Resident Magistrate's Court.

Marlborough Express, Volume VIII, Issue 484, 22 March 1873, Page 7

Resident Magistrate's Court.

BLENHEIM, FRIDAY, MARCH 21st, 1873.

(Before S. L. Muller, Esq., R.M.)

BTEALING FROM A. DWELLING,

William Hannam was charged with stealing from a dwelling-house a quantity of tea, sugar, and a pair of blankets.

John Fitzgerald deposed that he was a farmer, residing m the Lower "Wairau. The prisoner had been m his employ a little over four weeks. On Monday last he left the prisoner at work while he came to Blenheim. Prisoner said he was going to Dumgree to see about a job, that he would start on Tue sday morning, and would be back to work on "Wednesday. He came to witness on Monday night at Barry's and asked for 10s, which he paid him. The suspicion of witness was aroused by the size of the swag carried by prisoner, as he only had a small blanket when he came to work ; he had a good mind to give him m charge, but did not do so, On reaching home witness remarked to his wife that he suspected some things had been stolen from the whare : went to the whare m question m the morning and immediately missed the tea and sugar ; there was about half a bag of tea and half a bag of sugar ; the goods were there on the previous day ; came to Blenheim to procure moro tea and sugar ; on returning home was told by O'Connor that his blankets had been stolen also ; believed there was more than half a box of tea and the same of sugar ; the original

weights were 13lbs and 56lbs respectively. Waited till Wednesday night, thinking the prisoner would return, would then have spoken to him quietly about it, but as he did not return, and heard that he had gone to shearing at Mr Seymour's, procured a .search-warrant, and found the goods now produced at the prisoner's house, his wife said he had told her he bought them ; the blankets had been all m one, had been cut since stolen ; were the property of Daniel O'Connor ; believed the goods produced were his property, the value of the lea and sugar^was about 30s. Prisoner was helping to build a cob house and slept on the premises ; had known him a long time and placed trust m him m preference to a stranger.

By the prisoner : Your swag when I saw you at Barry's was big enough to contain the stolen blankets; I had occasion to suspect you once before when you went home, I thought some of the tea and sugar had been taken.

Daniel O'Connor, who was ploughing for Fitzgerald, identified the blankets as his property, and corroborated a portion of the previous evidence.

Inspector Emerson deposed to the finding the pioperty m prisoner's houso, and to arresting him at the Awatere.

The prisoner declined to ask the last two witnesses any questions, and when ca,lled on for his defence, made a statement to the effect that he had found the blankets tied with a piece of flax on the road near Mr Houldsworth's as he returned from the Awatere on Sunday last, and that he bought the tea and sugar of a man named Tom Daniels a week ago. The Court was informed that Daniels had gone to America consequently hi 3 evidence could not be obtained.

His Worship f?r\id the evidence was very strong against tho prisoner, who had abused the trust reposed ii ' k him ;he should not, therefore be doing his duty if he did not inflict the full penalty allowed by law. The prisoner had been* known • for a long time as an idle and dissolute character ; he should therefore sentence him to six months imprisonment with hard labour m Picton Gaol.