RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Southland Times, Issue 3318, 7 February 1879, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

1 Thursday, February 6th. (Before.H: McCulloch, Esa-, R.M.) Herman Rose was, called to-- answer a charge of having permitted his horse to wander at • large. Mr Finn appeared for the defendant, who was absent in Dunedin, and, pleaded guilty, stating that the horse had got out of a paddock in which he had been placed by the defendant. A fine of Ss and costs was imposed* ' FALSE PBETENOES; ~- William Bartlett was brought up on remand charged in three different cases with having obtained money and goods on f dlse pretences. The first charge was that of giving a cheque signed by himself (which proved to be valueless) for money and goods obtained from Mr Seehoff. Julius Seehoff, sen., sworn, deposed that he was the licensee of -the Fanners' Arms' Hotel, in Tay street. Eecollected the 6th of January. The accused came to his house and offered him a cheque on the Bank of New Zealand at Kiverton for £2. The cheque was irregularly drawn out, v and wjtness aaid he could not take it, and tore it up/ ■ Witness 'gave him a blank cheque properly filled in, and accused signed it. He was sober at the time. Witness gave him 7s in cash; and the balance of £1 13s accused owed him for board and refreshment. The 'cheque passed to witness's account in the usual way at the Bank of New Zealand, Invercargill. He subsequently received a notice from the Bank that the accused had no account. Accused also told witness that he lad money in the hands of Gillies and Street, and had a corner; section of land in Dunedin. Witness >f qund this to be a fabrication. ' Prisoner — Do you not recollect saying to me that- -I was in the horrors when I came to your house ; that 1 was not in a fit state r jtb/sign cheques, and that if anyone took chVques from me' in such a state it would serve them right to lose by it ? — No, I did -not. The cheque will show that you were capable of writing intelligently. ' .. v By 'the Bench — I gave accused the money .and goods on the strength of the cheque being good; also on the representation of a lady in the house from Otautau, who said prisoner was a respectable man. ,-., Mr Wayte, teller of the New Zealand < Bank at Biverton. was called to pi'ove that 'he had- no account at that Bank. c - Prisoner made a statement to the effect that he was suffering from drink at the time, and Mr Price from Otautau, w;ho was there at the time he went to the hotel, said he- would be responsible for what he .got at the hotel. "tVilliam Bartlett was then charged with obtaining 'from William Garthwaite, of the^ ProvJncialßotel r the .sum of £5 10s 'by means of a valuless cheque, on the 7th of January, 1879. The evidence in this case was similar to that of the" -last, proving clearly that defendant had given,a cheque for the amount stated, and 'that at the time he .had no mojiey , in the Bank of ' New Zealand, on .which the cheque was drawn. ' ' Mr Finn appeared for the prisoner, and applied to have the casses dealt with summarily, But his Worship . decided to .remand the prisoner till the next day. <* The third charge was not gone into, - , owing to the absence of a material wit- .' ness.