Defendant's Excuse in Window: breaking Case: Friends to Help Him Out Charged with maliciously damaging a glass window, the property of Messrs. A. S.'Watson & Ca., N._ Cleghorn appeared before Mr. G. W._ King in H. M. Police Court on Tuesday.
An Indian watchman said that! defendant admitted the offence and told him that he had no home and no food. Questioned by the Magi trate defendant that he had been out of employment since December 5.
Police-Sergent Diprose said that defendant told him he was prompted to commit the offence in order to call the attention of the public to. his case, Defendant was remanded. On Wednesday Mr. J. S. Hay, of A. S. Watson & Ca, stated that he had been called to the scene of this unfortunate affair. He spoke to defendant who admitted having! [broken the window. Cleghorn said that he had been walking the town and was down and out and "fed uv." At the previous hearing the value of the damage had been estimated Jat Ts. 380, but the firm now thought the window could be replaced for Tls. 240, Mr. A. L, Dickson, solicitor to the British Cigarette' Ca., by whom: defendant was formerly " employed, said that the company had no complaint against him. They were, Prepared to make good the damage. Defendant's conduct while in their employ had been perfectly good and there was no will on the part of the firm. He rather hot tempered and did not like being spoken to. There had been no ill treatment to him on. the part of the company. He had been dismissed because he was unsuitable for the particular work for which he was engaged.
Defendant said that he would pay the damages as soon as he could obtain work.
The Magistrate, summing up, said that if defendant had a_grievanee he could not demonstrate it on other: people's property. If everybody demonstrated in this manner did not know what we should come.
He would enter a conviction der that the damages should aid, in default of which he would have to inflict imprisonment for three months. Defendant was fortunate in having friends. to help him id settle the affair,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.