TUESDAY, MAY 2 (Before A. C. Strode, Esq., R.M.)

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1051, 3 May 1865, Page 6

TUESDAY, MAY 2 (Before A. C. Strode, Esq., R.M.)

Drunk and Disobdkkly.—Jane M'Beth, Andrew Williams, and William M'Doon, charged with having been drunk, were each fined 20s or 48 hours' imprisonment. Margaret Sanderson was charged under the Vagrant Ordinance, with soliciting alms in Stafford street. The defendant, a poor old woman, appeared to be in a deplorable state of misery. The Magistrate ordered her to be sent to gaol for twenty-four hours, for the purpose of having her cleaned and taken care of; and he said he ■would see that she was taken care of in some other way.

Offences against the Ljicexstng Okdijtance.—James Edward Tonkin was charged with abandoning his licensed house, the Geelong Hotel, Albany street. Sergeant M'Mann stated that the licensee had gone to the West Coast, and the house had been abandoned for six weeks. The Magistrate declared the license of the said hotel to bt absolutely void, and the house henceforth, unlicensed.—Edmund Qq&iq

was charged with keeping a bagatelletable in his licensed house, tbe -Peacock Hotel, Princes street south, witho ut obtained permission in accordance with the Licensing Ordinance, 1864. On the a P* plication of Mr Harvey, this case wa ~fl *"* journed to Thursday. There was a Binular charge against C. E. Bird, of tbe Pro™ 1011" Hotel, which was also adjourned toTTurf" urfl* day, on the application of Mr Ward. A Foul Chimney.—George West was charged with neglecting to keep clean tbe chimney of his house, and was fined 103 and costs.

Charge of Detaikixg Pboferty.— Clara Dunbevan alias Mary Macarthy, was charged on the information of Anne O'Day with illegally detaining a gold Geneva watch and a plaid shawl. The complainant stated that about a fortnight ago she lent her ehawl and watch and chain to the defendant, who had since refused to return them. Mr O'Loughlin, for the defendant, took the objection that the complainant was a married woman, and could not sue in her own name. The objection was held to be good, and the case dismissed. Threatening Language. — Cornelius Hegan and John Herman were charged on the information of John Breeze, with having used threatening, abusive, and insulting words, in Stafford street, on the 2fJth instant, with intent to provoke a breach of the peace. These parties are neighbors, and a quarrel took place amongst them as to rent. Breeze sent his little boy to take the roof off the house, and Ileenan threatened to chop the boy's head" off if he touched the place. Hegan afterwards threatened tbe complainant that if he'eaused the house to be touched he would chop his head off, and rather than 6ec the house cut down he would set fire to the place. Hegan said he was in possession of the premises, and when he got home and found two persons chopping down his house, he threatened that if they continued to do so he would chop the complainant's head off. The Magistrate thought the threats had been used under great excitement, caused by the act of the complainant. He would fine the defendants 10s each and costs, or in default 24 hours' imprisonment.

THE MURDER OF A GERMAN

- "William Ford and Ellen Anderson were charged on remand on suspicion of having feloniously murdered a German, named " Charley," in High street, on the night of the 29th, or morning of the 30th March last. Mr 11. Iloworth conducted the case. The prisoners were undefended. Thomas Morland Ilocken re-called — I have previously seen this stick, on the day of the inquest, I removed from one end of it portions of human hair matted with blood ; and also four fibres from the forked end. I examined these fibres microscopically and found them to be all woollen. The three smaller ones were white, and the larger one was partly red and partly while, I produce a small piece of.woolkn material, being a portion of the prisoner Ford's waist-scarf, which I received from the police. I examined the fibres of that material with a microscope, and found them to be of a woollen character and colored red and white. There was no detectable difference between the fibres of this piece of cloth and those which I found adhering to the forked end of the stick. I arrived at this conclusion after a long and careful examination. I examined also several other specimens of fabrics, but none of them presented the fame appearance as the first one I mentioned.

