MAGISTERIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 1947, 2 June 1874, Page 2

MAGISTERIAL.

CHRJSTCHURCH. This Day. (Before 0. 0. Bowen, Esq., R.M., and G. L Leo, Esq.) Drunk and Disorderly.— Thomas Barlow, arrested by Constable Dance, was fined 10s. — George Carr, arrested by Constable Firman, at the Cbristchureh Railway Btation, was fined 10s. — David M'Leod, arrested by Constable Beck, was fined 20n. — Joseph Cripps, arrested by Constable Smith, was fined 10s. Drunkenness and Indecency. — John Began, arrested by Constable Smith, near the Central Hotel, Gloucester street, was fined 20s. Drunk and Using Obscene Language. — Peter Jack, arrested by Constable Simpson, was fined 10s. Drunkenness, Obscene Language, and Destruction of Property. — William Sheldrick answered to an adjourned charge of this nature. The case was first heard on Monday, when accused charged Mr Goss, landlord of the boarding house where he had been stopping, w/tbi having illegally detained his blankets. Another ,man, who had been living at the house, alao .charged Goes with having taken 12s 66. belonging to him, and ! the case against Sheldrick was adjourned, in ■ order that these matters might be inquired , into. A witness named Dawson, who resides next door to the boarding house, was now ' culled, and said there wore frequently rows at the house. On Sunday afternoon, there was a rqw, and ha saw Sheldrick walking up and down in i ijont c>£ ihfi house complaining that he had been ill'u's'ed.and that he could not get hjs blankets. Sheldrick offered several people money to go for a constable,, but h'o could not get any one to do so, and ho"then"said he would remain in front of the house until one ; came. He tried fcwicja jto gejb into .the house, j but was violently pushed «w?,y pgsin. On : one occasion, a man followed him Jnto tho street, and struck him in the fa^.e as jf t.o j provoke accused to fight. Accused, Hoover, stis he would not, fight, und it was after this treatment that he broke the windows. When witness first saw accused his object appeared merely ,to bo to obtain legal redress. The rows at the ho,£po were generally on a Saturday night, and la'.t Saturday the noise was so great that the neighbours .could not obtain any rest. On that occasion cries of murder were heard emanating from the jhb.ujje. ,<3-oss. the keeper of tho boarding-house, was called. 6,nd said, accused was ejected from the house,'bqcaus& he was drunk and rowdy. His blankets were • at first put out after him, but when he did not take them away, ho . (Goss) took J,hcra in again to take care of them, and subse<£Ue«fcJy lie retained possession of the blankets, bcciuu& of the damage done by Sheldrick. His Woi-ohin said the evidence wont to show, that accused* icommitted the damago after his blanket had been .detained. Goss denied this. Ho also denied having token 12s Gd belonging to tho man Yatee, who must haye spent, tho money in drink. Sheldrick repeated v t.hp statement ho made on Monday to the effect that he saw Goss with 12s 6d in hip hand, which ho (Goss) said belonged to Yates. Qobb denied this, and Inspector Buckley stated in reply to tho Bench that tho police had made inquiries, but could not obtain uny further information than was already before tho Bench. Hib Worship said it was evident that Sheldrick had been drunk .and disorderly, but, under tho circumstances, which had coujo to light, the charge would be dismissed. Referring to the rows at tho boarding house, he cautioned Q-O3fi, tb#t although he did not hold a license, he would nob be allowed to koep a disorderly house in 1 the city, and it would be well for the police to inquire into tho matter. Inspector Buckley said, there had been several complaints against tho houee^

