CITY POLICE COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6383, 28 July 1882, Page 4

CITY POLICE COURT.

Thursday, 27th July. (Before X H. Carew, Esq., R.M.)

Drunkenness. —Four cases of drunkenness were dealt with. \Villiam Macdonald, for being drunk on the railway premises, was fined 20s, or in default 48 hours' imprisonment. An Exthaomhnaky_ Case.—Robert Knight was charged with stealing, on the 21st inst., at Tiinaru, two blankets, one feather bed, two quilts, and a rug, tho property of William Karton. —The prosecutor stated that the accused was boarding with him for sometime, up to the 21st July. He left on that day, and witness on tho following day found that son^o bedding had been removed ■from th,e hou^e— the articles mentioned in tho information—and aovoral other things! a carpet and some vasea

included. His wife aiid six children were gone also. Witness came to Dunedin, and found his wife living hi Arthur street. Ho met

accused in tho street previously, and asked him to take him whero his wife was. Accused said, "AH right, but it iB my house." On On arriving tliore witness told the accused some of tho things were his. The latter made no reply, but witness' wifo told him ho had better go out of the houso, or they would get a constable, to put him out. Tho blankots and quilts produced witness thought were Liv; but ho could swear to tho bed. Witness could not swear tho accused actually took any of the things away himself.—Detective Henderson said ho could understand the qualified statements the witness now mado, as he had called at the police-station that morning and wished to withdraw tho charge. He spoke very differently when the information was laid. —Detective Walker stated that ho went with tho last witness to a house off Arthur street, to execute a search-warrant. The articles produced were identified by the latter as his property. When accused was charged, ha admitted bringing tho articles there, but said ha had not stolen them. —This was the case for the prosecution.—The accused said that when the prosecutor came to the houso, he accused him of running away with his wife and family. The fact sf the matter was that ho said lie was going to Dunedin before long, and she (Mrs Karton) said she could no{ 'lye with her husband much longer if he cursed and swore at her as he was in the habit of doing. She said there were a few things she had worked hard for belonging to her as much as to him, so they put them together and she sent them to accused, and he forwarded them for her to Dunedin. That was all he had to do with the things.—Mrs Karton was called, and stated that she had several times threatened to leave her husband, and he said, "All right." She said to accused, " When you go, Bob, I will go with you, and you can board with me ; I think we can get on together," She said she would not go without something for the children to sleep in, and took the rug and blankets at the last moment to wrap them in. She thought that the accused could pay her £1 a week, as he had done at home, for his board, —Mr Carew: Did your husband know you were leaving ? — Witness said she told him before. He beat her one night, and nover seemed to improve in his conduct. She told him the night before that she was going next day.—Mr Carew said the accused appeared to have acted like a fool, but without any intention to commit a felony. His foolish action might have ended in his being sent to gaol, but under tho circumstances ho (the Magistrate) thought ho should be doing wrong to send him there. The case would be dismissed.

The Industrial School. —An information wag heard against Grace Morris, calling upon her to contribute towards the support of her illegitimate child now in tiie Industrial School. —An order was made for the payment of 2a weekly.