MAGISTERIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2768, 24 March 1910, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23

(Before Mr. W. A. Barifcon, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. i Ricliard Solomon, with previous convictions, was' fined 10s with 2s costs, in default 48 hours imprisonment. Two first offenders were also dealt with. The first pleaded guilty and was fined 5s with costs 2s. in default 24 hours’ imprisonment, and the latter, Gustav Levi, a young seaman of 20. pleaded not guilty, lie had only been ashore 20 minutes, he said, and only had four drinks. The arresting constable and Sergt .Hutton gave evidence, and the accused was convicted and fined 10s, with 1 2s costs, in default 48 hours’ impj isonment. BUYING FROM BOYS.

Joseph Spencer, second-hand dealer, was charged' with purchasing secondhand goods from a boy under 16 years of age. The defendant pleaded guilty. Sergeant Hutton said there was nothing against the man, who had been led into 1 purchasing the articles, valued about 4s, by the lie® of the boy. Spencer pleaded ignorance of the law. His Worship said this was no excuse. A person in defendant’s business should make himself acquainted witli the law. Taking into consideration the fact that the police gave accused a good character His Worship inflicted a fine of only 10s with 7s costs. PROCURING LIQUOR.

Adam Knox (Mr. Blair) pleaded guilty to a. charge of obtaining liquor at Makaraka, while under prohibition. Air. Blair stated that defendant had previously been under prohibition, and there had been a space' between the presnt order and the last, when liquor was procured, and it got such a. hold on defendant that he could not keep off it when again prohibited. A fine of £5, with costs 11s was imposed. in default 30. days’ imprisonment. FORGING AND UTTERING. William Walker, a. young half-caste Native, on remand, was charged that on the 12th March, at Gisborne, he forged the name of T. R. Howell to a cheque for £29 10, and uttered the same to Paul Fishback. Paul Fishback, cyclcdealer, Lowe Street, nrave evidence that accused cam e to his shop at 9.30 a.m. on the 12th, and asked witness what lie wanted for a bicycle standing against the wall. On being told that it was £8 10s accused asked witness had he change for a cheque for £29 10s, and produced the cheque in question. Witness said the cheque looked very old, and accused said it was a shearing cheque, and •he had not been able to get it cashed sooner. Asked how much change ho had witness procured £l4, and accused said he would take that and come back for the balance and for the machine. Witness banded over the £l4 and accused left. To His Worship: He had never seen accused before. His Horship: It’s a very extraordinary tiling to give £l4 for this cheque. Wm. Henry Douglas, restaurant keeper, gave evidence that- the cheque butt (pro'duced) was his property. He usuallv kept it under the counter at his shop. Accused had' been staying at his place about a month ago. Witness had never been on the Makaraka racecourse. The cheque produced corresponded with the butt produced'. Witness had never given accused the cheque or butt Detective Rawle said that about 11 a.m. on the 12th inst. he brought the accused to the Police Station, and ques. tionod him concerning his possession of the cheque (produced). Accused' said lie resided at Mangatu, and came to Gisborne a fortnight previously. He received the cheque from Mir. Howell,' of Waipaoa, about three months ago, in payment of shearing. Accused almost immediately afterwards made another statement, and signed it. The- statement was to the effect that accused made out the cheque himself, on a form he found on the Makaraka racecourse.

