MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 281, 24 May 1912, Page 6

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

BY-LAW CASES. There was a sitting of the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before Mr. A. Crooke, S,M. A boy of 15 years was charged with having made, a false statement regarding his age to a guard on a railway train. Evidence showed that the boy, who was travelling from Wellington to New Plymouth, in a van with some horses, was provided by the people with whom he had been staying with only a half-ticket, and when questioned by the guard had replied that he was not yet twelve. In stating that the boy pleaded guilty, Mr. A. E. Standish entered a plea for leniency. The Magistrate commented that the person who procured the ticket was more to blame than the boy, and merely convicted and discharged the accused, on the understanding that the balance of the fare was made good. "BREACHES OF THE BY-LAWS. Henry Ford was charged, on the information of Inspector Tippins, with having swept the footpath in front of the Carnegie Library during prohibited hours. Accused, who pleaded guilty, was fined 5s and costs 7s. Walter Hicks failed to appear in j answer to a charge of having ridden a bicycle on the footpath in Young street, and was fined 5s and costs 7s. For cycling in Devon street at night without a lamp, George Knight was similarly dealt with. INSPECTORS "IFFER. The bad state of '" >. road was the defence put forward by Edward Baxter in answer to a charge of having cycled on the footpath in Leach street. Inspector Tippins prosecuted, and there was a conflict of evidence. Giving evidence on behalf of Baxter, A. Hooker, Truant Inspector, described the road opposite the place where aci cused was riding as a quagmire, over J which it would have been impossible to have ridden a bicycle. In the opinion of witness, Baxter was being persecuted, not prosecuted. As evidence of the state of the road, Hooker said that last winter his coal dealer had declined to deliver coal down the street to him. The road was just as bad this winter. The witness did not blame the inspector so much as the Borough Council, which body should have put the road in repair long ago. Concluding, witness affirmed that if the Magistrate saw the state of the street for himself he was sure that tor's statement that the road was as good as the footpath. In rebutting the evidence of Hooker, Inspector Tippins declared that the road was perfectly dry on the day of the offence, being in as good order as the footpath. Accused had made no complaint of the road being muddy when taxed with his offence. ! Asked by His Worship if he wished to go in the box, accused replied that he had nothing, to say. In fining Baxter ss, with costs 7s, Mr. Crooke remarked that if the road was too bad for him to have ridden on, he should have got off his bicycle and pushed it. Accused had not himself denied the borough inspector's statement that road was as good as the footpath.