RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3741, 21 December 1880, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT

THIS DAY.

(Before T. L. Murray, Esq., J.P.) AN INCOEBiaiBLE VAGABOND.

Jane French was charged with being drunk yesterday afternoon. She was also charged with being an idle and disorderly person, and a habitual drunkard, she having been three times before the Court within the last twelve months.

Detective Farrell said he found the prisoner drunk yesterday afternoon. She was always drunk, and used to beg flowers and old clothes, and sell them for pints of beer. Iwo ladies had complained to the police that when they refused her flowers she used insulting language towards them. She was a disreputable woman, and was the associate of the worst characters of the town.

The prisoner promised to leave the Thames if the Bench would look over the offence.

The Bench ordered her to pay a fine of 10s and costs, or to be imprisoned for forty-eight hours. Sergeant-Major O'Grady said they would not give her an opportunity to " clear out." • However, she would have to be sent to Auckland; as all prisoners incarcerated could not be kept here for a longer period than twenty-four hours, as the gaol had been done away with. Would His Worship reduce the term to twenty-four hours, and then she could go away to Auckland as she had promised!? The .Bench expressed it as their opinion that it was a great pity the Government did not provide a gaol for criminals. However, it was for them to do that,, and not for the Bench to reduce tho fine because there was no place to put the criminals in. The prisoner would be sent to gaol for forty-eight hours on the first charge, and the second would be dismissed on condition that she stayed away from the Thames. , CHBAV PASSAGE.

William Mumford was fined 5s and costs for refusing to pay his fare from Auckland to the Thames, by the Tonga* riro, when requested to do so.