MAGISTERIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LI, Issue 5611, 18 February 1879, Page 6

MAGISTERIAL.

CHBISTCHUBOH. 'Mokdat, (Before G. Leslie Lee, Esq., and Dr Deamer), Dbx7NKßnnbsb.--Two first 'offenders were fined 5s each. . ( > Dbtjnk and Dxsobdebit.—Bridget Eerrick was charged with beinjg drunk sod disorderly on Feb. 15. Prisoner said she Vas ill. There was a, long list of previous oonvio* tions against her. The charge was fully prored, and the accused sent to gaol for three months with hard labour, 'i Prisoners Thank you, sir, Bridget Eexriok, a sister-in-law of prerious prisoner, was next charged with a similar offence, to which she pleaded guilty. Dismissed with a caution. —TP’m. Lambert pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly. There was also a long list;of previous convictions against this offender, put as he was in employment, the Bench dismissed the charge, on the understanding he left the.' town at once for his work.—Mary Welstead was similarly charged. It appeared ion Sunday she was in a drunken state, knocking about with a number of men in Armagh j street. Prisoner pleaded to be let off, and

was-discharged on condition'that she left, town aton'oo. ’ ~ LaboEnt or Arrmw.-—Edward Wright was charged with stealing apples valued at fid, the property Of Mr Wynn Wdhapw- Insiwtor Hickson stated that complaints had been made of thefts in the neighbourhood, and a constable had been speedy sent to watch. Prisoner was caught coming war the f° no ® o f Mr Williams at 5 o’clock that morning. Prisoner pleaded guilty, and was sent to gaol for 14 days with hard labour. ! ■ VaghASOy.—Bose Like, was -charged under the .Vagrant Act with having no lawful visible support. She wanted, it appeared,: to be taken to the depdc, as she had no place to live, nor had she any protection. Sergeant Hughes gave the prisoner a very bad,character. She told witness she had tried to reform, but could not. The Bench sentenced the accused to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour. , , ' Assault.— James Yates was charged,on remand from Feb. 10, with inflicting senpua bodily harm to Johanna Mahoney- Inspector Hioksop said the case might. 00 reduced to one of common assault, as it was not so serious as was at first,thought. Bichard James Weston, in whose, employ the prosecutrix was, stated that Yates (bis son-in-law) came to his house bn! FeW 9, when the ; prosecutrix and Yates had a quarrel. The latter pushed prosecutrix against a table, and inflicted some injury : tp. her. The prosecutrix stated that she ; thought prisoner..stranger in the house,.and ( had some,words with mm when he pushed her against _ a table cutting her head severely. She. had sinco been in the Hospital. Dr Chilton, House Surgeon of [the Hospital,, stated that the. proman was admitted to the Hospital with; a badly, cut head. She was better if she took to drink agaui he would not answer for the consequence. rPrisonor was fined 20s and coate. . Shoplifting.—Elizabeth Hissenbuttel was charged with stealing ‘.some calico fromjthe shop of; Messrs, BaUantyne and Co., Mr Thomas appeared for the prisoner, i George ■Borden,, assistant at Baflantyne’s ■ drapery establishment, Cashel street, recognised pnso- . ner.: On. Saturday lastwitness saw prisoner; in the shpp etuißng some drapery into a bag. ‘ She alsoco vered som ecalico over with her shawl. Witness asked ..herwhat she was doing, and •she .replied; that she woe waiting for her sister, She. then left the shop and ran to Hohday’s, •wheip aim th» T ; the bundle dpwp„and' then wentjlo,i iS|r, Hi iris* bootmaker’aShop,,’wherehad. fqUowpd.*her, ~nad ’hjsrdetained*. ‘.Most -. of ” the'',- goods* '(pro^ 1 duced) witness could , not say were mot purchased,.but the piece of • cahoo produced he ? knewwas,not. purchased, as he saw her pick 4t up and,. put, it under her shawl, Sergeant Moripe stated that he arrested prisoner on. Saturday lost on a charge of stealing a piece of.calico. She said she had bought some goods from Ballantyne’s shop on the previous Saturday, and was taking .them to have them exchanged. If she had taken the calico, she must have done so in mistake. Mr Thomas said he.understood Messrs .Ballarityno and Co. did not wish to press the charge. Her story was that she had taken the calico in mistake. The woman was in very delicate health. She was a respectable woman with six young children, and if a -conviction was necessary no would call evidence as to her respectability. There was not. the slightest occasion to commit the offence. The Bench was of opinion that there must be a conviction. Elizabeth Thompson stated that she knew prisoner for 18 years as an honest respectable woman. She was in very delicate health. The Bench dismissed the prisoner with a caution.