Jgnatz Krull: Pluvious to the 29th of March last I had been working to Mr Allen at the East Taieri. I knew the deceased " Charley," as we lived at the same place for seven weeks. I was not much in the deceased's company —we did not sleep in the same room. I did not know him by any name except " Charley." I saw his body at the inquest, and identified it as that of the same man. I came to town with him on the 29th March last. We left the Taieri about two o'clock, and arrived fit the Queen's Arms Hotel, Princes street, about seven o'clock. Deceased was dressed in a pair of moleskin trousers, a monkey jacket, lacing watertight boots, a woollen shirt that looted as if it was red, a red and white handkerchief round his neck, and a black billy-cock hat. We left our swags at the Taieri, but they were afterwards brought to town by the police. To my knowledge he had only on him, on the 'Jf)th, his last fortnight's wages. I know that he had a lictlc table knife in his jacket pocket. The knife had a short blade and a preen handle. He had also a spoon in his possession, but T could not say if he had it in his swag or in his monkey jacket. He had two small calico bags, in which he said he carried his provisions while on the diggings. The spoon was a yellow table spoon of metal, and exactly similar to the one now shown me. At trie Queen's Arms we had a drink, but nothing to eat. The last time I saw him eat was at the Taieri, where we had dinner together, -when we had salt beef, potatoes, and pudding. On the way to town we had several drinks. After leaving the Queen's Arms we went to a shooting gallery, but had no drink there. We then went to the cab-stand, and took a cab to drive us to my brother's store in Great King street. I think that was about nine o'clock. The deceased remained in my brother's house only about a quarter of an hour, when he left in the same cab, saying to me that he was going to look for a letter. When we went into my brother's house the deceased fell, but it was only after he got a drink of beer in the house that we saw he was drunk. About twelve o'clock I went to the Queen Arms Hotel, and asked for " Charley ;" but he was not there. I had some supper, and then went to bed. I did not again see " Charley" until I saw his body at the inquest on the following day. The bags I have referred to are 50lb flour bags. Rachel Gandcll: I am the wife of John Gandell, a miner, and live in Stafford street, about 20 or 30 yards from the right-of-way in which the prisoners lived. i I know both the prisoners. On the night of the 29th of March, about half-past eleven o'clock, I was standing inside the step^of my door, with the door open. The prisoner Anderson then passed my door and a man with her. He was a stoutmade man, having on a dark coat, a black or brown hat, and dirtyish white trousers. He slipped as he passed my house, but I could not say whether from drink or from the slippery state of the iootpath. I did not observe where they went after pass • ing my door, but they passed as if going towards prisoner's house. Mrs Hard wn3 standing at her door at the same time. Her door is nearer the right-of-way thaa

mine is. I saw nothing moreof the female prironer that night. Elizabeth Hickman; I am. the wife of George Hickman, and live in Hope street. On the Bth of March I lived next door but one to the prisoners' house in a right-of-way off Stafford street, and know the Erisoners. I know that Ford was in the abit of wearing a pair of green carpet slippers. The slippers now shown me are the same. Ford used to wear a little plaid scarf round bis waist and sometimes round his neck. The scarf produced is the same.

Sarah Smith, re-called ; In my former evidence, I stated that on the 29th of March, Anderson came home with a man who spoke broken English about half-past eleven o'clock at night. I heard Anderson ask him for " the money," but he replied that he could not give that money. They remained in the house about twenty minutes. There was some other conversation, but I did not pay attention to it. The partition between our rooms is made of Hobart Town palings and canvas. Ford used to wear the scarf now produced round his waist.

Thorraa Williams : I am a storekeeper, living on Adam's Flat. I knew a man who went by the name of " German George," who was a mate of the witness MorgaD, and also a mate with another person named " German Charley." On one occasion I took " German Georges name, which he spelt to me as "Keuzan." I sold him some clothing about October lasf, when he was living on Adam's Flat in a tent by himself. The clothing consisted of a strong heavy Crimean shirt, a black felt hat with a ribbon round it, and broad black binding, a strong leather belt with a brass hook of serpent form, a silk handkerchief he used to wear round his neck, a red scarf, with some white spots on it, an<La pair of moleskin trousers. After this, my.,wife made him a flannel undershirt, for which, small white buttons were taken off a shirt in the shop to put on it. The sewing of the shirt is peculiar, so that I would know it again. The shirt now shown me is the same. The hat and shirt now shown me are the same as I sold to " German George." I had only two shirts of the same pattern, and one of them is now being worn by a man who works on the Flat. j

Detective F. J. Weale, re-called : "When I arrested Ford on the 20th of March last he had a scarf round his waist. I afterwards.attended at the Jail, on Friday the 21st April, and cut some pieces out of the clothing he wore, and also out of the scarf. I cut the piece which was produced by Dr. Hocken. I examined the swag of the deceased on the 30th of March last, and found no spoon in it. There was one large calico bag in it, like a bag that could contain 501b of flour.

Detective J. Farrell: Last night I was present at a search being made by a nightman in the premises lately occupied by the prisoners. The tablespoon produced was found in the cesspool of the water-closet attached to the house, and a calico bag was found buried in the yard close to the closet. It is not in a fit state to be shown in Court. The bag is a calico bag, commonly called by diggers a tucker bag. This finished the evidence for the prosecution.

The prisoner Ford asked for a remand to give him an opportunity of consulting his lawyer as to the evidence he should produce. The prisoners were remanded for a week.

The " Molyneax Mail " says :—We liave been favored with the inspection of a largo sample of exceedingly heavy gold, which was obtained in the vicinity of the Snowy Ranges, at a point about eight miles from the head of Fraser's River. Some of the pieces weigh over an ounce, and present a beautiful appealance. The lucky finder was compelled to leave the scene of his operations on account of the severity of the weather."