MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 259, 20 February 1877, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

THIS DAY. [Before T. W. Parker, Esq., P.M.] DRUNK AND DISORDERLY. William Co well, for being drunk and disorderly in Tees-street, was fined 55., or twenty-four hours' imprisonment. LARCENY. Alice Lavine was charged on remand with stealing from the dwelling of Wm. Walker, Kakanui Mouth, two L 5 notes and one LI note, the property of James Edward Freshwater. The first witness called was James Edward Freshwater, who deposed that he was a pile-driver at the Kakanui Harbor works, and was boarding at Walker's place, where he had a single bedroom. I keep my clothes in a canvas bag, which 1 kept in my room. On Monday night I looked in the bag, and the purse and the money which I usually kept was safe ; but on Tuesday afternoon I had occasion to go to the bag, and I then found the money was gone, all but two LI notes, which were left in the purse. I could not swear to the bank the notes were drawn upon ; but to the best of my belief they were Bank of New Zealand notes, as my employers (Allan and Stumbles) usually get them from there. I did not authorise any person to go to the bag or take anything out of it. I know the prisoner, Alice Lavine. j She was in Mr. Walker's service, as housemaid, &c. She was in the habit of going to my room, for the purpose of making the bed and cleaning the room. When I found I had lost the money I went to Mr. Walker, and reported the loss to him.

William Walker, deposed : I am a boardinghouse-keeper, at Kakanui Mouth. I know the last witness. He was a boarder in my place. He has been boarding with me for some months past. I know the prisoner, Alice Lavine ; she has been in my employ from December till February 13, 1877. She was a general servant; her principal duties was to make up beds and clean up the rooms. She used to clean up the prosecutor's room along with the rest. She left my employ on the morning of the 13th inst., about ten or eleven o'clock, About half ,

an hour after I saw her in the street, and I said to her, " It is a nice thing you are doing," referring to leaving my place without leave. She said to me, "It doesn't matter ; I'm not coming back." I said, "I suppose it is because you borrowed money beforehand." She muttered some words, and I then caught her by the shoulder to take her back to my place. She said to me, "Let go." She then gave me LI, and said, " That is all I have got." I owed her no wages. I had paid her her wages beforehand, and she had borrowed the LI 3s. from me. When I got the LI I was astonished, because I was almost sure she had no money, as she borrowed 10s. on the previous Friday. Her wages was 14s. per Aveek. She left for Oamaru on horseback. The next time I saw her was at the Melbourne Boardinghouse, Oamaru, in the afternoon of the same day. I then gave her in charge to Constable Donovan, on the charge of stealing from my two L5-notes and a Ll-note, the property of James Freshwater. The last witness reported the loss to me, and said that it had been taken from his bag. Edward Page deposed : I am fourteen years old. lam employed at the Shamrock Hotel stables as groom. I know the prisoner ; the first time I saw her was on Monday afternoon, the 12fch inst., when she cam.e to the stables and hired a horse. It was sent round to the Melbourne Boardinghouse for her. She returned on Tuesday, the 13th inst., with the horse she had hired. She tendered meaL - note to pay for the hire of the horse. I got the note changed, and handed her the balance ; and she then gave me half a crown for myself. She then left the stables. I do noi know what bank the note was on.

.Fanny Duggan was then called, and deposed : I am saleswoman at Hood and Shennan's, Oamavu. I know the prisoner. I saw her on Tuesday, the 13th inst., between two and four o'clock. She came into the shop, and asked to be shown a polonaise. I then showed her some, and she asked to see a skirt to suit the polonaise. After looking at them, she purchased a skirt and polonaise. (Skirt, &c, produced, and sworn to by witness.) The bill was L") Bs. She paid me with a L5-note and a half-sovereign. ■ I receipted the bill, and gave her the change. I sent the goods to the Melbourne Boardinghouse, which she gave as her address. The note was a Bank of New Zealand one, and quite new. Constable Donovan was then sworn, and deposed, that from information received on Tuesday last, between seven and eight in the evening, I went to the Melbourne Boardinghouse, and the prisoner was then given in charge to me by William Walkei', who accompanied me there, on the charge of stealing from his place two five pound notes and one one pound note, the property of James Edward Freshwater. She denied the charge, and 1 then asked her if she had any money. She said yes. She then handed me the purse (produced), which, on my examining it, I found to contain £1 7s 3d, and I then brought her to the Police Station. After that, I went to the Melbourne Boardinghouse, and found the articles produced in her bedroom, which I took possession of and brought to the Police Station. This concluded the evidence for the prosecution. The prisoner was then committed for trial. The same prisoner was charged with stealing from the house of Win. Walker one imitation sealskin jacket, the property of Mary Walker. Mary Walker deposed : I am the wife of William Walker. I know the prisoner. She was servant at our place. I recollect lending the prisoner a brown sealskin jacket when she had occasion to come into Oamaru. She returned it when she came home about eight days afterwards. I missed the jacket referred to on the 13th inst. I did not authorise any person to take the jacket. (The jacket was produced, and sworn to by witness.) I think the value of the jacket tq be about 10s. I did not see the jacket after missing it till now. William Walker deposed: lam the husband of the last witness. I gave the-pri-soner in charge for stealing money from my boarding-house. After the prisoner was brought to the police-station I saw .the jacket produced. The prisoner was wearing it. I recognised the jacket as being the property of my wife. I then charged her with stealing the jacket. This concluded the evidence on this charge for the prosecution. Adjourned till later in the afternoon, ;