MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1070, 1 December 1877, Page 2

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRTSTCHTJRCH. Saturday, December 1. [Before G. L. Mellish, Esq., R.M.] Drunk and Disorderly.—Mary Cunning ham, an old offender, was charged with beitij drunk and using obscene language. Accuser said the arresting constable had threatened h' would have her before long. She had not ha( t chance since last cautioned. Sentenced t< twelve months' imprisonment with haro labor.

Illegally on Pbemises. Frederick William Oldman was charged with being found illegally en the premises of Mr Harrap, Lincoln road. Accused had beer, an inmate of the Asylum, and since he came out from there had been hanging about the place. Discharged with a caution, and advised to go and look for work.

Laboent from a Till.—William Gallagher was charged with stealing £1 from the City Hotel. When arrested accused denied the theft, but admitted afterwards that he had taken the money, without meaning to do so. He said he gave the pound note to the barman to get change. The barman put the note in the till and went away, and, as he was long in returning, he took the pound to wake him up, as he was anxious to get his change. In reply to accused, the arresting constable said that the barman told him accused had no money when he went into the hotel. Charles Sandeman, barman at the hotel, stated that accused had been several times at the hotel the previous day, and had several drinks for which he paid. He afterwards asked witness for the loan of some money. About twenty minutes past ten at night, while the waiter was in the bar, witness, who was in another room, heard accused ask him for a glass of shandy-gaff, and say he had no money to pay for it. He got the drink, and the waiter came into the parlour where witness was, and shortly afterwards they heard some one at the till, and, on rushing out, saw accused on the counter reaching over to the till, which was under a shelf, and had been pulled out. He had a pound note in one hand and was in the act of putting the other in for some more money. A person who had run in with witness took the note out of accused's hand. The note was a Bank of New Zealand one, and witness had seen a similar one in the till a short time before. Accused said he was caught, and begged witness to let him off for the sake of his children. In reply to accused, witness said that he, accused, and others had been playing at " shilling in" during the day. A waiter employed in the hotel gave corroborative evidence as to the position of accused when he rushed into the bar with the others. George Green gave similar evidence. In reply to the Bench accused said he had lost money in the house through gambling with the barman. Sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour.

Breaking into a Dwelling.—Samuel Dann alias Kobert Knight, was charged on remand with breaking into a dwelling at West Melton, and stealing therefrom. Wm. Hutchinson, shepherd, in the employ of Mr J. Brabazon, called, stated that about two o'clock on the 27th November a man named Frederick Curtis met him and told him that his house had been broken into, some clothes taken, 2s 6d in various coins, and all the other things in the place wer,e upset, and he had tracked the person he suspected to the neighborhood witness lived in. Among the things taken was a coat which witness knew Curtis was in the habit of wearing. Curtis then left to go in the direction of Bealey road station. Witness then went to Mr Wellbourne's to make inquiries, and on the road he saw a man coming from a well, whom he suspected to be the thief, as he tried to dodge away. He got assistance at Wellbourne's, and they went over among the gorse fences and found accused lying down with Curtis's coat on. When witness asked the man if he had anything belonging to Curtis, he said yes, and handed over the articles produced, including the coins, amounting in all to two and sixpence. Witness afterwards handed over the acoused and all the stolen property to Mr Curtis, at the Bealey station. Mrs Goldsmith, living at West Melton, near Curtis's house, stated that about eleven o'clock on the forenoon of the 27th November, she saw a man go into the paddock gate leading to Mr Curtis's house. Knowing that Mr Curtis was not at home witness thought he would come back shortly to her place to inquire for him. He stayed in the house for some time, and afterwards she saw him come out with a light trousers and vest, and trail a sack after him towards the gorse fence. From his hurried manner and looking round him when he gob on to the open terrace witness had some suspicion of him, and this was confirmed when she saw him hurry towards the fence. She then watched him from an upstair window, and after he had gone some distance towards the Bealey road she observed him stop and pi fc a coat on. He then placed the sack on h s shoulder and went away. Witness then sent to Mr Curtis to tell him of the circumstance. F. Curtis gave evidence of leaving his door latched at 5 a.m. on the 27th November. Everything in the house was in perfect order went he went away. When Mrs Q-oldsmith's messenger came to him at noon, he went home, found the door open, the boxes turned out, a work-box ransacked, and everything in disorder. Witness enumerated the articles of clothing he had missed! and two shillings and, sixpence, in various coins, had been taken out of the work-box. The articles produced were those taken. Accused was afterwards handed over to him by Hutchinson, and he brought him into Christchurch. Witness valued the property at about £4. Constable Creighton deposed to accused being handed over to him at the Christchurch Kailway Station by Curtis on the arrival of the South train, on the evening of 27th November. Curtis had a bag with him which he brought on to the cjepot. A charge of illegally escapnis from Addington' goal was then preferred against the accused. Mr Eeston, gaoler, stated he received accused on 30th October, on the warrant produced, which set forth that accused was sentenced to six months' hard labor for breaking into a duelling. On the 26th October, witness locked him up at 10.15 in a room with the others in the new wing of the gaol. At 5.45 next morning, witness saw a window looking out of the north corridor open, and on going inside found the door of the room open; the other prisoners were there, but Dann was gone. There was only a post and rail fence outside the gaol. The accused took a pair of trousers which were not branded, a shirt, vest, boots and cap, belonging to the Government. His term of sentence had not expired. Accused was next given into witness's charge on Wednesday, 28th November. The evidence as to witness's arrest was again taken. In reply to the Bench, accused said he was innocent of the charge he had been convicted for, that was the reason he ran away. His Worship told him that he hardly knew whether lie was doing right in not sending him for trial, as he (accused) was a ccmilined criminal. He would be sentenced to six months' hard labor on the charge of stealing from a dwelling, and twelve months lard labor on that of escaping from legal •U'todv, the sentences to be cumulative, and be first to take effect on the expiration of the ej.tence which accused was at present doing. Bestiality.—Charles James, charged with m offence of this nature, was remanded until Monday,