MAGISTERIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIII, Issue 12159, 24 March 1900, Page 5

MAGISTERIAL.

.— * CHRISTCHURCH. Friday, March 23. (Before Mr A. Currie, J.P., and Mr W- W. Tanner, J.P.) Drunkenness. —William Kirk, charged with being drunk in Manchester Street, was fined 10s, in default forty-eight hours’ imprisonment. Assault and Robbery.—Thomas O’Connor was charged with assaulting Robert Lauchlan in Tuam Street on March 17. The prosecutor stated that-on that evening he was proceeding home with a friend named Hanlon, and four young men accosted them and insisted on Hanlon having a drink. The witness remonstrated, and received a blow in the mouth from hocused, which knocked him into the gutter. As he got up a hand was put into his trouser pocket. It was not accused’s hand, as he was struggling with Hanlon. The man who had his hand in the pocket disappeared. He did not know how the struggle ended. It only lasted a few minutes. The four men then crossed the street towards the Opera House. He could not say what he had in his pocket. It might have been Is or Is 6d. There was nothing in the pocket afterward. He next saw accused on the Sunday following at the police office, and easily picked him out from the others. In reply to accused, he said he did not see accused on the same night in the Wellington Hotel. Stephen Hanlon, a minor, who resided in the same house as Lauohlan, described meeting the accused and others, and at first thought it was play till it got ropgh, and he received a

blow over the eye. The blow was given by O'Gonnqr, and fie'did'not think it was with the bare hand, 'jhe .wound hied freely. He could ' ihot:;, tell-' what ' became of the: men afterwards. Lauchlan did not go home with him. lie could not say if Lauchlan received a blow. He saw accused on the following day at the Police Station. He recognised him among others, and had no difficulty in doing so, though he did not want to. Tregonwell Parsons, barman at the Wellington Hotel, deposed that he knew, the accused by sight. He was serving in the bar on March 17, but did not see him in the bar between nine and eleven o’clock. He saw hini earlier in the evening, in company with some other men. He was not drinking, and was perfectly sober. Witness saw Hanlon pass through the bar, possibly at about ten o'clock. His face was streaming with blood. Lauchlan came in with him. He was bleeding more freely than Hanlon. They were refused drinks, and left immediately. He did not see accused in the bar after the first time. Detective Chvystall described the arrest of accused. At that time he said: “ I did not do it. I know Jack Cpnway put his hand, in the. man’s . pocket, and a grey-bearded man can prove what I say.” Lauchlan at once recognised accused in the police yard. Hanlon expressed reluctance in recognising anybody. Accused stated that on the night of March 17 he left home about 7.30 o’clock, and walked through the town. About 8.45 he heard a friend was in the Terminus Hotel, and met him there, and later left him at the corner near the Prince of Wales’s Hotel, as he had an appointment with another friend at 9.30. They parted about 9.10. Kept the appointment and only stayed a minute or two. He then met another friend, named O’Malley, and with him went to Manchester Street, where they met another man, named Payne, who asked him to meet him at ten o'clock at the Wellington Hotel. He remained with O’Malley till about 10.5, and then went to the Wellington Hotel, but Payne was not there. As he came out of the hotel another young man called to him to have a drink. While it was being served Lauchlan and Hanlon came in. He noticed a nasty cut over Hanlon’s eye, and asked who did it. The reply was, “ It’s all right, Tom; they tried to get a fiver, but were not smart'enough, and I would like to meet the man when sober,” A man named Mahney came in, and said Conway ■was buying beer for anybody who liked to drink it, and he had got a few pounds from a man in front of the Opera- House. The accused was committed for trial at the Supreme Court, bail being allowed in two sureties of £25 each or one of £so.—The accused was then further charged with assault and robbery of Thomas John Davis, on March 17. The prosecutor said he was cook at the Wellington Hotel. He first saw the accused on March 8, on a train going to Lyttelton. On March 17 he met his -wife and family by express, and tried to get accommodation for them, and at 10.35 took them to the Wellington Hotel. He went out about 10.45, and was'returning as it struck eleven. A,s he was nearing the Wellington Hotel, and turning into the right-of-way, he felt a hand in his trousers pocket. He recognised accused, who' gave him a violent blow on the bridge of the nose. The blow knocked him down, and on rising he received another blow on the jaw, but could not say who gave it. He got up, and received another blow, which knocked him down again. While down the third time he was kicked, and the nail broken off his thumb. He tried to get away, and felt a hand put- in his trousers pocket. There was nothing in the pocket, as he had given his money to his wife. He could not see who put his hand there. There were four or five persons about, but accused was the only one he. could recognise. It was a bright moonlight night. He saw accused next day, Sunday, at the Police Station, and easily recognised him among five or six others. Robert Lauchlan deposed that he saw the accused on March 17, between 9.30 p.m. and 10 p.m., opposite the Opera House, in Tuam Street. Stephen Hanlon gave similar evidence. There wove three' or four others. Defceofeiye. Ohrysteil re peated the evidence given in the formercase. The. accused said that he was not there at the time. The Bench did hot consider' the evidence sufficiently strong, and dismissed the cate. Rescuing! Cattle From Pound.—-Richard Stevens was charged with having rescued a cow at Hillmorton, on Feb. 11. The pound-keeper and a witness having been heard, the accused stated that he drove the cow from the paddock. He left the cow for two minutes only. During that time the cow' was being driven by the pound-keeper. The defendant was fined 10s and costs,- 19s. Prohibition .Order.—An order .was granted with respect to a man, to take effect in the-, Christchurch, Ashley, Lyttelton, Kaiapoi,, Avon and Riccarton districts.

