RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 108, 22 April 1876, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

TUESDAY, APRIL 18. (Before Major Turner, R.M.) ALLEGED OBTAINING I.IONEY UNDER FALSE PRETENCES. Thomas Ingley appeared to his bail to answer the charge of obtaining money by false pretences from Thomas Boowen by three cheques/ representing in all £25. Mr Adams appeared for the prisoner. The prosecutor, in, addition to las previous evidence, swore that the prisoner was sobe r when he gave the first cheque. A choqu e that Mr Alzdorf filled up for prisoner t 0

sign was refused by him, but he could not say why Mr Alzdorf did not fill up another cheque. t JR. S. Thompson, a settler at Waitara, snid that he saw prisoner sign the cheque marked A, and also saw the prosecutor hand over the money to the prisoner. In cross-examination lie said that he did not hear the prison"! - say, when he signed the chequ.', that he had no funds at Wanganui. In reply to the Magistrate, the witness said that lie considered the prisoner was sober when he handed over the cheque. In answer to the prisoner witness said that he saw him hand over the money to Al/.dorf,

In defence Mr Alzdorf was called, and said that lie saw the cheque marked A handed to the prosecutor. Prisoner at that time had had two or three glasses of grog, but was not drunk. At the time of giving the cheque, prisoner told Mr Scowen that Mr Warded had offered him £l5O for his land, but that some one else had offered him £3OO which ho would take. The land had been sold by witness to the prisoner eighteen year’s ago. The £lO given for the ch-qne was handed over to witness by the prisoner. Jn further defence Mr Adams urged that the prisoner never stated that ho ha 1 any account at the bank, 1ml: that he did say that he expected money placed to his credit there, and that it was solely owing to some delay in the completion Df the sa'o that (In’s had arisen. The Magistrate fully coincided with Mr Adams, and dismissed the ease, subsequently commenting severely on the sharp practice that the prosecutor had shown in first making the man drunk, and taking advantage of him in that condition. He should consider it his duty when the Licensing Bench mot to mention the circumstances of this case. . The Court then adjourned.