THE COURTS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 273, 24 April 1873, Page 5

THE COURTS.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT. LAWRENCE. (Before Vincent Pyke, Esq., R.M.; T CTESDAY, APRIL 22. "

James Parkinson was placed in the duck upon a charge of assaulting James Price. Inspector Thompson conducted the prosecution ; accused was undefended.

James Price, miner, residing at Waitatahuna, stated that he was at a funeral oh the 13th inst., and on returning to his hut about 7 p.m., it was closed, and he could not find the key. He went to accused's gate and called out to him, asking if he (accused,) knew anything of the key. Accused came to the gate and told witness to be off. They chatted together for i little while, and then accused struck him over the head with a tomahawk which he brought out of the house with him. He did not attempt to strike accused, nor did he use language calculated to provoke accused to strike witness. On being struck witness fell down, and cried out " Jira^ do you know what you have done? " You have cut my head open." Accused replied " I don't care if I have cut your head off." Witness lay in the coal hole all night, as he could not find the key of his hut. The wound bled for about tive hours.

Dr. Halley stated that he examined Price's head on the 17th inst. There was an incised wound about two inches and a half in length on the right temple, penetrating the scalp to the bone. Witness thought", from Price being an old n>an and having been drinking, that it was probable erysipelas would take place from, the effect of the wound. Either of the tomahawks produced would have inflicted the wound. Price was then completely out of danger.

Constable Nicholson said that on the 14th inst. he went to accused's hut, and found the two tomahawks produced. On the morning of the I7th inst., accused came to the police camp, Waitahuna, and said '* Price came to my hut with a tomahawk for the purpose of attacking me with, as he had been drinking. He attacked me with a shovel some time ago. I took the tomahawk from him and struck him in self-defence."

James Price was re-called, and said that when he came to Parkinson's hut he had uot a tomahawk in his hand.

Accused, on being duly cautioned, said that Price came to his hut to enquire about his key, He (accused,) said he knew nothing at all about it, whereupon Price collared him. He then put Price through the gate, telling him to go away, as he did not want any bother. As lie was locking the gate, Price struck him with a tomahawk across the shoulder. He (accused,) then caught hold of the tomahawk, cutting his hands in so doing. Price swore he would have his (accused's) life, and caught him by the throat. He (accused) begged Price to loose him, and then, to save his life, he struck Price with a tomahawk. He wanted the tomahawk, but he (accused) threw it away. Price then said he would have his life at one time or another. Six months previously he had beaten him with a pickhandle.

At this stage the case was adjourned till 3 o'clock.

On resuming the charge was withdrawn, and a fresh information for assault was laid.

The evidence was repeated, and the prisoner sentenced to two months' hard labor in Lawrence gaol.

Bastings and Kofoed v. George. — Claim of L 5 ss. Defendant did not appear, and judgment was given for amount claimed, with costs of Court. Mr. M'Coy appeared for plaintiffs.

Mr Gooday, on beh.-Jf of Mr. Taylor, who had defended Glover, drew the attention of his Worship to a paragraph which appeared in the " Morning Star " touching the privileges of the Bar and the Bench.

Mr. Pyke said he wished Mr. Gooday had mentioned the matter when Inspector Thompson was in Court. Mr. Taylor, in his defence of Glover, very properly animalverted upon the conduct of Detective Farrell, who, according to his own evidence, had searched Glover's boxes'at his wife's lodgings. The statement that appeared in the "Morning Star" had placed Detective Farrell in a veryawkward dilemma, for in it the writer asserted that Farrell's sworn testimony was untrue. As the matter was about to be investigated, he would not at that time say anything further. While on the subject, however, he wished to state that ho thought the reporter had misapprehended what he said when remarking upon Detective Farrell's course of conduct. In the "Tuapeka Times " he was reported to have said '* It was time the police kuew their duty" The impression remaining on his mind was that he had said "He presumed Detective Farrell had been loug enough in the force to know his duty." At any rate he did not mean to make a broad attack upon the police force, but merely to refer to the case and the officer theu before him.

Mr. John M'Bride, of Queenstown, tinder whose supervision the track from Lake Wakatip to Martin's Bay is being constructed, informs the "Wakatip Mail" that " the improvements made are so great that a journey which has hitherto taken two and a half days to accomplish can now be done in less than half that time. Mr M' Bride himself reduced that time to nine hours and a half, in which he reached Dartmouth (Head of Lake,) from the Hollyfovd Kiver. Our informant, whose testimony is valuable from former pursuits and experience, says that •i finer country for settlement does not exist. The soil is deep and rich, the timber is magnificent, straight trees over 100 feet in the barrel are met with" generally, and thousands of acres tempt setclement ; that the valleys excel ordinary ideas of them, and the climate is .delightful. As to Martin's Bay. we have obtained no precise information. Money is evidently not plentiful, and the steamboats trading on the West Coast are not over anxious for accounts current." The "* Wan gciuui Chronicle " calls Wellington an " ambitious collection of ornamental wooden packing cases." In A uckland, as in Dunedin, . great complaints are being nnde of ths scarcity of small change, especially sixpences and coppers. U. i c selling of dead tuis w ur-v p'urUh■Jo 1 '- In Auokb'v? a ir.a;<: ii'jrr. c-'-a a v of L2O.