ELTHAM.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1922, Page 7

ELTHAM.

MAGISTRATE’S COURT. THEFT CHARGE DISMISSED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Oct. 17. At a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at Eltham to-day, before Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., Samuel A. Ammon, a farm-hand, of Toko, and previously a school teacher at Makaha, was charged with the theft of one boiler, two Roman rings, one claw hammer, and one book, valued at £2 4s, the property of the Taranaki Education Board. The accused pleaded not guilty and elected to be dealt with summarily. Constable Anderson said that accused was a teacher at the Makaha school, and when he left the articles were missing from the school. H. M. Wills, a late member of the school committee, said he met Ammon on the road about the time of the alleged theft and noticed one of the rings hanging from his stirrup. Thomas Huckstep also gave evidence to the effect that he saw the rings on Ammon’s saddle the day the teacher left the school. Mr. Young (-for accused) said accused had no residence at the school, and rented a house half a mile away. The house was in a. had state of repair, and he borrowed the hammer and the boiler from the school for use at the residence. The book was also taken to the residence by accused. The rings were found under the school, and laid about for some time before accused took them home. Accused claimed that the articles were not on the school log and did not belong to the Education Board, so that when he moved to Toko the articles were packed up by a friend and taken to Toko. After being at Toko for ten days accused received a complaint from his late school committee that the articles were missing. He made a search and found the articles among his packed goods, and straight away returned ’ them. Mr. Young claimed that there was no criminal intent, which was necessary to establish the charge. The charge was dismissed. BREACH OF THE PEACE. John Walsh senr. and John Walsh junr. were charged with causing a breach of the peace in a public street in Eltham. Counsel pleaded not guilty on behalf of Walsh senr. and guilty on behalf of Walsh junr. Constable Townsend withdrew the charge against John Walsh senr. He said that the two Walsh’s had an argument over a wheelbarrow with a man named Lehrke. and there was some drink concerned in the matter. There was a. large number of people about, and a considerable disturbance was caused when John Walsh junr. struck Lehrke. Walsh was fined £2 with costs. UNREGISTERED ARMS. C. Hughes was charged under the Arms Act with having in his possession an unregistered revolver. He was convicted and discharged. K. G. McKie, who sold the revolver to Hughes, was charged with having an unregistered weapon in his possession for more than seven days, and was fined 30s. An order was made that the revolver be confiscated. Chong Lee, a Chinese, was charged with being in possession of an unregis--1 ter.ed pearifle. Defendant was convicted and discharged, and an order for confiscation of the weapon was made. ARREARS OF MAINTENANCE. Dennis Brew pleaded guilty to a charge of being in arrears of maintenance on an order in favour of his wife and children to the extent of about two • years at £2 per week. , Mr. Crump, for Mrs. Brew, said the : defendant had been arrested on a wari rant at Ashburton, and it had taken j about eighteen months to locate him. i Mr. Stewart (for defendant), said de- . fendant, who was 65 years of age, had

gone to the South Island in quest of work, but his grey head militated against his success. He finally obtained work at 12s a day, and had not had the money to pay the maintenance. His Worship: But how are we to get over the fact that he went away and left his wife and eight kids? Mr. Stewart: That must be admitted. At this stage Brew claimed that he had not left his wife and children, but that his wife had sent him away. Defendant was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended for three days, providing that Brew pays £lO in maintenance in the meantime. OTHER CASES. W. G. Crozier, for allowing a cow and calf to wander on a borough road, was fined £1 and costs 7s. For permitting twelve bullocks to be at large on the Duthie Road, F. J. Muir was fined £2 and costs I4s 6d. Barbara Onions applied for a prohibition order against her husband, Amos Onions. An order was made. UNDEFENDED CIVIL CASES. Judgment for plaintiff by default was given in the following undefended civil cases: C. E. Goldstone v. J. W. J. Gardiner. for balance £4B 7s lid (coste £6 0s 6d); Clough and Harris v. T. Williams. £4 10s (costs £1 15s 6d); Newton King, Ltd. v. J. M. G. Robertson, £45 9s 7d (costs £4 Ils 6d); same v. Allan Robertson. £9 0« 3d (costs £1 19s 6d); same v. Rangi Huna, £lO4 17s Id (costs £6 12s).