RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Evening Post, Volume XVIII, Issue 52, 29 August 1879, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

This Dat. (Before Dr. Diver and Mr. P. Moeller, J.P 's.) OBSBBTIOK. James Sinclair was charged with having desorted -from the ship Cbaudiere, but on the application of bis counsel, Mr. Gordon Allan, " Tiie case was postponed. LABCEHY. William Mathison was charged with having stolen twenty-two £1 notes, the property of Daniel M'Gregor, on the Ist August last. He pleaded not guilty, and was defended by Mr. FitzGerald. It sppoared from the evidence of tho prose cutor tbat on tbe evening of the day named he was sitting in the commercial room at Barrett's Hotel, and had occasion to open a satchel which contained bis money and other articles. Prisoner was present at tbe time, but they were not friends. Prosecutor went to bed about midnight, and hung his satchel above bis bed, but did not lock tbe door. ' When he openod the satchel next morning tho money was gone. He Identified one of the notes found on prisoner as hi" property. The night watchman at Barrett's Hotel said prisoner engaged a bed at the hotel on the nights of 31st July and Ist August, and went up to his room, which was close to tbat occupied by M'Gregor, at about half-past 12 o'clock, and shortly afterwards went out again, saying he was going to get some oysters. About an hour afterwards be returned to the hotel with another man; and after they had stayed some time they both left, and did not go back again. Robert Long, a barman at the Melbourne Hotel, said that prisouor was a boarder at tbat house previous to 31st July. About midnight he went out, saying he would return about 2 o'clock, which he did. He then pulled a purse and a roll of bank notes out of bis pocket. He left the hotel on tbe next day. Arthur Wilson, a billiard marker, said he was at the Melbourne Hotel with prisoner on the night of 31st July, and saw him playing * ' Yankee Grab." He »aw prisoner take from a pocketbook a roll of New Zealand notes and pay some of them away toothers. He received three of them himself. Some time previoudy he had seen prisoner open his pocketbook and no notes were then visible Mr. H. Cohen, pawnbroker, deposed that on 29th July prisoner pawned a watch, and roPrisonor was committed to take his trial at the next criminal sittings of the Supreme Court. LARCBWT. Thomas Green, who pleaded guilty to two charges of petty larceny, was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment. The same prisoner was senteqced to six months' imprisonment, the last. sentence to run concurrently with the other. _^___^___^__