IN THE COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 272, 27 April 1915, Page 7

IN THE COURT.

PHOHIBITfON ORDER BROKEN. A sitting of the Magistrates' Court was held at New Plymouth yesterday. Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., presided. A charge of drunkenness and breach of his prohibition order was preferred against W. J. Brennan, who pleaded guilty of drunkenness, but said that lie thought the prohibition order only applied to the district where it was taken out—Patea and Wanganui—and he had since been informed that it applied to all New Zealand.

Sub-Inspector Fouhy said Brennan hid been convicted in Wanganui of some offence last year and ordered to leave the town. Since then Brennan had been living in New Plymouth with his father, and that was his first lapse here. The Magistrate convicted Brennan of procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order, and imposed a fine of £ 1 and costs 7/-, in default 48 hours' •imprisonment. Brennan was allowed a day to find the money.

AN UNHAPPY CAREER. Charles Miller, alias Schmidt, was charged with drunkenness and with being a rogue and a vagabond. Accused admitted his lapse of drunkenness, and while he also admitted having been convicted as an idle and disorderly person, he explained that had happened at Stratford, and at the time of his arrest ho had 30/- in his possession. Miller went on to say that he had been in employment, but meeting with some of his seafaring friends lie had had "a feiv drinks," though he emphasised that lie had done no harm to anyone. Miller said that during his. seafaring career he had been shipwrecked and since his misfortune he had been "kicked from pillar to post as an undesirable person." ■' 1 hope," he concluded, " that your worship, as a gentleman,' will give me another chance."

Sub-Inspector Fouhy, however, did not think the case was one for leniency, as Miller had been charged, with vagrancy on five occasions, and had always escaped with the brand of an idle and disorderly person, with a limit of three months' imprisonment. —iller had been before the court in New Plymouth a week ago on a charge of drunkenness and had to pay medical expenses. The Magistrate sentenced the accused to one month's imprisonment with hard labor.

CLAIM FOR DAMAGES. Amy Longley, an infant, of Uruti, through hci* mother, proceeded against Robert Borrows and Roy Samuel Johnson, farmers living at Uruti,"for damage; alleged to be caused through the negligence of defendants. On December 31st the child was riding a pony along the Mangahia Road, near Uruti, when the pony shied at some bags of manure which had been placed on the road by the defendants. The plaintiff sustained injuries through being thrown from the Jior»e, and claimed .€SO general damages and -Cl7 (is special damages. Mr. Roil. Quilliani appeared for the plaintiil' and Mr. A. R. Standish represented defendants.

The ease had been partly heard at Wai" tara, and it was completed yesterday. For the defendants, it was argued that the ponv had not shied at the bugs of manure: that it was reasonable use of the road to place the bags there: and •hat there was contributory negligence on the part of plaintiil' by reason of imperfect riding. For plaintiil' it was argued that it was not reasonable use of a road to place bags of manure there. The Magistrate gave judgment for plaintiil' and awarded ;Cl7 (is special damages, £ls general damages, and costs.