MAGISTERIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXV, Issue 7862, 18 May 1886, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

CHRISTCHURCH. Monday, Mat 17. (Before H. P. Murray-Aynsley and J. D. Macpherson, Esqs.) Detjnkennbsb. —For this offence Mary Gough was fined 10s; David M'Gee, ■£! Richard Richardson, 10s; and D. Kirton, 10s. James Drummond, who, it will be remembered, sent a telegram on May 7 from Kirwee to Constable Haddrell, stating that he was unable to take care of himself on account of drink, was ordered to be discharged on payment of 16s, the expenses of his medical treatment in gaol. Three first offenders were fined 5s ; another, who had been flooded out on Saturday, and had drunk too deeply to drown his sorrows, was dismissed with a caution.—A man who had not previously been before the Court was accused of having been drunk at the Heathcote Road Board office on Saturday, and with resisting Constable M'Gill. He had, it appeared, worked exceedingly well in rescuing persons from their flooded dwellings, but had got somewhat intoxicated, and made use of bad language in the presence of a number of women and children. The constable attempted to put him out, but was met with a vigourous resistance. In consideration of the good service rendered by the man in the morning, the Bench dismissed the charge of drunkenness, and fined him 10s on the other charge. The usual alternatives of imprisonment were ordered in case all the above fines were not paid. Lahcent. —Frederick Harris, on remand,, was charged with stealing a pair of boots, value 18s 6d, the property of B. J. Hale, on May 14. Samuel Nicholls, a boy employed by Mr Hale, identified a pair of boots produced by the police as a pair which he had missed from outside the shop on the evening of the day in question. Robert Wigg, a barman employed at the Royal Hotel, stated that on May 14 the prisoner offered the boots for sale in the bar of the hotel. Constable Dillon, who had arrested the accused, deposed that he stated that he had bought the boots in Mr Ayers’ auction room. George M'Cutcheon, salesman for Mr Hale, deposed that the boots in question had not been sent to Mr Ayers’ mart for sale. Accused, in reply to the Bench, stated that he had bought the boots in Ayers’ auction room from a man named Harvey, but did not know where to find him. Mr MurrayAynsley said that the Bench had no doubt of accused’s guilt. Inspector Pender handed in a list of previous convictions, from which it appeared that he had been five times convicted of theft between 1874 and 1884. Detective O’Connor stated that the man had only just been discharged from Dunedin gaol. The Bench sentenced him to three months’ im prisonment, with hard labour.—James Gordon, alias George Miller, alias Charles Duffy, pleaded guilty to stealing a coat and vest, value £2, the property of Walter Isaac Cook, at New Brighton, on May 11, and to stealing JE3 in money from W. J. Walker, on May 15. At the request of Inspector Pender, the Bench decided to hear the evidence. Walter Isaac Cook stated that the prisoner came to the bouse where he was stopping on Friday night, and asked for shelter, stating that he was hard up. Witness gave him shelter, and he repaid the kindness by making off with the coat and vest. Detective O’Connor deposed that he arrested the prisoner, who admitted the offence, and told him that he had sold the articles for 9s, at a store at New Brighton, whence they had been recovered. Inspector Pender informed the Bench that the prisoner had served a term in Adelaide, where there was also a case pending against him. The circumstances of the theft of the .£3 were, the Inspector stated, similar to that of the case just heard. The prisoner had been provided with shelter on the strength of his representations that he was a runaway sailor, hard up, and had made off with his benefactor’s money. The Bench, after commenting severely on prisoner’s ungrateful conduct, sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour on each offence, the sentences to run concurrently. The accused was then remanded to May 19, at Lyttelton, on two charges of stealing a watch and clothes from sailors on board two vessels in Port.

Case Remanded. —Colin M'Lean, accused of stealing a coat, value £1 12s 6d, the property of H. Thorne, from the Wellington Hotel on May 16, was remanded to May 22, Inspector Pender stating that he was so bad from the effects of drink as to be unable to appear.