POLIOE COURT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8934, 17 November 1890, Page 2

POLICE COURT.

TJHIISS J}A_V-

Monday, November 17.— Before C. C. Kettle, Esq., lI.M. CHARGE OF ILLEGALLY ON PREMISES. Fred Hoskin, a young man, was charged with being illegally on the premises of Elizabeth llaskcll, at Bell Block, on October 30. Scrgt. Dufiin appeared for the police, and Mr Samuel for the defendant. William Jell'rey, brother of the informant, swore that he saw tho defendant on his sister's premises on the night of October 30. Elizabeth Haskell stated she was a widow residing at Bell Block. On October 30th last, at night, she was sewing, when somebody threw stones and earth on the house. Her brother went out, and saw two men run away. Her brother stayed outside. She heard her brother speak, and on going out she saw Fred Hoskin running away towards the fence. She got quite close to Hoskin, who slipped on the rail, before he went over tho fence. Mrs J. Rogers was in the house at the time. By Mr Samuel : The first time Mrs Rogers saw Hoskin was afterwards at the gate, when Hoskin and two of his mates came up. Hoskin overheard Mrs Rogers and witness talking, and he then said to Mrs Rogers " Well, Julia, you knew me before to-day." The gate was broken down. She told Hoskin that if he did not pull down the gate to say who did it. This was the evidence for the prosecution. Mr Samuel who said it was a case of mistaken identity, called the defendant who stated that on the night of October 30 he heard some noise like women calling out in Bel l Block. There were James and Fred Bishop, and Charles Street with him. They had been in Cook's Hotel before that where three of them had had lemonade and ginger ale. They had been playing "The devil among the tailors" in the hotel. When they came out they heard a noise over the road, and eventually all of them went over. He caw Mrs Haskell and Mrs Rogers. Mrs Haskell asked him why I c had been on her premises, and he denied it. He swo-e that he was not on the premises of Mrs Haskell that night. Ho had not a gray coat on like the one discribed by Mrs Haskell and her brother. By His Worship : He did not go across to the crowd that was in front of Haskell's at first, on account of the character of the people, and on account also of some previous ill-feeling. Street and Bishop went first. Frederick Bishop corroborated Hoskin's evidence in the main. Charles Street and James Bishop aleo gave evidence. His Worship dismissed the information, as, according to the evidence which was conflicting, there was a doubt as to tho identity. The Court adjourned till 2 o'clock.