Continuing, witness said accused was then charged with the present offence, and made no reply. Accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme court at Auckland for sentence, bail being allowed in £SO and two sureties of £25 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Alexander W. Jackson, of Ormond, was charged with, ill-treating three horses, on or about March 3rd. at Parihimanihi. The defendant did not appear, being represented by Mr. Mann His Worship pointed out that the maximum penalty was six months’ imprisonment, and defendant would have to be present. Sergt. Hutton stated that the offene e was not a very bad one, and as witnesses were in attendance, and defendant being in'Wellington. His Worship allowed the case to go on. A plea of guilty was entered. Const. Doyle, of To Kara'ka, said that he visited Parihimanihi, on the 9th inst.,- and examined five horses working in a road grader. Three of the horses were suffering from sore shoulders. They were being driven bv Charles Wilson," who had taken them over from defendant. The. sores were about two inches square on two of the horses, and on the other there were three small soresi They were not 'of a • serious nature. The horses were in good condition. An attempt had been made to ease the sores by taking away part of the lining and straw of the collars. Tlio sores had also been' treated with ointment. Upon Witness ordering it, the horses were put out of work. To Mr. Mann: There had been precautions to ease the sores. Witness had never seen the actual nature" of the sores when: Jackson had the horses. Sergt. Hutton explained that Jackson had come to his office arid said the horses wore fresh in from grass, and t-li© heat and dust had caused the sores. Mr. Mann asked that the matter should be dealt with very leniently. His Worship said it was not a serious case, but animals, had to be protected. A conviction and fine of £1 was recorded, with costs £1 11s, in default 4 days’ imnrisonment. Charles' Wilson, of Ormond, was also charged ■with’ having ill-treated three horses, on March 9th. at the same place. He pleaded guiltv to tlio facts, which were those of the -revious case, and in extenuation, said he. had only taken chare© of the horses the day previously. He changed the collars and put on ointment to alleviate tho trouble A similar fine was recorded, with costs 15s in default throe days’ imprisonment. „ THEFT. Wm. Walker was then charged with the theft of a portmanteau and contents, valued at 255, the property of Charles' Priestly. Accused pleaded guilty, and had no statement to make. Sergt. Hutton said there was nothing known, about accused previous to these charges. * Accused' was l sentenced to six weeks imprisonment in Auckland gaol, with hard labor. (l

BREAKING AND ENTERING AND THEFT’. ’

William Walker was also charged with breaking and entering the buildings on the. Makaraka racecourse on or about March sth, and stealing articles valued' at £l, the property of the Poverty Bay Turf Club. George Muir, caretaker of the P.B. Turf Club’s buildings, said that between the 4th and 6tli. instant, a door at the back of the grand-stand was broken open. He found a slasher inside the door. On examining the room he found the key belonging to the stewards’ dining room missing, also two hail* combs and brushes, and two clothes brushes, from the ladies’ dressing room, and also a pyjama coat from the tool room Perrier O’Hara, salesman and assistant- of Geo. Smith, pawnbroker, said that on the 4th inst. accused came to Smith’s shop l , and sold a brush and comb, a. blanket, a. shirt, and two clothes. He> gave the pyjama coat to Smith ag a present. Detectice Rawle gave, evidence that he arrested accused on the 12th inst. on another charge. When searching him the key (produced) was found. On the same day witness charged him with this offence. Accused, in reply, said: “That’s right.” Accused pleaded guilto and was committed to the Supreme Court, at Auckland, foil* sentence. Bail was allowed in a personal security of £2O and two sureties of £lO. The same accused was also charged with breaking and- entering the premises of Gus Manning, at To liapara, onor about the 10th inst. with intent to commit a crime. Elirabeth Manning, wife of Gus Manning gave evidence that she was lying down in a room in front of the house, at To Haparg,, on the afternoon of the 10th instant. She heard someone enter the front <rato and walk to the back of the premises. She then heard steps in the bathroom, and someone opened the kitchen door and entered. The kitchen door was closed, but not- locked. The dining-room door, which was locked, was also tried. Witness came into the dining-room and called out : “What are you doing there.” There was no reply and witness went back to her room. She then met accused at the front gate,- as he was leaving. She asked him wliat he was doing, and what he wanted, n.ndi accused said something about having a sore hand, and he was seeing to it. Witness replied that that was no excuse for trying people’s doors. Accused mad'e no reply to this, but made off towards town. Accused denied having been at the •■'lace, and asked witness if she was sure he was the man. Witness answered that she was quite sure he was the verson. Sergt. Hutton gave evidence that on the 19tli inst. lie charged accused with tlie nresent offence. Accused made no reply. Accused pleaded not guilty ana was committed to the Supreme Court, Gisborne, for trial. ' Bail was allowed in £SO and two sure, tics of £25 each. 1