Fobgkey and Uttbsing.— Robert Lee, on remand from Eeb.‘ 18, was brought up oharjged, with forging and utteringa cheque, purport- 2 ing to be . signed by George Steele, for the sum of £12., Mr'Neck appeared for prisoner. George Steele deposed: I am a carter, residing on the South belt. Ido not know prisoner. The signature to that cheque (produced) is not mine. I hadan account in; the Union Bank of Australia, .Christchurch; on; Jan. 8,1879. I never authorised any one to sign that cheque or draw oh my account. John Reynolds,'a at Hobday’s recollected prisoner coming into the shop on Jah. 9 last, in company with two females. They purchased goods to the amount of £6. Prisoner presented as payment a cheque (produced) for £l2, on the Union Bank of Australia, purporting to be signed by George Steele in favour of Sarah Steele. I asked prisoner if it was his cheque. He said it was. I then gave the prisoner the change. To Mr Neck: T did not ask prisoner if the handwriting was his.; Henry Hobday: I am , a draper in Colombo street. I know prisoner. He has been dealing with ma for some' years. I saw him in my shop on Jan. 9, when the last witness (Reynolds) served him. Reynolds brought me the cheque, produced, which I sent round to the Bank to get marked. The Bank subsequently paid the amount for which the cheque was drawn. Thomas Fraser Baldwin, ledger-keeper at the Union Plonk of Australia, Chnstchurch, stated that the cheque in question was presented at the Bank on Jan. 10. The amount was paid and charged against.the account of Qeofge Steele.' He was'the only one of the name' that hadan account there. The signature was like Steele’s: To Mr Neck: Witness noticed thftt the Christian name in the signature to the cheque was spelt “Gorge.” He did not know'if ‘he had marked cheques before with .a similar signature. He'., noticedthe word was misspelt when the ‘cheque was presented: Tms did not arouse his suspicion/ ' Andrew James Rattray,- Clerk in thcßaink of New Zealand, Christchurch, stated that the book which contained the cheque was soldto Mr J. Oram Shepherd on Feb. 2 last. Joseph Oram Shepherd, proprietor of the White Hart-Hotel, Christchurch, stated that he had seen the prisoner in his hotel about the beginning of January. He obtained from witness a blank cheqqe on the Bank of New Zealand. Joseph Francis, waiter at the White Bart Hotel, remembered seeing the prisoner at the hotel about the beginning of January. Saw the prisoner and two or three women in the sitting-room. He saw a-woman fill ina cheque and hand the pen to prisoner to signthecheque, Prisoner commenced writing the signature when witness left. Could not identify the cheque. Had seen cheques filled in on previous occasions by the same woman. • Annie Laurie Hill remembered being in the White Hart Hotel on Jan. 8, with the prisoner and Mrs Steele, when the latter signed a cheque. She signed severed of them. Witness was there when all the cheques were written by Sarah Steele except two. On the day the cheque produced; (dated Bth of January) was written out witness went to Hobday’s and bought some things. Only one cheque wap filled up on that date. When the cheque was filled up prisoner, Sarah Steele, and witness were present. Prisoner got the cheque from the White Hart Hotel, and Sarah Steele wrote it Out. She asked prisoner if she would put his name, and he replied, “If you like.” Sarah Steel signed the cheque, and kept it in her possession till she went to Hobday’s, where Robt, Lee presented it in payment for some goods. Prisoner had not the cheque after it was filled tip till He., got it from Sarah Steele on the way to Hobday’s. The waiter came in; to the room, just as Sarah Steele was signing George Steele’s name. Tkis. conoluded the case for the Meseoution. Prisoner, who reserved bis defence, was committed to take bis trial at the next criminal sitting of the Supreme Court. The same prisoner was then charged with'forging and uttering a second cheque for £l3, purporting to have been signed by Geo. Steele, and similar evidence was called in this as in the previous case. Prisoner was committed for tried on this charge also. •

LYTTELTON. Monday, Fsb. 17. (Before W. Donald and 2. Allwright, Esqs.) DEtTHKHinrESS.— T. Leary was dismissed with a caution having been looked op since Saturday. Francis Book was fined 10s, or, in default, 48 hours’ hard labour. Dannie and DisobdbsliT.*— lsaiah Waitara, d Maori, was charged by Sergeant O’Grady with this offence, and fined 20s, or, in default, 48 hours’ hard labour.—James M*Donald, arrested by Constable Coles, was charged with the above offence. He was further charged with damaging Government property to the

extent of 10s, He was flnediO# for drunkenness, or, in default, 48hours , hardlatouiv and ordered to pay 10», the amount of damage d °VAGEAKCT.—John Hawker, against whom a number of previous convictions were proved, was charged by Constable Moutray with this offence. The constable arrested him for begging on Norwich Quay, and stated that be bad several complaints about his begging in the town. The Bench remanded him until to-morrow os he was in a state of semi-mtoxi* cation* , Refusal of Duty. Charles Closkey, second mate of the barquentine Chittagong, was charged by the captain with this offence and sentenced to seven days’ hard labour. Absent without Lbavb.—Thomas Fuse, an apprentice oh board the Brig Clematis, was charged by Captain Bopp with being absent from the vessel without leave; and ordered on ■boardhis vessel.

AEAEOA. Fbiday, Feb. 14. (Before J. Aylmer, Esq.) ■■ Bebach of the By-laws.— T. Welch was charged, on the information of J. F, Boberts, with having on Feb. 2 illegally rescued eight head of cattle while on thßir way to the Found. Fined, £3 and costs. TIMABU. Monpay, Feb. 17. * ■ (Before B.- Woolobmbe, Esq.) Illegally Rescuing Cattle.— A case against Walter Allah, for illegally rescuing cattle seized for, the purpose of being impounded, was adjourned till March 5.