Magisterial.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 249, 1 March 1869, Page 3

Magisterial.

— — ♦ — — - CHRISTCHURCH. This Day. (Before C. C. Bowen, Esq., R M.) Drunkenness. ~W. H. Goddard and Neil Wyllie were brought up in custody charged with' having been drunk and riotous in the Criterion Hotel, on Saturday night, and wilfully breaking two squaresof glass in the bar door. The offence Was proved by Mr Oram, who also said the value of the damage committed was 65.. Being the first appearance of the pfisonera in Court, his Worship said be would deal leniently with them, and only imposed a penalty of 5s each. •Larceny. — Henry Hodgson- was charged with having stolen a specimen of quartz, the property of Conrad Huckes. Detective Feast said from information received, he arrested prisoneron Sunday morning in a stable belonging toMr Parris, on the Coal Track. He was lying' down; and on witness examining his swag, asked what be' was looking' for. Witness told him for the. quartz he had beep offering for sale. He replied that if all. the men would leave tbe shed, he would look and see |what he could find. They did so, but witness looked through the end of the shed and saw prisoner go to where a horse was (led up, from- whence he brought* the piece *of quartz produced, which was identified by 'the- prosecutor '-as his- " prbp'e'r'ty; Witness then took prisoner into ' Custody. Conrad Huckes, prosecutor, said he was a labourer, and resided near Mr Parris, on the Coal 1 Track. (Dn the 20th of last month -he had 'occasion to go from home, and on the Tuesday following, he missed a quartz specimen; which he. had left in 'hia swag in the house. He gave information to the police on the succeeding Saturday. Prisoner had been' atthe house all' day on Sunday; Prosecutor never gave any one 'permission to take the quartz or interfere with his swag in any way!' He identified the quartz produced as that he had lost. By prisoner: The last time he saw the quartz, was on the Saturday - night prisoner went to ''the" Ijouse. He gave "information to the police on the Saturday following. Edward Murphy Power said he had been working at a thrashing machine in company with prisoner, who, on Tuesday, offerel him a piece of quartz for sale, saying he bad bought it on the New Victoria claim in the North Island. Tbe quartz produced was the same. When offered to him, be knew tbat it had been stolen, and he tried to purchase it in order that he might return it to the prosecutor. In defence, prisoner said he found the quartz on the floor near prisoner's bed on the Sunday, and had offered it to several of the hands for sale on the Monday. It was not likely he would have done this if he had stolen it. He had no witnesses. In reply to the Bench, Sergt. Pardy said nothing was known of prisoner, further than tliat he arrived in the brig Fawn, from Hobart Town, about three months ago. His Worship said he had no doubt as to prisoner's guilt, and he had made a very bad beginning in the province. It was a very treacherous theft, and lie would be sentenced to three months' imprisonment at hard labour. — Kenneth Cameron was brought lip in custody, charged with larceny of a horse, saddle, and bridle, entrusted tp his care by one George Cates. Detective Feast said from information received on Saturday afternoon; he went to the PrinCe of Wales Hotel with a man named George Cates. They met prisoner on the road, and witness took him to the hotel also. On arrival, he found the horse, saddle, and bridle, now outside the Court, in the stable, and took possession of them, afterwards arresting prisoner on a charge of stealing them. In reply to the usual caution, prisoner said that he would not have done it, but he bad the bailiffs in the house, and he wanted some money. George Cates, prosecutor, said he was a labourer, and worked at Cashmere. Prisoner was also there on the 16th inst., and prosecutor gave hira his horse, saddle, and bridle to take to a paddock on the Lincoln Koad. He did not hear anything more about them until Saturday last, when

he- met prisoner in " Chriartehurclr, - and asked -■' him '[Where they 1 were. He would not give- a satisfactory answer, and ; prdsecutor then gave information to the 'police. 'Prisoner had noclaini to the horse or any part of its furniture, nor had he any authority to sell them. By Prisoner .- tVheh he < gave prisoner the horse he stated the particular paddock it was to be taken to.. Prisoner did not tell him that he bad the bailiffs in the house, nor did prosecutor say he would lend him any money. John Fox, landlord of the Prince of Wales Hotel, said the prisoner called at his house on 'or about the 16th of 'last month, and'had ahorse in his possession. The horse was ahbsiequently lef t at the stables by a man named Mountain, who' said lie had lent prisoner some money on it; subsequent to that prisoner called and offered to sell witness the horse, saddle, 'and bridle. Witness ultimately purchased them for £8 10s, advancing the money to repay Mountain's loan and paying the balance over to prisoner. The horse outside the Court is the same: Prosecutor; fe-called b^ the Bench, said he valued the' horse, saddle; and bridle, at £22 10s. Prisoner declined to make any statement in defence, and' was accordingly committed for trial at the current session of the Supreme Court.