MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 17 September 1909, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before Messrs MP; Haddow arid T. \V. _...•■- BraJshawj Justices) ALLEGED THEFT OF A PUG DOG. THE CASE DISMISSED. At the Magistrate's Court this morn-, ing Christopher Jordan, of Wai-iti, was cbareed with having, on 20th .June last; ,at Carluke, stoleii a black-faced pug dpg, .valued 'at £5, the property of B. M.; Maiile; . , Sergt. Dougan prosecuted, and the ac-! cused, who pleaded not guilty, was defended by Mr E. B. Moore. Kobert McLaren Maule, a woodcutter, of Carluke, stated that he owned a black-faced pug dog, which he missed on June 20th. He would not take £10 for the dog. A fortnight after the dog disappeared he heard that Mr Benfleld, of the. Black Horse Hotel, had bought it from a man named Jordan. Accused's brother, who lived at Carluke, had a small dog, and witness' dog, every time he was loose, went up to play with Jordan's dog. The dog (produced) was hits. Frederick Benfield, licensee of the Black Horse Hotel, stated that the accused went to his h(>tel OH .Sunday, 20th June, hsiving two dogs with him. Accused sold him the dog "Whisky" .for 255, snyuig tfiat hia' l&bthsr had given it-tp him . Constable Fitzsimmons' evidence was to the effec.t that accused said that he was at Carluke 6H iiie 20th Jtiite) aiid; after leaving for Nelson; bought the dDg from a man on the Toad, Christopher Jordan, the accused, stated that he left Nelson for Carluk« on June 18th. -On the 19th he and his brother drove to Havelock, returning to Carluke next day. His brother had a small dog. On his way back to Nelson a man stopped him and asked him for ss.' He refused to give him the money. The swagger then offered to sell him a dog for 10s. The swagger said the dog's name was "Whisky." He bought the dog (which was held by a piece of strinc;), for 10s, and sold it for 25s to Mr Benfield. Charles Jordan, brother of the accused, having given evidence, The Bench considered that there was insufficient evidence to convict the accused, and dismissed the information. ■ The Bench orderod the dog to be restored to Mr Maule.