POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13086, 27 January 1906, Page 6

POLICE COURT NEWS.

A BUSHMAN'S ADVENTURE. • A young woman named Minnie McNeill, was charged before Messrs. J. C. Coleman and W. H. Cooper, J.'sP., at the Police I Court yesterday, with stealing- from the ) person of Ernest Ha gland a gold hunting j watch, valued at £10. | Detective Henderson prosecuted.. and | Mr. Hackett- defended. | The complainant, a bushman residing in > Dargaville, said while on a holiday at i Auckland, at Christmas time, he visitjed the .Shauiri>ck Hotel, and there lay ! down in the dining room for about two ! hours. He went to sleep and when he felt ! for his watch when he awoke it was gone. | The watch produced was his. I Cross-examined by Mr. Hackett, witI ness said he did not have any conversa- | tion with the accused while in the room lat the hotel. He did not report the loss of ! the watch to the police until he returned I to Dargavillt, as he did not knew the j number of the watch, i Daisy Simmelhag, sister of the accused, \ said about three weeks ago she visited the i hotel in company with her sifter. They ! ordered two drinks in the room, and saw ' a man lying down on «i sofa. While they J were drinking, her sister went over to the ! man and shook him. and pat her arm i round him. She then came back to witi ness, and showed her a watch, saying. '" I could do anything with the man." Wit- : ness then said to her, " Put 1: back." and l the accused replied. ""Leave me alone." 1 They then left the hotel. In answer to Mr. Haekett, witness -aid she did no: see her sister put her hand into the accused's pocket. She could not i saf where her sister " lifted" the watch > from. 1 John Lemur, a clerk, said he had known f the accused for about three weeks, and had j been several times in her company. She I recently gave him it gold watch, saying j that site had found it. and asked him to | keep it for her. Next day he was going I to give- it back to her. and she told him |to keep it. Witness kept the watch in I his possession for several days, and subj sequently he gave it to a man named Ashcroft to pawn. This he did. receiving I £2 for it. j Arthur Ashcroft, a traveller, said he 1 pawned the watch for the last witness.. I and received £2 for it. | Laurie Solomon, a pawnbrokers assistI ant, gave evidence as to receiving the i watch. and lending £2 on it. Witness j valued the watch at about £6 or £7. j Detective Miller said he arrested the ac- | cused, and in answer to the charge she said. "I know nothing about the watch," I but subsequently stated, "I picked it up ■ outside tire Shamrock Hotel, and gave it to j Lemar to mind, thinking a reward might ; be offered for it." j Mr. Hackett said the accused was wil- ■ ling to plead guilty to theft, but not to I theft from the person. i The accused was afterwards brought beI fore Mr. C. C. Kettle. S.M.. and the ! charge was- then reduced to one of com- , mon theft, and the accused pleaded guilty. In reply to the magistrate, the accused j said she was a barmaid, and that she was under the influence of liquor when she committed the theft. The accused was remanded until Monday next, for the probation officer's report.

MISCELLANEOUS.

J Henry Boysan, a middle-aged man, I pleaded guilty to stealing a shirt valued ] at 2s 6d, the property of George Fowlds. i Sub-Inspector Black said the accused was | seen taking the shirt from the complain- ! ant's shop door, and was followed by the ! manager, and given in charge. The accttsI ed was sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

Annie Carpenter wan charged with having received three infant children into her nursing-home, when she only held a licence for two, and further with having omitted to enter a proper record as prescribed by law of the date of admission of another child. it* age, sex, name, parentage, and the payments to be received for keeping * it. Mr. J. jR. Lundon appeared for the dei fendant, and pleaded not guilty to the j first charge, and guilty to the second. Mr. I Lundon said he admitted that there were I three children in the home, but as the old j license for the two had expired, and the j new one had not arrived, there was a techi nical point involved. The magistrate adjourned the case to consider the point raised.

Henry Pickering was fined 5.«, and costs, for driving a vehicle on Queen-street Wharf at other than a walking pace. John Stewart was fined 10s, and costs, for riding a bicycle in Symonds-street without lights after dark. A prohibition order was issued against Henry William Smith for 12 months. By consent, a separation order was issued against John Roche, on the application of his wife (Ellen Roche). No costs were asked.

Sarah While, a, prohibited person, and a, second offender, was convicted and discharged for drunkenness, on going to the Salvation Army Home. One first offender

wa.« also convicted and discharged, and another was similarly dealt with on paying cab hire, 2s 6d.