RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 142, 16 December 1881, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

♦ This Day. (Before Mr. E. Hardoastle, E.M.) DBTJNK. Willium Killip, for drnnkonnosa, was fined 53 and costs. WJFE DESERTION. C. J. O'Donoghue was charged, on remand, with deserting his wife on the 19th November. Detective Brown said that the case had been remanded in order to allow the defendant an opportunity of getting a situation. He had succeeded in doing bo, and was willing to allow his wife 7s 6d per week ont of his earnings, which were only 15s per week and his keep. He further stated that Mb wife was a strong young woman, without family, and quite able to do work for herself. The Magistrate made an order for the above amount, defendant to give one surety as security for its payment. HORSB-STIAI.IHG. George Thomas Skinner was charged with having stolen, on the 13th December, from tho Lower Hutt, a horse, the property of Bmanuel Bosa. Prosecutor, a farmer at the Hutt, said that, on the 17th of November, he saw prisoner, and gave him work as a farm servant Prisoner stayed with witness till the 13th of this month, but on the morning of the 14th he was missing, as also a horse, saddle, and bridle. The horse did not belong to prosecutor, but had been in his charge for two years. Information was given to the police. Witness did not i«e prisoner again till ho was arrested. He subsequently went with the detective and identified a horse shown him as the one stolen. Iho grey horse outside the Court was the same. It belonged to the Rev. Father Tardin. He could positively identify the saddle and bridle ; those were also that gentleman's property. B • valued the whole at £\2. In reply to prisoner, prosecutor said he never allowed anyone to take a horse away without permission. Detective Benjamin proved that he arrested the prisoner on the 14th instant, in a ill-fame, on a charge of forgery andutteriDg. Prisoner, on being asked how he had come into town, said he had ridden in, and that the horse was in the yard at the back. On being asked who the horse belonged to, he said to a man named Bosa, at the Lower Hutt. Tho horse was taken to the New Zeilander stables, where it, togethor with tho saddle and bridle, was subsequently identified by the prosecutor as having been in bis charge for Father Yardin. Prisoner at the time said that he had no intention of stealing the horse, and that others saw him tako it away. This was the case for the prosecution. The prisoner repeated that he admitted taking the horse," but had no intention of stealing it. He only came in for a letter, and intended to go straight back again. He was then committed to take his trial. SUPPOSED FOKGEBT. The same prisoner was then charged with having on the 15th November, forged a chequo for the sum of .£1 ss. Thomas Collins, a grocer in Courtenay Place, Eaid that in November last, a young man came to his chop and asked for a blank cheque. He said he wanted it because a person outside owed him some money for wages, and would pay him if he could get one. Eventually, after some demur, witness gave him one, and though he would not swear positively that the prisoner was tho person, ho believed tbat he was the man to whom he gave the ohequo. The cheque was numbered 69249, and that produced corresponded with that number on tho block of his cheque-book.' Witness asked for a penny, which the man said he would bring when he got the cheque ohanged. He did not see prisoner again till he saw him in custody. Walter Smart, fish dealer, proved that about the 14th or 15th prisoner came to his saloon and obtained change for the cheque produced. It was signed J. M'Lean, who, prisoner eaid, was foreman at Mr. Gear's. The amount was £1 ss, and witness gave prisoner 17s change, ns he owed something before. On the cheque being presented, it was not paid, the bank not knowing the signature. The cheque was handed to the police. C. W. Chilman, accountant at the Te Aro

•, I branch of the Bank of New Zealand, proved i. J that tho cheque had been presented at the 1. I bank and not 1 aid, as the drawer had no acl count theie. John M'Lean had an account at the bank, but the signature was not his. Charles Sweeney proved that Mr. Gear had not in November or since anyone named J. M'Lean in hi» < mploy. B. Cohen wd prisoner about six weeks ago asked himto ciangeachequelfor £o. Witness had not charge, bnt gave him change for a cheque for 30a. Witnes3 caw prisoner fill up and sign that cheque. 2 hat was on the 9tu of November. Mr. H. J. L. Augarde, as an expert, said that the writing on the cheque givea to Mr. Cohen and on the one which waajthe cause of the present prosecution was identical. The writing on both was written by the same pergon. Detective Benjamin had arrested the prisoner, and presented the cheque at every bank in Wellington, at each ot which the same answer was returned that the signature waß not known. John M'Lean was called, but did not appear on his subpoena. Detective Benjamin eaid that Mr. M'Lean had been previously subpoenaed to Nelon, and tho Magistrate ruled that his evidence was not necßsary. The prisoner was fully committed to take his trial at the Supreme Court. A second charg-3 of uttering the same cheque was dismissed, the police offering no evidence. Tho Court then adjourned. NE W FACES IN PARLIAMENT. ? Mr. Richard Hobbs, the new member for the Bay of Islands, is a man of about 40 years of ago, and a Bon of the Rev. Mr. Hobbs, the oldest missionary in New Zealand. For several years he carried on business as a draper in Auckland, bat a few yeara ago settled on a farm at Pokeno, and was eleoted to the House of Representatives as member for Franklyn. Changing sides against the Grey Ministry, he incurred popular odium, and on the dissolution was defeated. He is a fair Bpeaker, an active Wesleyan, and makes Native matters a speciality. He will probably be the firmest supporter of the Hall Ministry among Auckland members. Mr O. Mitchelson, the new member for Marsden, commenced life as a carpenter in Auckland, and afterwards went to Northern Wairoa, where he made a handsome competence by storekeeping and buying gum. He has the reputation of being a thoroughly upright, sterling man in all his business transactions, but is no speaker, and ia not likely to shine in the House. Mr. J. M. Dargaville, the new member for City West, is Mitcholßon's champion, and both will probably be found in the same lobby. Mr Dargaville came to Auckland as manager of the Union Bank. He afterwards was engaged in commercial pursuits and in timber traffic, acquiring an extensive property along the Northern Wairoa River. He contested the Suporintendency, but was defeated, as also in a contest for a seat in the Provincial Council. He is a man of good presence, a capital speaker, with good dashing style, and is firmly pledged to oppose the Hall GovernmeLt, and to work under liberal leadership, though not personally pledged to Grey. Mr. T. Peacock, the new member for City North, is an optician by trade, and has taken no public part in politica before, but filled the position of Mayor of Auckland two yeara in succession. Ho is a good speaker, a thoroughly practical business man, and will be heard with attontion in the House. He was elected as an independent Liberal, but leans to the Government side ; and being opposed by Rees, he enters the House untrammelled by any pledges to the Opposition. Mr. C. Cabman, the new member for Coromandel, i 3 a young man who haß been engaged in the mining and timber trades. He has a conversational style of Bpeaking, which is not effective. He is a strong supporter of Sir George Grey. Captain Morris, the new member for TauraDga, waa in the House before, and acted as whip with Sir Robert Douglas against the Grey party. He is a strong Ministerialist. He owns a farm in the Tanranga district. When you are told a story, my son, never remark, "That isn't the way I heard it," &o. Don't you know that btories are told to pive pleasure to the teller, and not to the hearer ?