MAGISTRATE'S. COURT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 952, 20 October 1910, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S. COURT.

(Before Mr. W. G. ■ Itiddell, S.M.) HIS, SECOND MARRIAGE, '■ AND HIS STATEMENT. IN GAOL. Chance reading of a newspaper by a fireman, on .'one. of tho Tyser steamers led to certain: bigamy proceedings being . taken' against' William Watkins, billposter, of Wellington some time ago. On that occasion, the evidence of the fireman was taken,' as the steamer was. about to sailj and the case adjourned. It came on again-yesterday, the- substance of the charge being that Watkins went through a form of marriage with Eva . Gibson, at . Wellington, on: September 19, 1910;although 'lie 1 was then, a married man. Also:that, on that-date, he made a false statement regarding a particular required to be;registered, under the Marriage Act, alleging that he. was a bachelor. Accused, who was found, guilty on' Friday last on a charge' of assaulting Eva Gibson by attacking:.her with a knife, failed 'to find the necessary, securities for his good conduct, .and is-, at present confined to' gaol. Whilst in gaol lie made the. following written statement:— /. I admit that I.am, William Watkins,. ; ■ ;ivho;was marned to Mary. Anne Beed, •. neo Tingev, in September,, ,1907, at. fiilvertown, England. I • left: my first . "wife in/England in August, 1908, and. /came to New Zealand." Since'leaving England I have, not heard from my , wife. . I wrote Home to her soon after.' . my; arrival in New Zealand, 'inform-;. ing her that I was returning home again, but I did not go after all. I, • have since heard -that my'.wife ■ had. died in England, but I have made no attempt to ascertain from England . /.whether, she was ! alive or not." I have ./since married Eva Gibson at Wellington, on September 19, thinking at the • time that my . first ' : wife ' was' . dead:- -Up till - the 1 time/ that / I saw 'William Tingey. (the fire-' man and brother of his first wife, who '. was . responsible : for . the " present -charge); ; I really thought that she 1 was dead. /;A- man. at, Eyttelton ih- ■ formed me .that my' first'wife - had . . died' at Home. I. do riot:know ' who v.: the man/was, but he was a seafaring -.' man! - - -•- ;y;; (Sgd.) W. WATKINS. . ■ Chief-Detective Broberg 'prosocuted, and ,Mr./;P v . Jackson watched ..'proceedings on ■behalf ■: of Eva iWatkiris, and : the'.accused was not -.represented by counsel.' '■'.'/, . , /'.Gilbert GrahamHodgkins,'Registrar. of Marriages-at-Wo/lington, : stated that he' married accused at', his pffice: on September 19 /last. ' Defendant represented himself 'as being- a bachelor. : :i V , ' ' : The /accused,; who ' pleaded not guilty, was committed to./the; Supreme /Court' for , trial, no . bail-, being', asked .for. ' :■ -' IU

