MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1919, Page 6

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

YESTERDAY'S SITTING. (Before Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M.). Tlie following cases were dealt with in the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday, by Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M.: DEFENCE CASES. On the information of the Defence Department, for whom Sei-gt.-Major Bell appeared, the following Senior Cadets belonging to No- 00 Coy. were lined 10s and costs (7s) for failing to attend parades: E. O'Brien, A. E. Jones, H. J. Derby. R. Simpson, S. Rielly, T. <r. Hail and 6. P. Sole. V. D. Milne, who had attended half the parades held between June and August, and C. J. Hill, whose transfer to the territorials was being Arranged, were fined 5s and cost? '"•,; N. L. Sharrock, who had attended no parades was fined 20s and costs (7s). ■.. the case of E. McManus, Mr. Ronald Qy.iiiam appeared for defendant and pleaded guilty, stating that his client thought iie was entitled to be transferred to the territorials. He had attended parades up till June and then began to attend night classes, and failed to nof.lf;' the Defence Department, of the fact or to get exemption from parade. He had given an undertaking to attend the Territorial parades which take place on Wednesday evenings, and a transfer was being arranged. Defendant was convicted and discharged. In the case of R. D. Yates, Sergt..Major Bell stated defendant had been sick and had been away from the district. He was satisfied from the explanation given by defendant's mother that the default had occurred through ignorance of the Act. In reply to the Bench Sergt.-Major Bell declined to- withdraw, the information and a conviction without penalty was recorded. J. W. Goodwin, who stated that the time he had left work arid the distance he had to go made it impossible for him to attend parades. He was now in a position to attend, and intended to do so. He was convicted and discharged. THE PRICE OF THEATRE SEATS. . The manager of the Dandies Entertainers (Mr. Scott Colville) was cuarged on the information of the Borough Inspector (Mr. R. Day) that in connection with the recent appearance of the Dandies at the Empire Theatre, New Plymouth, he did cause certain divisions in the premises to be altered, contrary to the Borough by-laws, so as to charge more for the seats in that part of the hall than the advertised price.

On the application of Mr. H. E. Billing, for defendant, the hearing was; adjourned for a week.

MAINTENANCE CASE. Mrs. Cecil E. Biggins (Mr. C. H. Croker) applied for maintenance from her husband, Val. Biggins (Mr. A. A. Bennett). Mr. Croker said the case was one of those unfortunate family disagreements which came to light every now and then. The husband had been to camp. Prior to going there he 1 - had sold up the home and his wife went to live with her mother. Soon after the signing of the Armistice defendant was released from camp, but he had failed to provide a home for his wife and child, the former having received only 14s from him in the past uia months. On the husband's return from camp they had lived alternately between the homes of the parents of either party. The complainant, however, received such treatment from her husband's mother that she could not live with her and she packed up her belongings and went back to her own mother, and defendant stayed with his mother. Complainant was unable to take up work in consequence of .having a young child, and not being in the, best of health herself. She was perfectly willing to live with her husband if he. would provide a house for her. It was understood defendant was in some way bound to his mother by a milking contract. Evidence in support of counsel's statement was given by complainant. In cross-examination by Mr. Bennett. it transpired that defendant had paid his wife's mother £i during August for her maintenance. A good many questions were asked as to the reason of the disagreement between complainant and her husband's mother, the replies to which were that the principal reasons were an attempt to make the baby eat porridge, which it did not care for, and that the mother-in-law credited her son's wife on one qccasion with ability to tell lies.

During the hearing it was stated an offer to consent to an order for 30s per week had been made by defendant, provided he was credited with the £4 paid in August, but this was not acceptable, unless arrears were paid up. Mr. Croker said he had not been told of the £4 paid by defendant to his wife's mother.

The Magistrate considered the offer made by defendant was a reasonable one and an order was made for that amount, cne guinea costs being allowed-

JACK JOHNSON AGAIN. The young man, Jack Johnson, who has been before the Court a number of times recently on charges of breaking and entering and theft again appeared in the dock yesterday on two further charges. Suib-Inspeotor Hutton conducted U prosecution. ' ■ The first was the breaking and entering and stealing from the dwelling of Albert Westley Hardgrave, various goods to the value of £2. Albert W. Hardgraves, custodian of the Municipal Baths, deposed that on August 22 he locked up his place about 2 p.m. and returned between 7 and half past in the evening. All doors and windows were locked. One of the windows had been forced open, and a bunch of keys, a returned soldier's badge, and some tools were missing. He identified the badge produced as his and also a number of the keys on the bunch were his. * The total value of the goods stolen was £2.

Wm. W. Smith, curator of Pukeknra Park, said between August 20 and September 1, accused slept every night in the dressing shed on the sports ground. On September 2 he found a bunch of keys, a chisel . and a shifting sciew wrench in the shed. The things produced were the same that he found. He handed them over to the police.

Detective Fitzgibbon gave evidence as to arresting accused, who denied all knowledge of the charges preferred against him. The second charge was of the theft of a pocket camera, valued at £5, from David Grey Spencer, at Julian's Hotel, Waitara.

David G. Spencer, traveller for the International Harvester Co., said that on or about August 21 last he was staying at Julian's Hotel, Waitara. Accused shared the same room as witness. He had a handbag in the room in which there was a small pocket camera. About two dftgi htsty alter ke had gone to

•Stratford he missed his camera. He last saw it in his bag while at the hotel in Waitara. The camera prpduced was his property. The value of the camera was £4 17s. Constable La Pomple, Waitara, said he interviewed and searched accused on August 23, and found in his possession a small pocket camera, which he said was his own. He had had no complaint at that time that arJy camera had been missed. The one produced was similar to that found on accused. In reply to accused witness said he asked no questions as to where accused got the camera from. At that time he was not looking for a camera. Roland S. Land, laborer, said he saw accused in Howlet's billiard saloon about five weeks ago, where he asked witness if he wanted to buy a camera. He [ showed him a small camera, and the j one produced, he thought, was the same t one as he had been shown. Accused asked witness to try and sell it for him, saying he had bought it in England before returning from the war. Witness eventually disposed of the camera to p. ,!r. Lovell for 255. In reply to prisoner witness said he gave him 15s or the camera, which was all he asked. Norman Lovell, letterpress machinist, identified the camera produced as the same he had bought from the previous witness for 255. Accused pleaded guilty on both charges and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.