RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2064, 16 August 1875, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT

THIS DAY. (Before W. Eraser, Esq., R.M) dbunke'nness. Joseph (a Maori) and another were charged with being drunk and incapable in Pollen street.. They each pleaded e^.jand,. were fined lOs> and Coßtg< Mr G. Wilkinson interpreted.

IABCENY. Eobert Goose was brought upon remand charged with stealing from the dwelling house of Mrs Bruce, on August sth, a silver watch, the property of .Richard Courtney, value £4. Prisoner, who was undefended, pleaded not guilty, and, on his application, all witnesses were ordered out of Court. Mr Bullen stated the case for the police, from which it appeared that tke prosecutor took a bed for the night at the house of Mrs Bruce, where the prisohefp-* was a lodger, that he hung his watchLi, over the head of the bed, and we»t ouPtT leaving the watch over his bed, that on his return the watch was not there, and though the loss was made known to all the inmates, of whoms3S* prisoner was one, he never offered to give any information on the subject. Information was given to the pawnbrokers, and prisoner having attempted to pawn the watch at Mr Eae's, the police were communicated with, and prisoner told by Mrs Bae to wail their arrival. Instead of doing this, he rah away and left the watch behind him.

Kichard Courtney said he resided at tlie Waiomo, and was at Grahamstoirn with his brother-in-law Mr Bell on August the 4th, and stayed at Mrsßruce's board* ing house. He had the watch when'he went to bed, with a metal chain attached to it by a silver swivel and steel ring. He left the house early in the morning, and on returning at about nine o'clock his watch was missing. By the prisoner—I sent a telegram to Auckland for the number describing the watch I had lost. Not knowing the number I applied to the watchmaker.

By Mr Bullen—l did not know the number of the watch when the loss to the police.. lam quite sure that the watch produced is mine irrespective of the number.

Margaret Bruce said —I keep a boarding house. .1 recollect Mr Courtney sleeping at my house in the sitting room on the night of August 4th. The accused was there also. .Mr Courtney and the other gentleman went out very early in tho morning. Mr Courtney came back. He had breakfast, and after having discovered his loss spoke of it. It was not generally heard in the house, though it was spoken about. I do not know whether accused, who had been stopping two or three months in the house, heard it. I have not seen accused until to-day, since the Saturday following the 6th August. . :

Matilda Jane Eae said—l recognise accused. I saw him at my house on the 12th. He came to pledge the watch pro* duced, which had no chain or ring; he. handed it to me and asked for the loan of a pound. I knew the watch was one described to me by the detective police. I told him he would hare to stay until the police came as the watch was stolen, and sent my servant for the police. He said he would call again, and refused to , stay. I followed him .as far as Willoughby street. I then returned, and a policeman brought, him back to our place. > He had left the watch when he went away, which I gave to detectire Brennan. The watch was in my hand, as given to me by my niece when I was in conversation with the prisoner about the watch being stolen. Samuel Brennan said—Mrs Bae gave me on the 12fch the.watch produced, and told me in presence of the prisoner that he had tried to pawn the watch. I asked the prisoner how he got it, and he told me a man had given him the watch to pawn. I charged him with stealing the watch. He made no reply, and on being' searched the swivel and piece of chain were found in the prisoner s pocket. Constable Thomas Hanley said — la consequence of information given by Mrs Itao I apprehended the prisoner on the morning of the 12th. I administered the usual caution; and he said he had got the watch from a boy. ' .' ' This was the case for the police. Prisoner asked to have the telegram sent by Mr Courtney put in evidence, as the number given did not agree with the number of the watch. '-" ' Mr Bullen explained that as Mr Courtney in Auckland did not know the - number he had applied*to the watch* „,■'_ maker, who had given the number as far as he remembered it.

His Worship then asked the prisoner if he had any defence to make. He declined . to do so, ,'or make any statement on the subject, and was then sentenced to six months' imprisonment in Mount Eden, and the watch ordered to be returned to * the owner. J^ The Court adjourned. '^M