RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 427, 10 September 1877, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT

TIMS DAY. <t;c f ..re 'l'. W. I'mikimi, V.k<[ , P.M.) Di:r.\K and nrs ihdkim.y. Thomas (iriij'eii, uHnx (jrill'eii (Jrci j was charged wiiii having been drunk » i disorderly in Tci s-stivct. The aeciu i pleaded guilty to the soft impeachment j having taken too large a quantity alcoholic bev rages. The evidence ( Constable Haeksworih having been tak j as to the prisoner's conduct in the lo* i up, his Worslii]) ord. red tin; prisoner | r c'i'-e 14 days' imprisonment with hj« | labour. i T.AKCKNV AS A DATLKK. J Hubert Patrick, on remand, was chary | with having, on the 17th August, < j Oainaru, stolen a violin, the- property 1 one John Clegg. I Prisoner pleaded Not guilty. | Sub-Ins])cctor Sni'th prosecuted. j Tin; evidence for the proHecutioii we i to show that on the lGch August t J lirisoiier sold the violin to the prosecut 1 j John Clegg, for LI ; that he nfterwnr "• u borrowed tin; violin, and instead of i turning it to tin; rightful owner, sold it' | a man named Manttll for 10m. ; His Worship seiiteneed j'rivonrr to "' ' days' iinpris' nnieiit with hard labour. s I HEFUSINfi TO OIIKY OJIPKIIB. I Peter Clallacher, Frederick Low, n*| Robert Johnston, three seamen on boa'| j the ban j ue Tasso, were charged with H, j fusing to do their duty on board th-'f 4 vessel on the Blh instant. _ | j The pr : soners each ])h'ad<>d Not guilhf . Mr. Baluier appeared for tlio prijf| jj cut ion. . • "J Tlte prisoners were undofended. J Jamus Skinner, mato of tlio barqjl | Tasso, deposed that, on Saturday, wMfsJ

the captain was on shore, two of the prisoners, Low and Gallacher, commenced fighting, and he told the boatswain to go ashore and inform the captain of the matter. The two men were very drunk. Witness told the men several times to go to work. They did not say they would not do so, but they did not go to work. While he (witness) was sending the boatswain on shore, Gallacher went up to him (witness), and caught hold of him, saying, "You old , I'll throw you overboard, and sacrifice you." lie did not supply the prisoners with any liquor, and could not say where they got it from, but they were very drunk. Gallacher, after loosening his hold upon him (witness), broke a pane of glass. The steward supplied the men with one glass of liquor at 11 a.m., which is usual when men are discharging cargo. Gallacher and Low did not examine the ■witness, both of them acknowledging that they were drunk, and did not remember anything.

Witness to Johnston : You were not drunk. You were continually dodging about, and when I told you for goodness sake to get on with the work, you said, " All right," and started to do some work, but when my back was turned, yon idled about. You helped me to get the boat out, and do other things. John Long, steward on board the Tasso, stated that on Saturday afternoon he saw the j>risoners Gallacher and Low fighting. They were very drunk. Johnston was at work. He did not know where the men got the liquor from, but he (witness) missed two bottles out of the captain's cabin. The mate was perfectly sober. In accordance with the captain's orders, he (witness) gave all hands a glass of " grog " at eleven o'clock. Chailt-s Johnson, boatswa : n on board of the Tasso, gave corroborative evidence as to some of the men being drunk, and as to Gallacher threatening to t.irow the mate overboard. Witness also stated that Johnston was sober. When he (witness) was returning from the shore with the captain, Johnston said to him, "If I had you in Newcastle, I would do for you."

This was the case for the prosecution. Mr. Balmer stated that the captain did not desire to have the men on board any longer, as he found it impossible to get on with them properly. His Worship, after reviewing the conduct of the prisoners, sentenced Gallagher, as the chief offender, to four weeks' imprisonment; Low to fourteen days' imprisonment ; and Johnston to seven days' imprisonment. His "Worship ordered the prisoners to pay 7s. each for the expense of bringing- the men to the police station, and made an order for the men's wages and clothes to be sent to them.