MAGISTERIAL

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13903, 14 May 1909, Page 2

MAGISTERIAL

TIMARU—MIY'.miI,' 1909. (Before Messrs D. Stuart.'andW. 11. '\»illiains,'J:'s.- P.) A HABITUAL DRUNKARD. Joiih Uivciis, a ship's cuqi\, who has been uetore tue Couiii tor uiuiiKenueos lour times within '.the last. tour wccks pleaded guilty to a charge v of insobriety. tie- said ne • had tried nard to get a snip, hilt. so. tar' had/been"'• unsuccessful. He. asked the Bench io; be -lenient on the-.grounds that ho .was ; hot used to colonial.Jiquor, and' its',potency had accidentally overcome' him. / ' •Xhe Justices- decided,- ; t6 inflict a penalty of one.montu's imprisonment, without the option. '."'.''"'.'/ BKIiAuHES. OF THE'BY-LAWS. Accused, 'who did "hot' appear - ,' put in a plea of "guilty'':to charges bt driving at a.-furious pace over-the intersection of George and Stafford streets, and. was fined- 20s a'ud; costs. The cases against L. .Boekeart were adjourned until Monday. - : FORGERY. , A foreigner, who. gave his name as .William'Thbnias Thomson; appeared on a- charge of forging . the 'name .of W. K. .Middiemiss to. a. cheque.' ,t"or'£3, and uttering tho:samo to Mr.E. Penrose/ of this town.;- .' , : /' .:' - 5 '.•''.

-Sergeant-Bowman !outlined the facts >.f the case, and called, '.;''■ "William K. Middiemiss, who said he was a farmer residing at Allandale, near Fairlie. . Prior .to the 26th of last month, accused was employed by witness to' thresh. After finishing at his place, a fortnight elapsed,' and then the plant passed # his property/again. On the• 26th 'April he had his coat hanging \ behind . the door . in his hut, in the coat pocket was a cheque book, Dalgety and Co., and '.. a' bill" in an envelope. The cheque book produced was the one that he had.'in-his coat pocket. The value of the cheque book was 2s Id. Qn the following day he went to. look for his'cheque book and found it missing, so he'got a new oho from Dalgety and Co.'- Accused : did not work I 'for him,.. Wit he-was engaged on the mill that threshed at'his place. /The signature on the cheque' produced was not his signature, -but a. forgery. Ho never ..gave accused / any -authority to : sign his (witness's):'name, ■in ' fact no 'person has any ; authority: to sign his name. It would'be (juite easy fgr anyone to get ■ into.his hut ,'as he was often away from work: -. On' the . 27th lie saw accused oil- the- road near his hut; it was then dark. ■' / -

Edward .J.. Penrose,.-bootmaker, said that the accused came into-his shop on the -Ith inst., and asked for a 'pair of boots, which were supplied. • ' 'For payment • accused znade out : a • cheque for £3, from ii full'clieque.;bookaiid ; handed it to witness who gave liim£l'l2s 6d change. Ace.:s"d . said Ins name .was Middleniiss and that lie was a new settler on the Allanclale estate, he also produced an envelope-to show witness his address. The cheque, produced was the one given to him .by the accused. 1 Thomas liitchie, clerk -at - Dalgeby'.s, raid he know Air Middlgmiss, who had an account' with ..their firm. The firm supplied their customers- with cheque books. Ho identified the chenuo book produced, wJrieh had been supplied

Lo Mr Middiemiss on the 20th March. Detective"-Kennedy said on 4th inst... | he in ■ cohip'tiny with Constable Reegan •;aw accused,-at. the Commercial Hotel, and effected T liis arrest on the charge of forging "anduttering. On searching him he found the cheque book produced and also three other cheques. Accused would not say what his name- was, and also said that he could not write, and rot the cheques from some man ho did not know. Later on when witness searched accused's box, accused said: •• I am a poor man and I wanted some money," and he wrote his name down as Joseph Guillo Doran, and said he came from Paris. Accused subsequently said his name was William Thomas Thomson, and that he was.eoimuji in for £25,000 in five years. Accused pleaded-guilty to the charge of forging the cheque lor £„, anu y* committed to the Supreme Court loi sentence. rl „ , ' , • _ The charge against Thomas Lai kin of a ' breach of the Licensing Act, uas adjourned until Monday.