A DANGEROUS RUFFIAN.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 348, 5 June 1877, Page 4

A DANGEROUS RUFFIAN.

(From yesterday's " Guardian.")

For some weeks past reports have been .current of people being accosted, and in some instances robbed, by night prowlers, and the police have been diligently engaged endeavouring to trace the offender?. On Saturday morning a well-known thief, who is believed to have contributed to the alarm occasioned, was presented at the City Court, and received a well-merited punishment at the hands of Mr. Watt, R.M. The accused rejoices in the name •'of John Gately, and, besides being a namesake, he is believed to te likewise a brother of the Victorian hangman. His appearance in the dock was that of a tall' gaunt desperado, his long shaggy locks and dirty unshaven features giving him a most repxilsive aspect. From the evidence produced it transpired that he was arrested on warrant, but not without considerable difficulty, by that active and indefatigable officer, Detective Bain, on Friday. On proceeding to the house in "Walker-street about half-past 1 in the afternoon, the detective found that Galely had barricaded himself inside, and it was only'by obtaining the assistance of a constable and forcing the door that the detective secured his man. On being arrested and searched, a couple of keys, one of which had been filed and tampered with, and an exceedingly formidable kind of weapon were found on Gately. The weapon, which was exhibited in Court, consisted of about nine inches of lead pipe, through which about two feet of cord, knotted at each end, was passed. Armed with this "neddy" the prisoner could easily lay his victims harmless at his feet, and, in fact, a more effective implement for prosecuting the profession of a footpad it would be difficult to imagine. There were two charges against the prisoner. The first was for being unlawfully in the dwelling-house of James Scanlan, Great King-street, between three and four o'clock on Thursday morning. The prosecutor, who is a hotelkeeper, stated that he retired to rest on the previous night, leaving the back door of his house fastened, but not locked. Between 3 and 4 o'clock next morning, on getting up, he found the prisoner in the passage leading to his bedroom. The prisoner had no boots on his feet, and he was allowed to leave. Immediately afterwards Scanlan found a pair of boots and went after the accused. On searching his pockets he found a weapon made of a piece of a clothes-line with a strip of new lead pipe, and also the key of his back door in his pockets. He then reported the matter to the police. Inspector Mallard informed the Bench that Mrs. Scanlan would have been present to corroborate her husband's evidence, but he had received a letter from her intimating that in consequence of the fright she had received she was too ill to attend. The prisoner was further charged with being unlawfully on the premises of Charles Cooper on Friday morning. The prosecutor is a land and estate agent, and keeps a store in Walker-street, and the prisoner had been staying in a house opposite the back door of his premises. Tne store is managed by his wife and daughter, and Mrs. Cooper stated that she retired to bed on Thursday night, leaving the doors locked and secured. Miss Cooper, who slept in the same room with the servant, stated that she was awakened in the morning between four and five o'clock, and saw the prisoner at the doer of the bedroom in the act of entering. He made off, and she followed as speedily as she could, dressing herself and going into the kitchen. By this time the prisoner had escaped, and she proceeded to his house, but found lie had secured the door. On returning, a tin of salmon, a box of sardines, and a halfpound of butter were missed from the store. The prisoner had neither boots nor coat on when she saw him at her bedroom door. Isabella Cox, a servant in Mr. Cooper's employment, also gave evidence as to how they hunted the prisoner into his den and vainly endeavoured to get him out. Detective Bain produced the keys which he found on Gately, one of which was ascertained to open Mr. Cooper's door, and the other had been tampered with. Several previous convictions were recorded against the prisoner. He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour for each offence, the sentences to be cumulative.