coc- # gestion. v\ Dr Alexander Bronte, mtdical practitioner, of Pukckohe, staled • that he was called at hii surgery at Pukeicohe about 1 p.in. on Wedaarday laat, but was away. On

arriving home he left for Tuakau, when he examined the body of the ' deceased. Judging fcom the appearance of the face and neck and hands and the surrounding circumstances as related to him by the mother ot the deceased, he had no hesitation in eipressing the oplnnn that death was the reault of aortic . cardiac disease. The Coroner returned, a verdict that death was occasioned by heait t ai lure. ILL-CKEATIMU A HORSE. At tho Pukckohe Magistrate's Court, yesterday, Tom George, a native, was charged with having on October 22nd. at Tuakau ill-treated a horse by working it whilst it was suffering from a sore shoulder, and his employer, Harold Hams, was eharged with having caused the ' animal to be worked. ,

George appeared in person and admitted the charge a/aioat him, aaying that he did not like to take the risk of losing his job through refusing to work the borse. The defendant Harris pleaded guilty by letter, explaining that after Constable Taylor had warned him, he had turned tbe hone out to grass and had not worked it since.

Constable Taylor deposed that be had warned tbe defendant Harris, twice, once by means of a message through George, and once personally. Harris bad admitted to him that he had received the first message.

The 'Magistrate convicted and <Jischarged George, te Ming him, however, that the duty ot an employee was to refute to work any horse which was not fit to. be worked, and it was his duty to inform the police if his employer made anv demur. Harris was convicted and fined £2 and £\ 14s 6d coats.