MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9050, 8 February 1908, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

MASTERTON—FRIDAY,

(Before Mr W. P. James, S.M.)

MISCELLANEOUS CASES. For drunkenness, a first offender was fined 5s in default 24 hours' imprisonment. Walter Samuel Lett pleaded guilty to a charge of having driven a horse and vehicle along the footpath in Essex Street, and was fined 10s, with 7s costs. ;An information laid by Vincenzo Almao against Edward Marryatt for obtaining the sum of £3 by false pretences, was withdrawn by consent. A QUESTION OF AGE. Frederick S. Cooper, licensee of khe Central Hotel, and Nellie Wheeler, barmaid at the same hotel, were charged with'having supplied liquor on January 6th to Arthur Bange, the latter being apparently under the age of eighteen years. Mr C. A. Pownall appeared for the defendant, who pleaded not guilty. Benge stated that he went to the Central Hotel with another person for a drink, and was served by Miss Wheeler. He paid for the drinks with a cheque, and included in the change was a half-sovereign which was not a good one, and which was refused at a shop where he endeavoured to make some purchases. Sergeant Miller said Benge came to him on January 18th and said he had got a bad half-sovereign at the Central Hotel. Witness asked Benge his age, and he replied "Just turned Seventeen." [The birth certificate in this was produced. Witness went with Benge to the Centra 1 Hotel, and when the licensee >was shown the half sovereign he said he had never seen such a coin in .the bar. Nellie Wheeler,said she knew it -was illegal to serve a youth under .eighteen, but on this occasion she had ,not troubled because she took Benge irom appearances to be well over .eighteen years of age. ,Wm. Long, manager for A. A. Najrby, butcher, said Benge worked ior him ,and received a.man's wages, via., ,£2 15s per week. Witness took Benge to be about 21 years of age, and he was surprised to learn that he was not eighteen years. Frederick S. Cooper had no knowledge .of the lad getting a glass of beer. Two days after he had been served witness asked several persons in and out of the bar, and they thought Benge was over eighteen) years of age. In answer to the Sergeant as to whether he instructed his barmaid to to serve youths under eighteen, wit- ! nesssaid: "You'know I have been persecuted here. I have given the barmaids every instruction required. His Worship said he did not think there was any case against Mr Cooper. Benge might reasonably be taken for eighteen years of age. j Where persons were bordering on the age of eighteen years, however, they should be asked questions concerning their age before being served with drink. The information would be dismissed. ALLEGED FORGERY. George Allen was charged with having on or about January 30th forged a cheque for £5 16s, drawn on the Bank of New South Wales, and purporting to bear the signature of Thomas Deane, and uttering the same to Alexander Hendry. Mr C. A. Pownall appeared for the accused. Alexander Hendry, of the firm of Hendry and Buxton, drapers, said ! that the accused came to the firm's ! shop on the date in question and pur- ! chased goods to the value of £4 0s 6d, | for which' he tendered in payment the '. cheque alleged to be forged. Witness j cashed the cheque and gave the ac- | cused change amounting to £1 15s 6d. The cheque was then immediately sent to the bank, and it was returned dishonoured. Witness next | saw the accused two days later and pointed him out to the police. By Mr Pownall: Witness did not know the accused before he came in-' to the'shop. Neither did he know the signature of Mr Deane. Thomas J. Deane, carter, said be knew the accused. The signature on the cheque produced was not his. He did not authorise any person to sign his name to any cheque. Thomas Clancy, livery stablekeeper, said accused had been in his employ for about eight months. He missed a cheque from his chequebook, which had been in the pocket of a coat hanging in the stable, tie did not give the accused a blank cheque. Frank C. O'Connell and Constables Townsend and Doyle also gave evidence. Accused reserved his defence and was committed for trial at the next sitting of the Wellington Supreme Court. Bail was allowed in one surety of self at £IOO, and two others of £SO each. FORGERY ADMITTED. Robert Ibell, alias T. A. Bell, alias Snell, alias W. Brown was charged, with forging a cheque for £6 and uttering the same to Alexander Bell; forging a cheque for £5 and uttering the same to Robert Barclay; forging a cheque for £ll and uttering the same to Wra. R. Boyd, and forging an order for the payment of money purporting to be signed by W, D. Watson. After hearing the evidence for the prosecution, accused, who was not represented by counsel, pleaded guilty to all four charges, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.