MAGISTRATES COURTS

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2811, 6 May 1872, Page 3

MAGISTRATES COURTS

LYTTELTON. Saturday. May 4. [Before W. Donald, Esq., E.M.] Lakceny—William George Head was charged with this offence. Constable John Maguire deposed that he arrested the prisoner on a warrant. [Produced.] The accused on his way to the station said that the property (a pair of blue blankets) were his, and be had brought them from Western Australia. Sergeant-Major Barsham, sworn, said it was reported to him by Mr Lazarus, Victoria Dining-room, Lyttelton, that he had lost a pair of blue blankets on the Monday previous, giving a description of the same. He said he suspected the prisoner of stealing them ; from inquiries found that a box belonging to the prisoner came down from Christchurch on the previous day. The box had no address on it, merely a card, to be left until called for. Further information was received that prisoner would be down by the last train. He came by that train, and was arrested. He acknowledged being the owner of the box. He opened it in my presence, and the blankets produced were in it, and they were identified by prosecutor and his wife; a hammer and a hair brush that were in the box were also identified by the prosecutor. David Lazarus gave evidence the blankets and other articles were his property, and that he missed them on the Monday after the prisoner had left. The prisoner left the house withoutgiving any notice, and took away his bos. This aroused suspicion. Could swear that the goods produced in Court were his. Mrs Lazarus, wife of the prosecutor gave similar evidence. A further charge was made against prisoner of stealing some shoemaker's tools. It appeared that complaint had been made by Walter Marshall of a robbery of tools, and on searching prisoner's box some of the tools were found in it aud identified. The Bench considered the cases clearly proved, and sentenced the accused to two months' imprisonment with hard labor.