MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2208, 18 January 1868, Page 2

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHEISTCHUECH. Ebidat, Jab. 17. (Before C. C. Bowen, Esq., R.M.)

James Cannon was charged with having been kuri and disorderly. He was on bail, and £ nearmg was adjourned, on sufficient cause for his absence having been shewn. offraw M Clllghoni W " Ch " e<ld Wlth a " Ba «

The accused sud he was not drunk, and had not made a disturbance, and he brought a witness to corroborate his statement. ° He was fined 6s. JI e S ed - " id he had onl 7 been »»• <>»J« in

.bShh a wm&nHih&ten^mi e htb9^ George Osbora was in attendance, charged with having assaulted Ann hij w ife B m Worship ordered that she should be bought up under warrant. She stb.equently appeared and said that tho offence of defendant nT bW cZmitted through her having taken too much drink and that she wished to withdraw the charge ' His Worship consented. ' G. M. Needham was brought up on remand, charged with having attempted to drown himse' in the Avon, while in a state of intoxication. The accused said he was not drunk at the he was apprehended, though he had been a few days before, and he had no intention to drown himself.

The keeper of the lock-up said bethought he was all right now. His Worship admonished him on the bad effeots of too much drink, and dismissed him Emma MMellwas brought up on remand, cnarged with hating stolen a ring. Sergeant Foiter repeated the eridence giren by him en Thursday. ' Eliza Ellen White said on the 14th inst m. sonercame to her house. The ring was then on Witness 8 nnger, and the prisoner remarked that it was a nice ring. She remained half an hour Witness missed the ring on the afternoon of the next day from a box on the dressing table. No one had been in the house but the prisoner in the mean time. The ring in Court is the ring which had been stolen from her. Prisoner said that she went to thedrtising glass of the prosecutor to put her hair up, and seeing the ring in the box, she put it on and went away forgetting to pull itoff again. She went to pros* cutor-8 house on business, andprosecutor went out and left her there.

His Worship sentenced her to one month'* imprisonment.

Elizabeth Henderson was charged with lama Stolen about £4 from the person of John M'Manuß.

Prosecutor said, on the 4th instant he was at the prisoner's father's house at Leeston, and prisoner said to him that he was losing money through having it loose in his pocket, and asked him to let her tie it up for him. She took it out of his pocket and pretended to roll it up and put it back again; but he found only la 6d there rolled up in a rag, a short time afterwards. He had about £4 16s that morning, and he had not been out of the house since he knew he had it. Ha demanded the money back from prisoner, and shs said she had not taken it. A quarrel ensued, and prisoner's mother threw his swag out of the house. He did not see the money in prisoner's hand when she took it from his pocket. On the day in question he lost his hat The money was taken about two or three o'clock. Tht hat was lost at night. He was not drunk when he lost his money, but hs got drunk later in the day, and went out and lay amongst the wheat, and his hat was found the:e next morning. If obody was in the house but the prisoner and her mother when the money was taken.

The prisoner said the prosecutor was drunk on the day named, and had not said he had lost hu money. She knew nothing about it. James Henderson, father of prisoner, said prosecutor was backwards and forwards during Saturday annoying him (witness), who threw water over him. He was continually drunk. His Worship said that the evidence of prosecutor could not be taken, as he did not appear to know what happened to him on the day m question. The case was dismissed.

CIYIt CISBB. Seijibd Whiib v. Lbb.—This case had heen adjourned from Monday, for the evidence of Wilson, who now appeared. Being examined by Mr Wynn Williams, he said he went to plaintiff's run for the mate, on the 18th of July, and that she was delivered to him in as good condition as could be expected on a station.

His Worship gave judgment for plaintiffs for the amount claimed.

LocEHABT v. Br/KKS.-Claim of £3l odd, Half commission on the sale of bullocks. Mr Harper for the plaintiff, Plaintiff said he was a commission agent in December 1866, and defendant at that time put some cattle into his hands for sale. He endeavoured to sell the cattle but could not; and without notice given, the cattle were taken out of his hands, In such cases the usual thing was for the agent to receive half the commission agreed to bft paid on the sale. His commission on such transaction! was 2 and a half per cent, and hs claimed halt that percentage. Defendant said he had given authority to plaintiff to sell the cattle merely as security to the person from whom he, witness, had purchased them through the agency of plaintiff. The security was given in case he, defendant, did not meet the bills given in pajment of them. But he had met the bills, and therefore plaintiff never had any real authorization to sell the cattle. Plaintiff admitted that there might have been such an understanding as defendant had stated when defendant gave the bills, but he could not clearly remember. His Worship gave judgment for defendant.

LYTTELTOtf. (Before W.Donald, Esq., B.M) John Montgomery was charged under the Vagrant Act, with being armed with a gun with a felonious intent. The following evidence was taken:— Thos. Watson deposed: He was a licsnsed waterman. On Wednesday evening, the accused came on the wharf with a loaded gun under his arm, having both barrels capped. Witness asked him what ho wanted there, and he replied that he was there for a purpose. Witness then told him to take the caps off the gun, as a great number of pooplo were about the wharf, and it was dangerous, The prisoner refused, and ultimately witness and another waterman named Walsh, removed the caps and, handed the gun and the 1 prisoner to the police. - / Sergeant Baker produced the charges taken from the barrels of the gun, consisting of slugs, and staUd that tho prisoner had been three times convicted under the Vagrant Act during the past year. The Bench sentenced prisoner to three months' imprisonment; the gun and ammunition to be forfeited to Her Majesty. The Besident Magistrate said that tho conduct of the witness Watson was deserving of the highest commendation,