RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 470, 31 October 1877, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

♦ THIS DAY. (Before W. J. Stewart anil L. A. Clowes, Esqs., J.P.'s.) FALSE PniiTJENCES. John Nixon was charged with having obtained certain goods from Mr. James Robertson, boarding-house keener, by means of false pretences. The prisoner pleade 1 guilty. James Robertson gave evidence to the effect that previous to the '23 rd October piisoner came to bis bouse, and asked for board and lodging, saying iirst of a'l that lie was a commercial traveller and a<towards that l>e was a detective, and hid been sent down by Inspector Pender to loi«k after a person who was required by the police. The prisoner said ho was sent to witness's house by Sub Inspector Sin th, and asked if witness had mhl objection to Sub-Inspector Smith coming to his hou-e to see him. Witness replied that lie had not. On prisoner's representation witness gave him board and lodging. Prisoner remained at bis hou-e tour d.iys, ami left- without saying anything about a settlement, and without witness knowing that he was leaving. The prisoner owed him 10s. The prisoner was under the iullucnce of drink win n h-; came to witness' house. He would have given the prisoner board and lodging if he had not said he was a det-.ctive. Prisoner did not cross-examine the witness, saying that lie did not remember anything of the occurrence, as he had been under the influence of drink. Sub-Inspector Smith deposed that the prisoner was not a member of the Armed Constabulary Force, which includes the I'etective Force. Witness had never sunt prisoner to R.oberlso <'s boarding-house, and had never seen him until Friday, 2(>ili October, when the prisoner came to him and said he was hard up, and asked witness to give a ticket to take him by railway to Christchurch, where he said he had a wife and family. As the man was then the worse for liquor, witness refused to interest himself on his behalf. Prisoner did not ask any quest'ons. He said he had nothing to urge except that be had been drinking very much at, the tim •, and was sorry for what had ocurrod. He had a wile and live children in Christehureh, where be bad been in respectable employment, but had got on a drink.ng bout, to break himself of which ho had come to Oamaru.

The Bench animadverted on the enormity of the prisoner's conduct in getting drunk and neglecting his wife and family bo-ides getting himself into such a mess. He would lie sentenced to seven days' imprisonment with hard labour.