POLICE COURT, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1888. (Before Mr J. Dott. J,P.)

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 316, 14 November 1888, Page 2

POLICE COURT, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1888. (Before Mr J. Dott. J,P.)

Drunkenness and Resisting the Police : Sergeant Emerson charged Tihi I'apu (native) with (1) Being drunk while in charge of a horse in a public place, viz., Whitnkcr Street, Te Arohu, on Nov. 12th, (2) With wilfully resisting the police in the execution of their duty on the same da}'. Te Ahua (native), who was in company with Tihi Tapu, was also charged by Sergeant Emerson with similar offencos on the same occasion. To ' the first charge both the accused pleaded guilty, but stated they were both to drunk they did not remember committing the second offence. , Sergeant Emeison stated the circum* ! stances of the case which briefly woro us followß :—: — On the evening of the day in question the accused were in Te Aioha on horse back much tho worse for drink. He went up to them when outside the Hot Springs' Hotel, and advised them to go home us '

they-hnd too much drink. They went a little distance up ,the\ street, when Tibi Tapu got off bis horse, and was so drunk he could scarcely get on again ; and on several occasions nearly tumbled off his horse. .' They went biusk towards the Hot Springs Plotel, stating they wanted more drink. They wore the means of getting a crowd together, and began jumping their horsea about in tho street, thereby endangering the safety of the safety of the people and also of themselves. When prevented returning to the Hot Springs Hotel they rode up to' tho Palace Hotel to try and get drink there. He followed them up and again tried to get thorn to go home (Paoroa) quietly, when they both becamo extremely abusive, and inado use of very bad language. Ho then proceoded to arrest them ; and, in order to do so, had to obtain Iho assistance of several persons before they were got to the look-up, as they resiftted to the utmost, and kicked and struggled to get away. Constable Wild (sworn) : corroborated the Sergeant's statement, and said that ho also did all he couhl to persuado the accused to leave the town quietlj , but they would not go, and were very drunk when they were arrested. They made a most determined resistenco, Tihi Tapu striking the native Constable soveral times ; and they had to be thrown and held down before they could be handcuffed. Whilst on their horses they were a source of considerable danger to the public, galloping up and down the street. Geo. Ebert (sworn) gave evidence supporting that 'given by the police; and stated accused resisted the police most violently, and made use of vile language. Te Ahua rodo his horse up against the police when arresting the other prisoner, i and Tihi Tapu tried to kick and bite those assisting the police. They were both in such a state as to endanger the safety of the public in the street when they were on their horses. Tho Bench imnosed a similar sentence in both cases, viz., for the first offence a fine of L 2 and 2s costs, or in default fourteen days in Auckland public orison witli hard labour ; and for the second oflence a fine of £3, and 2s costs, or in default one months imprisonment with hard labour. In the event of the fines not being paid, the terms of impiisonment to run concurrently,