RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 746, 18 June 1886, Page 10

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Tuesday, June 15. (Before Mr H. S. Wardell, R.M.) INDECENCY. Frederick Masters was brought up on remand for the above offence. Mr Shaw appeared for the accused, and argued that the evidence against the prisoner was not strong enough to warrant a conviction. Mr Wardell thought the evidence left no doubt that the accused had been guilty of indecent behavior. He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labor. The prisoner, when removed from the dock, was crying like a child. LARCENY. Mary Miller, a youug woman or respectable appearance, was charged with having stolen a parasol and 12 yards of alpaca from the shop of Messrs Graves and Fleming, on the 14th iasfc. Mr Shaw appeared for the prisoner, who pleaded not guilty. Mr Wardell said the evidence was not strong enough to convict the accused, and therefore dismissed the charge. ASSAULT. Patrick Cooney was charged with assaulting John Walsh, on the (Queen’s Wharf on Sunday last. It appeared that the men had been engaged in a pugilistic encounter, and w»re both equally to blame. Mr Wardell ordered both men to enter in their own recognisances of £2O, and to keep the peace for three months, and to pay costs. LAKCENY. William Templeton, alias William Woods, alias George Piper, was charged with having, on the 13th inst., stolen a meerschaum pipe aud case, valued £2 10s, the property of Otto Hasey. Convincing evidence was brought against tbe accused, who was sentenced to three months’ hard labor. ASSAULT AND WILFUL DAMAGE. Amy Crisp, a woman of bad repute, pleaded not guilty to the above charges. Mr Devine defended, and Mr Shaw prosecuted. Carrie Miller deposed that accused, with another woman named Hatfield, who lived in the same house as witness, had entered her room and created a disturbance. A constable was called, and when peace was restored left the house. Immediately on the constable’s departure Crisp and Hatfield recommenced hostilities, and in the row which ensued twelve wine glasses were broken by Crisp. Miller accused Crisp of striking her on the head with a diamond ring. Several other girls gave evidence. The Magistrate decided that the assault aud damage to property were the result of a quarrel between the women. Crisp was ordered to pay a fine of 03 and costs. A charge of a similar nature against Sarah Hatfield was dismissed. GAMBLING IN AN HOTEL. Frederick S. Cooper, licensee of the Victoria Hotel, was charged with having allowed the unlawful game of “ Yankee Grab ” to be played on his premises on the 17th May. Mr Guliy appeared for the defence. Y.'illiam James Livingstone, who gave the information to the police, said he had done so because Cooper had refused to serve him with a drink. Several witnesses gave evidence to the effect that during the time Livingstone was in the hotel no dice had been used. Mr Wardell dismissed the information, and directed that Livingstone should be prosecuted for wilful and corrupt perjury at the

next criminal sittings of the Supremo Court, bail to be allowed in two sureties of £SO each. Wednesday, June 16. (Before Mr H. S. Wardell, R.M.) DRUNKENNESS. Two first offenders wece fined ss, with the usual alternative. ALLEGED DESERTION FROM H.M S. NELSON. John Steele was charged with deserting from H.M.S. Nelson, and pleaded not guilty. James B. Cohen and Alexander Mcßain, master-at-arms and corporal, respectively, of the warship NelsoD, failed to recognise the accused as the man wanted, . though he answered to the description given in the Police Gazette. The Bench expressed regret that a mistake had been made, and discharged Stee’e. BREACH OF HARBOR BOARD BY-LAWS. Herbert Williams, cabdriver, was fined £1 and 7s costs for driving at other than a walking pace on the Queen’s wharf. Mr Izard represented the Harbor Board. MALIGIOUS DAMAGE TO PkOPEHTY. A charge against Gustave Franz, for maliciously injuring certain shelving, the property of A. Macdonald, was withdrawn on accused agreeing to make good the damage and pay costs. Mr Jellicoe appeared for defendant. PROHIBITION. An order was made against Jobn Donovan, who did not appear. AFFILIATION. The case Lucy Sparkes v. John Meek, in which complainant prayed that defendant should be adjudged the father of her offspring, aud be ordered to contribute towards its maintenance, wa3 called on, but adjourned until Wednesday next. Mr Stafford appeared for complainant ; Mr Moorhouse for defendant. LARCENY. John O’Brien, a prisoner at present serving a sentence of five years’ penal servitude, received in October last, was charged with stealing a ring valued at £4 on 20th August last, the property of Mary Moncrieff. . Prosecutrix deposed that she was barmaid at the Island Bay Hotel. In August of last year she was slaying at the Star Hotel, Lambtonquay. She placed the ring in a box in her bedroom upstairs and found that it had been stolen on the date named. She had not given permission to the accused or any other person to take it, nor had she given it away. Detective Neill, stationed at Christchurch, proved finding tbe . ring on accused when he arrested him in Christchurch on another charge. Accused tried to conceal the ring in his mouth. He told witness he had received it from a lady friend in Wellington. Thomas Howell, licensee of the Star Hotel, deposed that he knew the prisoner, who stayed with him for two weeks in July or August. He left some days before the ring wasT stolen. Prisoner knew tbe run of the house, and could have access to all the bedrooms without witness knowing it. Saw prisoner about two weeks after he left the hotel in Wellington. By the prisoner : Believed accused told him that he was going to Kaiwarra when witness saw him in a trap. Inspector Shearman said prisoner was undergoing a sentence of five years for felony. Prisoner reserved his defence. Prisoner was then further charged with stealing a ring and a sum of £2 10s from a box belonging to Amelia Bertha Skipper, waitress at tbe Queen’s Hotel, Wellington. Prosecutrix deposed that on the night of the 14tn Sepfcembar, 1884, she heard Eomeooe making a noise in her bedroom, and afterward went upstairs, where she found that her box bad been broken open and a ring, valued at 10s, and £2 10s had been abstracted. She saw a man going in the direction of the back terrace, but could not recognise him. The ring (produced) was her property. H, J. Smythe, boots at the Canterbury Hotel, Lyttelton, said that on the 20th September last accused went into the hotel and had a conversation with him, during which he gave accused a drink. Accused told him he had come from Wellington in the Tarawera, and gave witness a gold ring, which, he said, had been given to him by a girl in Wellington. Prisoner, who reserved his defence also in this case, was committed. for trial, the witnesses being ordered to enter into recognisances to appear and give evidence at the Supreme Court. BULLER V RANSFIELD. This was a claim for £ls upon a promissory note drawn in favor of W. L. Buder, foe services rendered in connection with a will. Mr Hutchen appeared for plaintiff, for whom judgment was given for the amount claimed, with £2 Is costs.