MAGISTRATES COURTS.

Press, Volume XXIX, Issue 3893, 14 January 1878, Page 3

MAGISTRATES COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Saturday, JastjAßY 12. [Before G. L. Lee, Esq. and Dr. Deamer, J.P.'s.] Assauxt.—Joseph TT.-n*- was charged on warrant with having assaulted his wife Rebecca Hannan on the 23rd October last Mrs Hannan stated that her husband struck her on that day in the mouth. He had been away since, and she did not wish to press the charge.—Case dismissed. Fobg-bby ass Xjttkbtso. —John Jackson, alias Charles Ellis, alias James Miles, was charged with having on the sth January forged and uttered a cheque for £20 ou the Union Bank, Christchurch. —Mrs Fuchs, landlady of the Wellington Hotel, st-ted that accused came to her house on the sth inst. between 12 and 1 o'clock with one of her boarders. He asked her if she could cash a cheque for £20. She asked whose signature was on the cheque, and he replied "Dr. Campbell Ellis." Witness remarked that she neither knew Dr. Campbell Ellis nor himself. Accused then said his name wu Miles, and

that he was a cousin of Mr Miles, of Miles, Hassal, <_ Co. He also said that Dr. Camp, bell Ellis's advertisement was in the newspaper. He also said he owed the man who was in his company £3, and he wanted to pay him the money. She, however, declined to cosh the cheque. After a little while the other man, whose name is Cusack, asked witness whether she -would let accused have five pounds on the cheque, as he wanted to get his money. Accused told her that Dr. Campbell Ellis was his brother-in-law, and she then gave him £5, and said she would give him the balance of the cheque on Monday. Accused paid Cusack £3, and afterwards he (Cusack) said he would give her a promissory note for £5, sd that she would not be a loser if anything went wrong, as she had given the money at his request. Accused endorsed his name to the cheque at I her request, acd left after he had had dinner. On Monday witness sent the cheque to the Union Bank of Australia, and it was dishonored. Witness did not see accused afterwards, and gave information to the police— Dr. Ellis, called, stated that he resided in Christchurch, and did not know any other medical gentleman in Christchurch of the same name. Had never seen accused before. Witness hod on advertisement in one of the local papers relative'to his partnership with Dr. Prins. Did not know any one of the name of Dr. Campbell Ellis.—T. F. Baldwin, ledger keeper at the Union Bank, stated that the signature to the cheque produced was quite unknown at the bonk.—Detective Benjamin stated that he heard the cheque had beeuttered on the Bth inst., and on the following day he went to Ashburton and found the accused in custody there. From the description of the man witness charged him with the offence, but he denied that he was the man. He afterwards said he had got the cheque from a man named Cusack, and that witness had better see him. Two hours afterwards accused told witness that what he had said about Cusack was untrue, that he had forged the cheque himself. He had met Cusack, who asked him for some money he owed him, and he (accused) said he would pay him as soon as he got a cheque for £20 cashed. They had then gone to the Wellington Hotel, as already described. Accused had also said that he had committed the offence himself, and supposed he would have to suffer for it, and there was no use in putting on innocent man in for it.—This was all the evidence, and after the depositions had been read over accused reserved his defence, and was committed to take his trial at the next Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court.