THE COURTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 369, 21 April 1910, Page 5

THE COURTS.

A CLERK IN TROUBLE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Invercargill, Wednesday. Frederick Osborne Lepine, a clerk in the Land Transfer Ollice, Invercargill, was this morning committed for trial on a charge of theft of a number of documents, i,.ic .property of the Department. Accused's explanation was that he had taken the documents in order to remove the stamps, of which lie was a collector.

NOXIOUS WEEDS,

Taihape, Wednesday

A number of settles in the Upper Wangaehu district were before the Magistrate's Court here to-day on two information* for failing to obey notices under sections 0 and 10 of the Xoxious Weeds Act. Exception was taken that the notice unuer section 10 had not complied iwith the schedule. The Magistrate upheld the contention, on the ground that the time for commencing the work of cutting Californian thistle was necessary to be stated, but not its completion. Inspector Deem intimated that probably the Department would appeal against tiie ruling. On the charges under section !) all the defendants were fined 10s and 7s costs.

A CHARGE OF FORGERY. Wellington, Wednesday. In the Magistrate's Court, Sydney Diamond, a young man, was charged with having committed forgery of a document purporting to be a proposal for assurance in the A.M.P. Society. Elsie Elizabeth Seine deposed that at accused's request she signed a paper to become, as sue supposed, a member of the society. The signature on the proposal produced was not hers. After hearing evidence. Mr. Riddell, S.M.. said there was a conflict of evidence, and the case must go to a .jury. Accused was committed for trial, bail being allowed, himself in £OO and two sureties of -C3O each.

STREET BETTING. Gisborne. Last Xight. As a result of the visit here of a plain - clothes constable last month, charges of street betting and betting totaiisator odds were laid against three local bookmakers. The principal evidence was that aiven by the constable of bets made bv himself with the men. Mr. Buarnard. for the accused, successfully raised the defence in one case that a bet at starting priee with a "CIO limit was not clearlv p bet at totaiisator odds. One defendant was fined £lO and costs. Decision was reserved in the other cases on the various technical points raised by Mr. Tin imard.

ALLEGED EMBEZZLEMEXT. Inveivargill. Last Xiirhl. John Archibald Maekav wa- charged 011 several counts with ivrrciirfnllv handling the moneys of the Xew Zealand Loan and .Mercantile Company, whose accountant he was at* the l!lu!V. IT." vas to-dav committed for trial in addition to committal 011 earlier charges.