MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 122, 11 September 1876, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

THIS DAY. [Before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M.J NEGLECTED CHTLD. John Alfred Minc'iin, a youngster about nine years old, was charged with being a neglected child, under the Destitute Children Act. Sub-Inspector M'Oluskey stated that the poor little fellow was in the habit of sleeping in outhouses, barns, and stables. Patrick M'mchin, the father of the boy, stated that lie was a cavpentar by trade. His ii."sb wife wll dead. T 13 bo*/ was sent to school, but played truant. He had not seen his sm for three weeks. He had been told that lie went about the town bAlinj; people he had no father or mother. Some one had given him thfi suit of clothes he had on, but he didn't know who it was. His son had been to stores and obtained goo Is under the pretence that he had been sent by witness. Constable M jroiiey stated how he had found the boy, and that he had told him !iis father and mother were dead. On the way to the station-house he said his father was alive. The Bench remanded th* boy till tomorrow at three p.m., when the lather could arrange what he would pay towards tha bjy's sippirbin t >e Industrial School. FORGING and uttjeking. John L3'.vi3 Horn, on remand, was charged with havin r, at Oamaru, on the 2nd inst., forged a cheque f>r £7 lis., purporting to be drawn by Fleming and Hedley, with intent to defraud Daniel Foohey. D.miel Toohey, b-jinsj sworn, deposed : I am a draper, residing in Oamaru. On Saturday, the 2il insfc., a man came into my shop at half-past eight in the evening, and asked to see some blankets. He was shown some. He wore blacK whiskers and moustache, but his chin was shaved. He bought the blankets for 2Ts. 61., and tendered a cheque for £7 lis., purporting to be drawn by the i'.-iii of Fbmui ', an 1 Hjdby, on the "Bmk of New Zealand. The cheque produced, dated 2.1-1 September, is the ons. I gave him tle c ang« of. On presenting the c eque at the Bank o£ New Zealand, it was dishonored, as being a forgery. I don't know the accused.

Henry Richmond, sworn, sai The was ev.-sag-d as accountant in Mr. Toohey'sshop. He recollected a man calling at the slioj') on the 2nd inst., between eight and nine o'clock. Tie witness corroborated evidence, and went on to state fiat, in conscqnenc3 of the man's strange appearance, he took particular notice of him. He afterwards saw the prisoner in the gaol. He recognised him by his eyes, forehead, and nose, as being the man who got the blanktts on Saturday night. He had no doubt as to prisoner being the man who presented the cheque. T.ie whiskers he had on must have'been false. Constable Donovan deposed : I went to prisoner's house on the 4t'i inst., betwetn eleven and tw_dve o'clock in fie for noon, accompanied by Sergeant Carrol. I found everything packed n. , except the bed prisoner and his wife sle,.t on. I c'-arged him with forcing a cheque drawn by Fleming and Hedley ; arrested him, and brought 1-im to the Police Station. I went back to Mrs. Raid's boarding house, and found accused's wife tlier?. I searched

her trunk, and found the blanket produced. Allan Hedley stated : I am a member of the firm of Fleming and H dley. We both issue chequis, but I believe I draw most of them. I did not draw a cheque on the 2nd inst. for £7 lis., in favor of Ross. Our cheques are drawn on pink and white paper. The signature of the cheque produced is an imitation of my signature. I did not draw the cheque. When the cheque was first shown to me, I had doubts as to whether it was drawn by mc. I fh-st saw it by moonlight. I know the prisoner. About eleven months ago he was in our employment, working on the farm. Tiiis was all the evidence. Tliu prisoner, on being asked if he had anything to say, wished to know if the Court had any power to deal with the case. The Magistrate replied in the negative ; and the prisoner was accordingly committed for trial.

A SECOND CASE. j The same prisoner was farther charged with uttering another cheque, for £7 lis.. I to H. Whel hj, a draper, carrying on bnr - ness in Oaniarn. T e evid> nee in this cas--i was th" same as that offered in the previous one. Prisoner was committed for trial on the second charge. 7?3£ mQRRISQIi CASE. John Morrison was charged with bnr- ■ glariously entering the Oamaru Hospital, between the hours of nins p.m. - on the . Bth, and six a.m. on the 9t'i inst., by one ; , of the windows, and with having stolen a i blanket, valued at £1 25., the property of j the Hospital. I

The prisoner was formally brought up, and remanded till ;o-morrow. The Court adjourned at t .venty minutes to two till half-past two. - -^ On the Court resuming, 7 THE THIBD CASE OF FORGERY was heard. Horn was brought rp r d c v arg d with passinsr a forged cheque iw £7lCs. on J. H. MPligm. Tie evidence was t t. same as in the previous cases, and the prisoner was ccmmited for trial. THE FOURTH CASE. In this case the prisoner uttered a cheque to Hood and Shennan for £7 10s., purporting t." be drawn by Fleming and Hedley. Miss Fanny Duggan, the saleswoman at Messrs. Hood and S .ennan, deposed that prisoner purchased a quantify of baby linen from her, and tendered a cheque for £7 10s. to pay for it. She gave him the change out. The cheque was apparently drawn by Messrs. Fleming and Hedley. The prisoner took the goods and left the s op. He had on false whiskers and. a dark moustache. She noticed that the little finger of the right hand was bent or turned in towards the other finger, in \the same manner as is the finger of the accused's right hand. [Left sitting.]