Police Court.

Southland Times, Issue 10905, 4 April 1907, Page 4

Police Court.

1 WEDNESDAY. APRIL Sid* ' (Before Mr S. B. McCarthy. S.M.j j DRUNKENNESS.’ T. McCormack pleaded guilty to being 1 drunk at the railway station on Tues- j day. Inspector Mitchell said that .the; man, who woe not known .to the police j in this district, attended the Riverton -races'and bought some liquor, which ho ‘ consumed; Fined —Os onh costs 4s. iu , default 24 hours' imprisonment- i ’Richard Ryun pleaded guilty to drunk- j etineas iu a railway carriage between j Makare-wa and Invercargill. Inspector Mitchell said that the man was also dis- . orderly mid broke a window in tho carriage. The Magistrate incased a line 1 of JE2 and’costs 4a, and ordered accused to pay for the broken window. THEFT. brie W harton Braithwaite, a lad, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing Os and a hair watch chain on Oth March, from Thomas Flott, at Wright’s Bush. Inspector Mitchell said that, as far ns ho was aware, the accused had not pro - vionsly been before the Court. He had. however,' given his relations (highly respuctable residents of Dunedin) a coutaderablo amount of trouble for some time past. lie absented himself from horns for days together, and put his relatives to some expense hunting hint down and bringing him back, only to clear out again. With regard to the particular offence before the Court, the accused had alleged that'he was in search of employment, and in the course of his search he went into tho hut and took ,*Js and the watch chain. Tho watch chain had been recovered, Mr McLean, the City Missionary, had communicated with aomo kindly-disposed person in Dun. edin, and bad arranged for the lad ,to be returned to Dunedin and again placed under kindly care. The Inspector suggested that his Worship might see his way to adopt this course. It was elicited that the youth had on several occasions given way to drink, and the Magistrate yielded 1 0 . issue u prohibition order against him. It was a very said duty, he said, that ho had to discharge in dealing with a case such as this.' He would give the accused a chance, and convict ami discharge him, with a caution that a second offence would not be lightly viewed. NOXIOUS WEEDS. W. Adamson pleaded guilty to neglecting to clear noxious weeds in the proper season. He said that men were now engaged cutting the weeds. The Inspector of Suwk, who prosecuted, said that tho defendant had been called upon to clear the weeds, but had neglected to comply The work now being dons was too late, as the weeds had seeded. The Magistrate imposed a line of £5 and costs 78.FALSE PRETENCES, Donald Macdonald, alias David Murphy, was charged with’ Obtaining goods atul money by false pretences from .1 antes Flynn on 11th November, 1905, at Wrey’9 Bush’. The accused pleaded guil-

The Inskpector stated that the accused called a,t the Wrey’s Bush Hotel, and handed to- Miss Flynn, who was serving in. the bar, a cheque for £l. That cheque which was afterward* dishonoured, was On the Bank of New Zealand. It was signed David Murphy,” drawn in favour ef dames Flyim-t Thc accused- received 1--P return IBs 'id in cash and drinks for himself find others in his company. He had been previously convicted of talse pretences, and his career had been a very bad one. Chief Detective Mcllvcne v . reported some time ago that the accused went about the country prelending' to buy large properties, while he had ■ no funds whatever to carry out ids negotiations) In September, 1900. ho caused quite a sensation by giving orders for farming implements to a number of firms, to be delivered to a farm at limehill*, which turned hut to be imaginary. At Queenstown lie iprctonded to have bought property worth thousands of pounds at the head of the lake, and he even weut the length of retaining one of the Queenstown solicitors, paying him a t-heque for £lO. which afterwards turned out to be valueless. He also cave a cheque for a substantial amount. to Mr Mcßride, but it was worthless at .the bank. The Magistrate said that it was useless less to show leniency in a case like this. The maximum penalty of three months' imprisonment was inflicted. FORGERY AND UTTERING. The sums accused was further charged with forging and uttering- a cheque for £5 2a, purporting to be signed by Henry Hubber in favor of David Murphy. on November Tth, 1906; T. Driscoll, storekeeper, Wrev’s Bush, stated tha,t accused presented the cheque to him and obtained £2 9s worth of goods and the balance in cash. The accused represented that he was a brother of a well known Dunedin vocalist, and that ho Hud a brother in Australia who was a priest. The cheque was afterwards found to be valueless. Henry Hubber, farmer, Drummond, slated that, he did not sign the cheque and knew nothing whatever about th? ecnifbd. Other evidence in corroboration was given, one witness stating that accused had given him a valueless cheque forfil Is for b hall at Wrey’s i-, the hope of getting the i.mtrict t ■> build. The accused pleaded g-.ii'tv, and was committed to the Supr‘.ue I'ourV for sentence. THEFT. ...Themas Reid, alias Smith, alios Olben, and Francis Ambrose Duun, two young men, were) charged with having stolen £1 5s from the till cf the Benmoxe hotel on March 26th. Mr Evans appeared for the accused. The evidence lor the prosecution. as given by Nccah and Nellie Keiidy 'was to the effect that the two accused had .tailed at the Bc-mnoro hotel, and were supplied with several drinks. Nor ah Keady. who was in charge of the bar bad occasion to leave for a time, and while in a back roo she heard a 'door creak. There was only one door, in the house which did creak, and the barmaid, knowing which it was. at once returned to the bur. There she saw Reid behind the counter, and the other accused behind the doer which opened into the bar. They should nflh have been in these places if their were honest. The barmaid, on examining the till, found that u one pound note and five shillings had been taken. She accused the twe men of the theft. They denied it and left the house.. Constable Gough stated that Reid, on being charged, offered to pay the amount stolen. The accused gave evidence in their own defence. They stated that they were working at Keith’s mill, but. the machinery breaking down, they had a holiday, Which they Spent in the hotel. They denied that they had gone behind the bar or interfered with the till in any way. Held admitted that the girl had accused him of the theft directly she looked at thq till. Any ncbi/. they made was gaused by Reid kicking or knocking on the bar to attract the girl’s attention. Dunn admitted having been connected with d' theft in Christchurch in 1902, and Refd admitted numerous convictions and sentences. The Magistrate said that lie was satisfied that Reid took tho money, and thah Dunn was his confederate. In his opinion it was a particularly mean theft, the accused having taken advantage of the sbsdace of men'hrom the hotel to rob the girls. Each accused was sentenced to three months, end an order woe made for the repayment of £l. there being some doubt about the silver.