MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 92, 24 March 1916, Page 5

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

• The weekly sitting of the Stratford Magistrate's Court was held to-day, when the Stipendiary Magistrate, Mr W. R. Haselden ocupied the benifh. i i • DISOBEDIENCE OF ORDER. | I Mabel Green (Mr C. Wright) proceeded against William Green for disobedience of an order of the Court. Green said he would pay £2 10s in a fortnight's time, and on that condition an adjournment of 14 days was granted. « I t POLICE v. MAXWELL. I | When David Maxwell, of Toko, was called to answer to a serious criminal offence, Sergeant Dale, who app?ared for the Police, asked for a remand till -March 30. I Mr C. Wright, who appeared on behalf of accused, asked the Magistrate to alter the conditions of tile bail. Maxwell was at present in tlie ; New Plymouth gaol. I Sergeant Dale said he communicated with the Superintendent with th> [ intention of having Maxwell brought before the Court at New Plymoutf. His idea of having the case lfeard it .New Plymouth was to save bringing accused to Stratford again. One 'if [the prinicpal witnesses was in Auckland. Mr Wright asked that the conditions of the bail be made to read £1(1) in self and one surety of £IOO. Jf In answer to a question from tile Magistrate, Sergeant Dale said tie had no objection to the bail conditions IHJing altered if the bondsman was sound. ' The Magistrate said it was not money that was wanted, but the man. Mr Wright said accused would stay at the bondsman's house. The sureties .as asked for by Mr Wright were agreed to by the Magistrate. Maxwell was not present in Court, the police thinking it inadvisable to bring him to Stratford when a remand was being asked for. FAILING TO MAINTAIN. . Daniel Fitzpatrick, charged with failing to maintain-his child in an industrial school, said he would pay as much as he could towards its support. Fitzpatrick was ordered to pay 6s a week towards the mau|jfen&nce of the child, the first payment to be made on March 31. ) l MOTORISTS AT FAULT. George Sangster (Mr C. Wright) was charged with crosshiji a level crossing in a motor car while a train was approaching?" "-.<t\ ■> Sergeaut Dale said a mistake had crept into the. information., the wrong month being inserted. The date on the information was altered and the case was adjourned for a fortnight. George Collins, charged with aiding a motor cycle without a light, did not appear, and the case was adjourned for ft fortnight. •.. ■ OBSCENE LANGUAGE,-* * A laboring man was charged witty making use of obscene and indecent language at Whangamomona o* March 11. j Accused pleaded guilty and said he was intoxicated at the time. Constable Scannell gave evidence of having heard the language complained oi i Accused was convicted and ordered to pay £3, in default 21 days' imprif sonment. He was given 14 days iq which to pay the amount. , RETURNED SOLDIER) IN DIS- J GRACE. j A returned soldier, charged wittt using obsene language in Victoria Park on February 17, was represent* ed by Mr R, Spcnce and pleaded gudty. \ Sergeant Dale said at the time the accused uttered" the language com| plained of he was under the influence} of liquor. Mr Spence said no women heard the remarks complained of. Accused irai a returned soldier. » His Worship said he did not in* dulge in public lectures, but in 4 like the present, words from a Magistrate would not be out of place? If he had his way he would hand the accused over to his comrades, honor was dear to them and civilians alike. The other day he saw a returned trooper intoxicated, and he felt he could do anything to point out how the man was disgracing himself Accused was admittedly intoxicated, and out of his mouth issued filthy language which came ten times worse from a soldier than from a civilian. Everybody wanted to ; treat returned soldiers, but when j wounded they required the greatest 1 tenderness and care and too generous treatment could not go on without doing a grave public injury. In the present case he would strain the law in accused's favor in the hope that the attitude taken would be apnreciI ated and when those who were tempted* as accused was tempted it would be recognised that the time , would surely come when severity must take the place of lemency. If accused had any feeling at all he was sure the punishment he was going through by standing in open t Court and being one who would be pointed out as having disgraced honlorable comrades, or worse tha nthat, would be sufficient. Accused was convicted and discharged.