Alleged Assault and Robbery.—William Hill and Robert M’Quaid were charged with having assaulted Harry Patral and robbed him of a watch and chain, valued at £l, and of £5 in gold, r.n March 14. Patral, who is a labourer, residing at Pigeon Bay, said that he saw both accused on March 14 at the Terminus Hotel. They assaulted him and took his purse'and a watch. He had given £2 to the bahnaid before the gold and the watch were taken. He saw accused next day. at Barrett’s Hotel, and they assaulted him a second time and took another pound. Later on M’Quaid spoke to. witness,' and, witness asked him for the watch, saying that he did not mind the money if he got the watch back. M’Quaid said he would try and get the-watch back, but he did not do so. The chain produced was Iris. He first saw it, since he had lost it, at the police station, after accused was arrested. In reply to Hill, witness said -he went- to the Terminus Hotel with about £8 in his possession. He had had £lO, and had handed £2 2s to. the barmaid, and had received £1 15s hack next- morning. He had had a lot of drink, and he treated people three times. Theresa Slade, barmaid at' the hotel, said that she served accused on March 14. She did not see anything happen between Patral and accused. Patral gave her £2 2s to keep for him, and next morning she returned £1 15s. William Kirk, a labourer, said that on March 14, -in the bar of . the hotel, at about 9.30' in the evening, one of the -accused offered him a watch for .Bs. He offered him 3s, but the accused would net take that. In reply to accused, witness said that there were . about twenty people in the bar. They had. drinks, provided by Patral. to the extent of 7is 6d to 10s perhaps. Constable Cassells gave evidence that when he charged Hill, the latter was wearing the chain. Hill cave evidence to the effect that he had a drink with Patral. He and Ids mate told Patral on several occasions to go to the police about the watch. In reply to Sub-inspector O’Brien, he said that what Kirk had said about offering a watch was not true. Evidence was given by Arthur Herbert Puree, and George Henry Graynnr, of the Burnham Industrial School, and Constable Cassells also gave evidence. Accused were committed for trial. Bail wais allowed, two sureties in £25, each and themselves in £SO.