SOUTHBRIDGE.

Press, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5084, 23 December 1881, Page 3

SOUTHBRIDGE.

Wbdnesday, Dbcember 21. Before E J. Lee, J. K. CampbeU, and W. E.

Lawrence, E*q*., J.P.'sj Labobkt—Morgan Harper, alias James Smith, was charged by the police on four separate informations with steeling a rug, the property of Mr D. Mitchell, Boyal Hotel, S.uthbridge ; a horse rug and pair of pants, the property of Charles Erered ; one gun, powder fl »sk and shot pouoh, the property ot John Lakeride; and a silver watch aud gold the property of John West, of the Upper Selwyn. T c latter charges arose out of an information laid about the first, Constables jHildyard and Hill cleverly bringing the o'-her cases to the same man. After lergt.hr evidence had been taken from the witnesses, the prisoner pleaded guilty to tbe three first charges. The case of stealing the watch and chain, value £14, the property of John West, was then gone into, and the folio wir.g evidence brought forward:— John West, landlord of the Upper Selwyn Hotel, deposed that on Sunday morning, at half past twelve, be stripped to have a bath, aud put his coat and vest on the scullery table. Prisoner was sitting near the pump. After washing be went for bis clothes and found the prisoner sitting on them. He turned lim cut of the place and took up his clothes. He looked in the pocket for his watch and chain and found it gone. Searched the house, thjnking the children might possibly have taken —tern, but not finding them, called a

-an and determined to search prisoner. They did so, but found nothing on him. They afterwards searched the whare whioh he was then in, and in the bottom of a bs2 of I straw found the missing articles wrapped up in a pocket bandkerohief whioh had been in the prisoner*, possession. Oo accusing the i prisoner of .tealing them, he said that they must have been stolen by a man who had been sleeping in the whare the night before. This man had left the premises two hours before the watch had been out of bis (Mr West's) possession. Daniel Griffith., the man who helped Mr West to searoh for the missing article., corroborated the last witness's evidence. The prisoner having been duly cautioned by the Bench, made a rambling statement, contending that he had never seen the watch or ohain. Constable Bfldyard proved two previous convictions agaisat the prisoner. The Bench decided to deal summarily with tbe three first case*, to which he had pleaded guilty, and sentenced prisoner to two months' imprisonment in each case, or six months in all. On the last oharge they committed him to take hi. trial at the next Bitting of the Supreme Court. Some of the witnesses in the second and third eases applied for costs, but the Bench declined to allow them, considering that the circumstances in connection with them were of such a shady character that they could not think of it, and hoped it wonld act as a warning to publicans and others not to purchase goods at a nominal price from persons of whom they knew nothing.