•WHAT HAPPENED 1 THAT NIGHT? . James -Vincent . Cummins, John Lewis, alias'. Lindsay,alias Neivton, 'Charles itfes- : ton, and Charles v Cunningham, V were. oharged- :with) . breaking.. and.. entering; by . night the house oi Mary/ Spencer in Cam-' ibridgV.TerracS.'io'n; October and .stealing ■a,; rolled 'gold; watch, . a? gold.; chain, a; silver ;match-box, .and: a .gold-mounted ; shark'sv tooth,; and■ 9s. :'6d.. in, .cash, of . the 1 total lvalue of- <£17 4s. 6d., the property of Thomas ■Davidsohi.' •; AlsS 'with; stealing a pair,' of /'boots, / .valuedvat ,255., the. pro: •perty; of:' Alexander :Hilli' ; , Further,, at the 1 .same: time, and iplace, .assaulting and rob-" bing Jeter /',-Wilson.. of 6s'., Gd. :in money. ■ Accused• were not represented, by counsel. i'Mary 'Spencer,"/widow, . who :• .keeps .V 70".Cambridge; Terrace,stated ;.that :a: T friend . named • Davidson called : atrher"house •'oh ■ October :4,.and was • shortly /afterwards : : joined by a • man liamed;. Alexander 'Hill,■ both '.of,'.-'. Whom' stayed tho night,, owing to the'weather being-rough and stormy. . Another man, named (.-Peter ; ;Wilson, soon. afterWards, - and' Tyent/' info-i.tho • . dinihg-roohi 'uhtilViMrs.' Spsnc'er. was -disengaged. Ho /fell asleep on - a couch, and /.witness 1 was. called to; .hlm .-abqut (■ 12.20. ; : 'His mouth and nose '. Were bleeding; and he ..appeared jto /be'/dazed.' -He : told- her that .he ,had been .awakened by some men (he, thought "two) .punching'hiiib'.;'on'the,face. ,'-He,said. them: "You'.heedn't-murder/ a.man;-1 'have only .gbt'; 6sV\6d'., .here, it, is."'' /-Hid 'lefthahd trousers: pocket h'ad been piilled' .out by .'someone'. None, of, the.four, accused had auy'right to bo in ,the .house .on ,the" night in question. /'• /' . Peter.. Wilson, engineer/ residing at! 73., ..CambridgeaTerrace, , corroborated •.' the above : . jln the,; assault .he re-, ceived', a .black.; eye, .bleeding; mouth, :a . I swollen face, ■ and had -a toothy knocked out. He. stated • that he j was' sober on ■ the night! ho slept tliero.-. .' .Further, evidence Was given by Thomas '.Davidson,. boilermaker, , residing . :at ;-44 Tarana.ki i/ Street,that he went, to Mrs." Spencer's 1 house ...to see ai. boarder.-; ■'Jdo, stayed there overnight, as the'weather/'vyas Very/boisterous. : 'He slept in. the same. bed. -With.'Hall,;but. When '.lie! Woke up in the j'morning,.;hemissed- abo'ut : 9s.' G~d. 'from r.-hi's'; trousers .pocket,; and' a ' gold witch,, shark's., toothy gold '. chain,', and silver match-box. of the. value ofabout £17, from his .. vest. /. Hall missed./ his;. booio,: "Which! w£re / produ.cedy in. Court,. With ,' tlie maker's mark cut::out, Which, had . been Worn" by, ' accused ' Lewis/, and later ! obtained by -Detective Hammond froih him.' i/v Joseph: Manning,; boarding at; the/house, stated, that:/; he; saw,, Cunningham'/, ana - Lewis /'standing-; pver Wilson, the . other /two; /accused; .were, close by. v/He ,/ideritiand. Cunningham- at the Police Station,'and-Lewis some time'after.

" The four accused all: the .witnesses,* with: the 'object,of disproving certain'.evidence.''; Their); object -in- going 'to .the. house,- - they, stated,' was', to obtain beer,, not to break in. . ' . Iw V: All; four Vrnade' ncistatement-beyond; pleading 'not guilty,' and asked for bail,' which 'was; granted in the sum of 18100, and. two sureties, of ,JBSO. each in jthe case of feaoli defendantoThey ..were : committed for trial. ; 'v.

ALLEGED BICYCLE THEFT. Charles,S;.Nelson,'.alias/Charles Sebastian -Newsoii,' engineer, at present working in Wellington, was cKarged with stealing ' a bicycle;. valued at 'M 10s.,- the property of Robert Turner, at- Alexandra South, on March 19 last. Accused, .who was defended by Mr.': P. ■ W.' Jackson, was'; remanded until: Friday, bail being allowed in J6lo,'.and; one surety, of- JJIO.-j- . /. OTHER CASES. -William Lavery was remanded -till to-, day, on the ' application 1 : of Mr. A. /' L. Herdman, on the .'chargel of carnally knowing a girl under tlio. age of sixteen years. " Catherine/Thatcher was convicted for vagrancy^",and./ sentenced to sis months' imprisonment./: .'-There :were <forty r on 6 previous convictions against her.; ' '' 'James was declared: a habitual drunkard, .and a sentence, of .one month was.passed on him. / . ■ - George Cooper Wilkinson pleaded guilty to a charged drunkenness, and to a- breach, .of. a prohibition order.. Accused, who put: forward the plea ' of insomnia,', had been' convicted four, times witliin . the last six - months.'. •Ho was ordered to join tho Palcatoa .Institute-for a period of twelve . ; months. On the second ■ offence lie was convicted and discharged. './ . ' , - 'Percy Eevas was charged . with:-, (1) Drunkenness; (2) ' improper language . in. the Central. Hotel; (3)« wilfully damaging a cell, floor to the. value,of 20s. He was convicted on the first charge -and ■' discharged; on the second ho asked to bo tried by a jury, and was remanded to October 2G. For the . offence he was fined 205., and ordered to pay the cost of , the damage,'which was. 205., in default seven days' imprisonment. . John Cameron was..convicted, of being drunk in Cuba Street on October 1, and further with a breach: of a prohibition order. ; On tho first cliargo ho was fined 205., or seven days' imprisonment,, and, for the second" offence, 205., or. fourteen days.' . A penalty of ten shillings or 48 hours was imposed on John M'Callum for being drunk. Ty. r o first offenders for insobriety, who ■ failed to appear, forfeited their bail of 10s. each.