MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3201, 18 April 1871, Page 3

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Monday, April 17. (Before C. C. Bowen, Esq., R.M.) Drunk and Disorderly. —Thomas Pepperill. arreste 1 by Constable Brown, was flued 20s for an offence of this nature, it being the fourth one he had committed. Larceny op a swag.- Louis Ferdinand, on remand, was again brought up, charged with haring stolen a swag, the property of Richard Lewis, at the Courtenay. Constable Brown said, on the 12th inst. he went to prisoner’s hut on the Courtenay, and charged him with having stolen the swag named in the warrant. Prisoner thereupon fetched the swag from an inner room, said he had found it in a field, and had brought it home with the intention of giving it to Lewis. Witness then arrested him. tuehard Lewis said be lived in a hut near to that occupied by the prisoner. In the early part of the month, after being away from home, he missed a swag from his hut, containing one pair of blankets, two Crimean shirts, some socks, another shirt, and a pair of trousers. He told prisoner of it, and he replied that the man who had taken the swag deserved two or three years. A day or two afterwards, when going away from home again, he gave prisoner a pair of trousers and a pair of boots to take care of for nim. On returning, he went to prisoners hut for them, but prisoner was out. He saw the trousers hanging up in the front room, but could not find the b 'ots. He went to look for them in the inner room, when he found one of the shirts he had originally packed up in the lost swag hanging up. He then gave information to the police. Corroborative evidence was called, and prisoner, in defence, merely repeated the statement that he had found the swag. His Worship stntenced prisoner to six months’ imprisonment, at hard labour. Larceny from a Dwelling. — Thompson was brought up on remand from Akaroa, charged with having stolen five gold rings, one gold watch, one large gold locket, one small ditto, one gold chateSaiii, and one gold brooch, from the residence of Mr A. Appleby, Colombo street south. The evidence taken at Akaroa was read. From this, it appeared that prisoner was arrested there by Strgt. Ramsay immediately after he had arrived from Pigeon Bay. At first be denied that bis name was Thompson, or that he had come from Pigeon Bay, afterwards averring that he bad come direct from Pigeon Bay. Subsequently, however, he admitted bis name, and also to having committed the theft. The following additional evidence was then called: —Sergeant Ramsay said he received the gold ring produced from a man named Cumberworth in Lyttelton yesterday. Mrs Appleby said prisoner was a relative of hers, and had resided with herself and husband for a day or two recently. Last Wednesday week she left prisoner in the house by himself. When she returned in the evening prisoner was gone, and she missed the jewelry mentioned in the warrant. The watch, three rings, two lockets, and chatelain produced were a portion of the articles lost. Prisoner never had authority to take any of them away. The whole of the articles stolen would be worth about £lO. By Prisoner: bhe did not think prisoner was very sober when she left him in charge of the bouse. John MTallum, watchmaker. High street, said the prisoner came to his shop on the 4th inst., and asked him to purchase some jewelry. Witness ultimately bought two old rings, two lockets, and a pair of sleeve-links for 255. Prisoner then went away, but returned next day and offered a watch and bro ;ch, which witness purchased for £2 ss. This was all the property witness saw prisoner have in his possession. By prisoner: Witness thought prisoner was sober when he came to sell the jewellry. Thos. Cumberwortb, barman, in Lyttelton, said, in the early part of this month he saw prisoner sell two rings to a man at the Canterbury Ho'el, one of which witness afierwards purchased. Mr Appleby, in reply to the Bench, said .himself or wife had never seen prisoner before he called at their house. He had just come from Dunedin, where he originally landed from Melbourne. He was only in their house two days whilst waiting to go back to Melbourne. Neither witness nor Mrs Appleby knew what prisoner had been working at. Prisoner made no defence, but merely reminded the Bench that it was his first appearance on any charge. His worship said the theft was a very treacherous one, and prisoner would be sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment at hard labour.

LEWsTON. Friday, April 14. (Before 0. C. Bowen, Esq., H.M., E. J. Lee, E<q., Eil ward JnlHe, Esq., C. J. Bridge, E-q., and Dr Chr'sty.) CIVIL CASES. Madden v. Walsh—Claim, £j ; plaintiff nonsuited with costs. Parsons v. :-andiey— Claim, £3 for wages ; judgment for defendant with costs. The following Slaughter-house licenses were granted :—To Charles Wiihell, of South Selwyn ; E. J. Lee, of Brooklands j G. B. Woodman, Irwell ; B. Oillett, Leeston ; and C. W. Minchiner, Lake Ellesmere.