and it was intended to lay an information against Goss. Breaking Into and Stealing from a Dwelling.— John Henderson, on remand, was brought up charged with an offence of thi3 nature. Mr Joynt appeared for the defence. Chief Detectire Feast said : In consequence of a report made to me on Saturday, the 16th of May, I took prisoner to the shop of Mr Herman, jeweller, High street, and from what transpired there, I asked him if he could account for two £10 notes, which had been changed at that shop. He denied all knowledge of them, and called God to witness that he had never been in the shop in his life. I afterwards took him to the Depot, and told him I suspected him of having stolen £51 from his employer, Mr Lever, of Springston. Mr Lever was in the Dep&t at the time, and prisoner, after some hesitation, admitted having committed the robbery, and said he had spent part of the money in jewellery. Ho also said that all he had taken was under his bod atSpringston. I subsequently went with Detective Walker and tho prisoner to Mr Lever's house, at Springston. It -was very dark when we arrived there. I went into the room pointed out to me aB prisoner's, and searched the bed, but I could not find anything. Prisoner afterwards took us to the corner of the paddock, about ten or eleven chains from the house, and from a sod bank under some gorae he pulled out the watch, and chain, and purse produced, saying that was all he had robbed Lever of. Some time afterwards ho went under Lever's house and brought out tho gold chain, ring, and scarf ring produced, saying, " That i3 the ° y lot." After that ho took us to an outhouse, and pulled out tho pipocaso produced, remarkiug, "Now you've got tho lot; two £10 notes were all I took." By the Bench : I think there vrero 21s in the purse. Prisoner said he gave £19 10s to the jewellers, and that he had the other part of the money in a purse of his own. I told him thoro was upwards of £31 missing, and ho said at one time he had changed a £10 note at Lincoln, and had lost the remainder. By Mr. Joynt : Prisoner said in my office that he had committed the robbery. I had previously told him that he had changed two £10 notes at Herman's, and that ho was suspected of having stolen £51 from his employer. When he made the admission about the robbery he said he had broken a window to get into the house, and that all the proceeds of the robbery were under his bed. There was only 21s in the purse when we found it. James Lever : I am a farmer at Springston. Prisoner has recently been in my employ. On Wednesday, tho 13th of May, I left home. I use a front room as my own room. When I left I locked my box and the house door. I left four £10 notes, two £5 notes, and some silver in my box when I went away. I left the window secure. I returned home on Friday, the 15th, and I found the window broken. On examining the box I found some splinters of wood on it, where nails had been drawn out. I tried to unlock the box, but could not. I then obtained a screw-driver, and aB soon as I obtained a slight leverage with it, the lid flow open. On looking for the money, I found that the whole of it had been taken away. I then went in search of prisoner, but could not find him. On returning home, prisoner was there, and when I was having tea I remarked that it was strange my money should have been taken, whereupon he said, " I suppose you will charge it to me." I replied that I had a very strong suspicion of him, and he then said he would take a summons out against me. I afterwards came to town, and gave information to the police. When I was in Detective Feast's office prisoner admitted having committed the robbery, and said tho money was at homo, under his bed. By Mr Joynt : I understood him to say by this, that thempnjsy was under his bed at my house, where he had been living up to the time of going away. While I was away, I went to Oxford for a load of timber. When I went I took a £10 note with me. I think I took two £10 notes with me. I did not remember it before. I did not take the money from tho box, but had carried it iu niy pocket with the view of paying a man for threshing my corn, if I should meet him. I did not tell any one that prisoner had robbed me, and left me without a sixpence. Prisoner had not been very good while with mo. He smoked and drank in my house. Ho is about 16 years of age. He was in the habit of doing this before he came to me. He told me so himself. Ho did not drink too much at any 'time .while in mjr oight. He had not too easy access ' to clrijik at my place. Neither his father nor mother 'ever "spoke to nie abojit prisoner having too" niucji .di'irijc. ' The window of my voom in the front of the house was broken when I retuwied. Prisoner slept in tho adjoining front room. By Deteetivo Feast : There could be no doubt that prisoner knew I had money in the box. Prisoner had no money of his own out of my hands. I. Herman : I am a jeweller in High street. Prisoner came to my shop on tho 28th of May last, and oafd Jiij father had sent him to get a good" silver ' watch 1 . • In reply to questions from me, 'ho said his father was Wofc well, or hp would have .been vriijh"' 'hitu; and that his father djd not' give' him tho ' money, as he (prjsoner) worked for Mr Lever, Springstop. I then sold him the watch, eusin, ring, and pipe prod.uc,od jtor 19s, on the understanding that if his father djd not like them they were to be returned. IJe pajd me with two £10 notes, and I gavo him £6 Is in change. Thomas Henderson ; lam a farmer, and the father of prisoner. I did nofc in May last send him to Herman's fora watch, nor did I give him two £10 notes to purchase anything. He ought not, to my knowledge, to to ic possession of two £10 notes. By Mr Joynt.: Prisoner was 15 years old in February last. He went ip Mr Livpr's in January. I havxs noticed a great 'change in hie cpnduct z[naa lie went to Lever's. I never' know hinu. to dvink qv gjfioko before .then. I iia.vo been to Lover's and sr.sp r prjsoner .drinking there. By the Bench : I did nat jnferfero at the time. By Mr Joynt : He lias nava? ehcjwn the same disposition to come home that ha did before he went to Lever's. He never came until ho was brought home by a sister, who came out in the Rakaia. Before gojing to Lover's, he was fond of coming home. Leyor Game to me and tokl me prisoner hyd robbed him of all .fch.o money he hod excepf: sixpence ant} a, penny. Subsequently Lever said, in the presence of myaelE and a man named Moss, that he took two £L0 notes away with him when ho went to Oxford, in order to pay for his threshing. By the Bench : I havo been out here seven years. Prisoner was in the service of Mr Lawrence, Sehvyn, beforo he went to Lever's. He has boen to school a few months since being out here, and Ima learned to read. This concluded the ease, anil the evidence having been read over, pripner was cautioned in tho usual way 5 Prisoner^ acting on £he advice of his counsel, ■refrained from Baying any thing, and: ' irafc

formally committed to take his trial at the next session of the Supreme Court.