ROBBING A FARMER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1417, 18 January 1879, Page 12

ROBBING A FARMER.

* At the City Police Court on Wednesday the following case was heard :— Stealing from the Person. — William Wallace was charged with stealing from R. B. Tvvelftree the sum of Ll2B 18s 6d on the 13th instaut.— Robert Burns Tvvelftree deposed : I am a farmer, residing at Lake Waipori. In connection with a business transaction with Messrs Maclean Brothers I received a cheque for Ll3l lß* 6d on the National Bank of New Zealand, Dunedin. I cashed the cheque, and received in exchange for it a fifty-pound note, three twenties, one ten, one five, and some single notes. I paid away some moneys in Dunedin until I had Ll2B 18s 6d left. The notes were all on the National Bank. I returned by the 4.30 p.m. train homewards, but got no further than Mosgiel, where I remained for the night at Mr Knott's Railway Hotel. I handed my money to Mr Knott for safe keeping, and received it back from him on the following morning. I saw the prisoner at the hotel both at night and in the morning, and at his request I went to the Commercial Hotel, where I arrived between 9 and 10 o'clock. I had all my money then in my left-hand trousers pocket, in a small purse. We had several drinks together, and I lay down on a sofa to sleep. The prisoner was with me until I lay down. I awoke about dinner-time, when the prisoner and my purse and money were gone. — William Knott, the keeper of the Railway Hotel at Mosgiel, deposed that the accused had been in his employment as groom since the 2nd of September, 1878. He was being paid 15s a week, and witness had promised him LI. Witness at that time owed him L 2 ss, Mr Twelf tree, on stopping at the hotel on the night of the 13fch instant, gave witness his money to take care of, for which he gave a receipt — (produced) — in the presence of x-risoner. The •prosecutcr left next morning, and witness found, about an hour afterwards, that the prisoner had also gone. He saw the latter again about 2 o'clock in the afternoon at the hotel, who after a short time went over to the railway station. The prosecutor returned to witness' place about 3 o'clock, and said he had lost his money, and charged the accused with having taken it.— Richard Ratcliffe Taylor, assistant to Mr Hardie, draper, Princes street, gave evidence as to the prisoner buying on the previous day, atout 5 o'clock, a suit of clothes, a pair of trousers, a carpet bag, three pockethandkerchiefs, two shirts, and two ties, and tendering in payment thereof a LSO note on the National Bank. Witness gave as change L 33 in notes, Llo los in gold, and 2a 6d in silver.— John Hislop, jeweller, deposed that the prisoner bought from him on the day before a silver hunting lever watch for L4.— William Gilbert, police constable, stationed at Mosgiel, on oath, said : About 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon the robbery was reported to me, and, having got information regarding the offender, I followed him into Dunedin. In company with Detective Henderson I arrested the accused in the Provincial Sale-yards. He was immediately searched in a room at the Provincial Hotel, and charged witb the offence. He answered, " You never made more of a mistake. I should have LIBO of my own." He was then conveyed to the Police Station.— Alexander Henderson, detective, deposed that he seached the prisoner in the presence of Constable Gilbert, finding on him taree L2O-notep, one LlO-note, and one L 5 note on the National Bank ; one L5-note, and oue Ll-note on the Bank of New South Wales ; one L5-aote, and four Ll-notes on the Colonial Bank ; three Ll-notes on the Bank of New Zealand ; LlB 10s in gold, LI 3s in silver, and two pence. The clothes and carpet-bag described by Mr Taylor a<* having been sold to the prisoner were found at the Clarendon Hotel, and claimed by the accused. In the bag there was a Colonial Bank Ll-note, la, and nine pence.— This was all the evidence, and on being asked whether he had anything to say, the prisoner replied in the negative, and was committed to take his trial at the Supreme Court. _____ _______ ______ — ___