MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8540, 21 September 1907, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

MASTERTON—FRIDAY. (Before Mr W. P. James, S.M.)

~~ v A.first offender was fined ss, in default 24 hours' imprisonment, for liaving been drunk. A,local resident pleaded guilty to a charge of allowing his chimney to become foul and take fire, and was fined .5s with 7s costs. Mis Aperuna Niohi entered a plea of notiguilty to a charge of wilfully encumbering Queen Street by allowing a ; horse and cart to stand for an unreasonably long time. The Magistrate, .after hearing the circumstances, .did not consider the case a very serious one, and dismissed the information. W, JKeeble, cabdriver, pleaded not jguilty to .a charge of allowing nis cab to stand on a portion of Queen Street other than .that set apart for licensed vehicles. Constable Kyle said the cab was .allowed to stand in front of the Club Hotel for about five minutes. Sergeant Miller said the offence was too frequent among cabdrivera. The Magistrate, after warning fcbe accused, imposed a nominal fine of Is with 7s costs. T. J. Deane, who did not appear, was fined 10s, with 7s costs, for having driven a horse and cart along the -f^footpath in Perry Street, contrary to the Borough by-laws. In the judgment summons case of J. Hennessy v. E. Coyle, Mr B. J. Dolan, for the judgment creditor, asked for an order for imprisonment, but the Magistrate remarked that as the debtor had already been imprisoned for the debt in question, he would not make the order applied for. Mr C. A. Pownall appeared for the debtor. Edward Maher sued Humphrey O'Leary for the sum of £1 for firewood supDlied by plaintiff off defendant's land, which the former was renting.. The Magistrate gave judgment for ss, and ordered each party to pay its own costs. Mr C. A. Pownall appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr B. J. Dolan for the defendant.

An information was laid by the Borough Ranger (W. Davidson) against Walter Garrett for having rescued a horse which the Ranger was impounding. Mr Pownall appeared for the prosecution, and Mr Dolan for the defence. The Ranger deposed that on September 12 th he came across ahorse grazing in Villa Street with no one apparently in charge. Witness asked a boy in Ae vicinity who owned the horse, latter replied that it was his. Witness said, "It will cost you a shilling," whereupon the boy went to a neighbouring hjuse and defendant came out, declaring that he would "pay no shilling." Witness made several attempts to take the horse to the pound, but these were frustrated by the defendant, who alleged that the fact of the horse being on the road was only a trap for witness. The defendant said that the horse -wab merely being taken across the road to a paddock when the Ranger came up ar.d attempted to seize it. He denied taking hold of the Ranger's coat and holding him back. admitted in cross-examination that he did h : -s best to prevent the horse P being taken to the pound. After hearing further evidence and legal argument, the Magistiate said there had no doubt been a technical offence, but, from the evidence he thought the Ranger had been a little hasty in his attempt to impound the horse, which was certainly under some control, although the control was not very effectual. The cr.se would be dismissed, each parly to pay its own costs,