RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 654, 19 March 1879, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

This Day,

(Before H. Kenrick, Esq., R.M.,

LARCENY,

i Charles Gihnau, John Bute, C. Murphy, F. Holmes, and A. Sinclair were charged with having stolen on the night of Sunday, the 10th hist., from Adair's wharf, the contents of a barrel of beer, the property of A. Buchanan of Ormond. The prisoners all pleaded not guilty to the charge. James Sheehan, deposed : I was on Adair's wharf on the night in question. I saw all the prisoners there. They were on the wharf. I saw them all assisting in carrying cind drinking the beer. They carried it in buckets off the wharf, from a barrel which was there. lam quite sure I saw them all. Donald came down and struck a light, and looked for the buckets, and found them near the logs in front of Adair's. He returned in five minutes. Gilman, Bute, and Murphy, were then off the wharf, while Sinclair and Bute remained. There was another person on the wbarf — a sailor from some vessel. By the Bench : I saw all prisoners except Murphy drinking the beer. John Bute helped to carry the beer oft' the wharf. Donald Murray, clerk in the employ of Mr. Wm. Ad air gave evidence directly criminating all the prisoners. Other confirmatory evidence having been adduced, the Bench asked if the prisoners had any statements to make in defence. Gilman and Bute said they were not guilty. Murphy said on Sunday evening, about 20 minutes past 7, he went for a walk to the wharf. There were a number of people there. All these men (the prisoners) were strangers to him. The first time he had the pleasure of their acquaintance was when he was locked up. Sinclair and Holmes said that they were not guilty. His Worship, after summing up, said that the evidence Avas clear us to the guiltiness of all the the prisoners, and that they were each and severally convicted of the charge of larceny. He would sentence them to 2 months' imprisonment with hard labor in the Gisborne goal.