MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1613, 22 April 1879, Page 2

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Tuesday, April 22. [Before G. L. Mellish, Esq., R.M.] Drunk and Disorderly. —Two drunkards were each fined ss. Vagrancy. —Peter Thompson, remanded from the 21st, was charged with having no lawful visible means of support. He was stated to have been an inmate of the Old Mans’ Refuge, but would not remain there. Mr Inspector Hickson said there were three previous convictions against the prisoner for vagrancy, and in 1876 he received a sentence of twelve months’ His Worship sentenced him to one months’ imprisonment with hard labor. Stealing Knives.— George Seal, a boy of about twelve years of age, was charged with stealing five pocket knives, value 7s G !, the property of Henry Marks. Serjeant Wilson said the result of enquiries ho had made was that he received the five knives produced from Mr Thomas Thompson. They had been stolen from Mr U. Marks’ shop. Mr Thompson, on being sworn, said that he had seen three of the knives in the possessson of his two little boys, and from the statement of the children as to how they came possessed of them, ho restored them to Sergeant Wilson. The son of the last witness said the prisoner gave him two of the knives on Saturday night, and told him he had taken them from Mr Marks’. Mr Inspector Hickson informed

the Bench that the prisoner’s father was in England, and Ids mother undergoing a sentence in ga 1. Under these circumstances he had brought the case forward, with the object of having the boy pitted in the Burnham Reformatory. The hoy was ordered to be taken to the Industrial School for three years, to bo brought up in the R >man Catholic faith.

Larceny. Thomas Jones and Henry Tucker alias David Tucker alias David Tapper, who had been remanded from the 20th inst,, were again charged with the larceny of carpenter’s tools of the value of £3, the property of Robert Vinson. The same prisoners were also charg d with stealing a leaf: or apron, value 3s, the property of John A. Barg The prosecutor in the employ of Mr Berg, ooachbuilder, Victoria street, said he missed a number of his tools from his Bench last Wednesday. Subsequently he went to Mr Davis’s, and identified some of the tools which had been stolon as his property. John Adam Berg said ho left his workshop at 6 p.m. on the 15th inst. The shop was properly closed,jup. On coming to the shop the following morning he missed a leather apron. Henry Davis, pawnbroker, High street, said the elder of the two prisoners, whom he knew by the name of H. Davis, came to his shop about seven o’clock on the evening of the 16th instant to pledge some tools and an apron. Ho lent him ten shillings on the tools. The ticket produced in Court was the one he had given to him. He received it the following morning from a man named Lane. Frederick Lane, a bricklayer, residing in Peterborough street, said he know one of the prisoners, by the name of Jones. Ho met him on the 17th instant near the Borough Hotel, and offered to give him some employment. He said he had no money, and his tools were in pawn, and handed him (witness) the ticket of them to take back to the pawnbroker and sell it right out. Witness got two shillings more from Mr Davis on the ticket. Detective Walker proved arresting the prisoner Jones in the Park, last Sunday, for stealing tools from Mr Berg’s shop. He denied the theft, and said he found the pawn ticket in a timber yard near the Wellington Hotel, and sold it afterwards to the previous witness. On Sunday night, in the lock-up, when ho was in with Tucker—the latter locked up for being drunk —Jones said he (Tucker) was the man from whom he had got the ticket, and who had stolen the tools. Later in the evening witness charged Tucker with stealing the articles in company with Jones, and the latter said “ That’s right.” His Worship said it was evident they were hunting in couples, but one was slightly worse than the other. Tucker, against whom there were three previous convictions, would receive six months’ imprisonment with hard labour, and Jones one month.

Larceny or Monet.— Montague Dodd, remanded from April 15th, was charged with stealing £4O, the property of Messrs Joyce and Williams. William John Wilson deposed that he was an articled clerk to Messrs Joyce and Williams, the solicitors. The prisoner had been a dork in the office. On Saturday, the 29th of March, the witness received £4O from Mr Robert Wilson, of the Seven Mile Peg, on account of interest due by his son to Messrs Joyce and Williams, as agents for Mr Joseph Bates, of Wainui. Witness left it on his desk for about half an hour, while ho was attending to some other business. The money was in notes. The sum was entered in the cash books. It was after banking hours, and witness gave the prisoner the money to put in the cash box for him. Witness left the office soon after, a little past one o’clock. It, was a part of the duty of witness to receive money for his employers. Witness came to the office the next Monday, the 31st of March. Ho had no occasion to open the cash box that day, and he next came to the office on the succeeding Wednesday, the 2nd inst. The prisoner on that day said nothing about the money, but the next day he asked him (witness) how much money he had in the cash-box. Witness replied, “About £4O or so.” Prisoner opened the cash-box, and said there was only about 30s in it, or a little over. He (witness) did not remember the exact amount, and at the time remarked that there must be some mistake. The prisoner said he had never seen the £4O. Witness mentioned the circumstance to Mr Williams, Witness did not mention the matter until a week after, as he thought there might perhaps be some mistake, and the money might have been paid, into the bank, and ho could not get the book. Witness afterwards heard a conversation between Mr Joyce and the prisoner. The former said the money must be found, and the prisoner denied any knowledge of it. John Joyce, barrister and solicitor, of the firm of Williams and Joyce, deposed that his firm were agents for Mr Joseph Bates of Akaroa. Mr Robert Wilson, of the Seven-mile peg, was indebted to that estate the latter end of March. The prisoner had been a clerk in tho service of witness. In consequence of something which had come to his knowledge he had a conversation with the prisoner. He heard of the loss of £4O from the office on the Bth instant. He (witness) knew the matter rested between the last witness and the prisoner, and as the latter was a protege of his (witness’s), he was anxious to sift the matter, and he therefore asked him to tell him what he knew of the matter, but he replied that he knew nothing about it. He frequently spoke to him afterwards during the week, and told him there would be no peace in the office until the money was found. On Saturday ho told the prisoner there waa only one means left, and it was to put the matter in the hands of the police, as he could not rest until the money was found. The prisoner still denied all knowledge of the loss of the money, and, shortly after Detective Benjamin left tho prisoner, told witness that he had yielded to temptation, and had taken the money off tho counter. He (witness) had since recovered £l6 from tho prisoner. Ho admitted spending the balance. The witness here expressed his regret at being compelled to prosecute. He had no personal feeling against the prisoner, but ho had no alternative. He thought he must have been laboring under temporary insanity when he took the money. Detective Benjamin deposed to having gone to Messrs Joyce and Williams’ office on Saturday, the 12th, and enquired of the prisoner if he could give any information of tho money which had been lost out of the office. Ho said ho knew nothing of it. Witness arrested the prisoner about eight o’clock on the 14th instant by virtue of a warrant. Witness read the warrant to the prisoner, and the latter said he had paid back more than half the money. On his way to the lock up he had said he admitted to taking tho money, but he had paid back all be could, and ho could do no more. He said it was owing to “ that young fool ” leaving the money about so carelessly that he was tempted to take it. This was the whole of the evidence, and the prisoner having been duly cautioned, was committed to take bis trial at the next session of tho Supreme Court.

LYTTELTON. Tuesday, April 22. [Before his Worship the Mayor.] Stole ax Ass. —Charles Ley ford was prosecuted for stealing an ass. SergeantMajor O’Grady said that the prisoner was taken in charge late last night, and he had been unable to obtain the attendance of the necessary witnesses. He asked for a remand for a week, and the same was granted.