MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 128, 18 September 1876, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

* THIS DAY. [Before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M.] OBTAINING GOODS BY FALSE PRETENCES. James Fagherty, on remand, was brought up charged with having on the llth° September, at Kakanui, obtained from George Campbell a pair of boots valued at 215., by means of false and fraudulent pretences. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. Sub - Inspector M'Cluskey prosecuted, and called James "Weston, who deposed: lam clerk to Allan and Stumbles, contractors for the Kakanui Harbor Works. Accused was employed at the works, but was discharged on the 11th inst. I did not see him after that date, and could not have paid any order drawn by accused on Allan and Stumbles. George Campbell, being sworn, said : 1 am a storekeeper, residing at Kakanui Mouth. Accused came into my store at half-past eight on. the 11th inst. He asked if I could let him have a pan: of boots. I told him he could not have a paii- "on tick." He said if I let him have the boots he would give me an order on Allan and Stumbles. The order produced was then written out.. I told my clerk to give him the boots. On the prisoner being asked if he had any questions to ask, he made a long rambling statement to the effect that he refused to sign an order on Allan and Stumbles.

John Adams deposed : I am a storeman in the employ of Campbell and Adams. I remember the prisoner coming into the store at half-past eight o clock in the evening. The prisoner came in with Mr. Campbell, and said he wanted a pair of boots. I made out an order on Allan and Stumbles for the price of the boots, which was 215., and the accused signed it in my presence. The dates on the order are errors. They should be the 12fch instead of the 11th. The prisoner said he was still in the employ of Allan and Stumbles. George Campbell, being re-called, said : I presented the order on the 12th, to James Weston, the clerk, for Messrs. Allen and Stumbles. He told me there was no money corning to Fagherty, as he had left the works. I came into Oamaru and gave information to the police. Sergeant Carrol proved the arrest of prisoner at the Shamrock Hotel. This concluded the evidence for the prosecution. Prisoner, on being asked if he had anyto say, stated that he had been sixteen years in the Province, and such a charge had never been brought against him before, and never should be again. The Bench addressee! the prisoner at some length, and committed him for six weeks' imprisonment. The magistrate intimated that he should not have committed the prisoner for so long a time, but that he (the prisoner) had the money in his pocket to-pay for the boots, when he gave the order on Allan and Stumbles. STEALING TURKEYS. Four youngsters named Norman M'Phee (12), Henry Lepper (10), Earnest Lepper (9), and H. Bayle (8), were charged with stealing, on the 17th inst., one turkey from the Awamoa estate, the property of Mr. Holmes. _ Percy Church, being sworn, said: I live opposite M'Kay's Hotel. I saw the four boys yesterday coming from Mr. Holmes's, along the main road. M'Phee had a turkey under his arm, with a cloth over it, and-one of the Leppers- had another turkey. I met the boys, and said, "Halloa, Norman, where did you get the turkeys 1" He said, " I got them off Ardgowan Station." I asked him how much .he gave for them, and IVl'Phee said tsn shillings, but the boy with the turkey under his arm said, "Five shillings for the two." The turkeys were both alive when I saw them. Sub-Inspector M'Cluskey asked for a remand till tor-morrow, in order to take rfche evidence of Mr. Holmes' manager. The youngsters were remanded accordingly.