MAGISTERIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2435, 12 January 1876, Page 2

MAGISTERIAL.

♦ OHRISTOHUROH. This Day. (Bofore G. L. Mellish, Esq , RM.) The Court opened at 10 minutes past 11 o'olook. Dbunkbn and Rowdy Fbmaleb.— Janet Morrison and Sarah Hammill, arrested for being drunk, oreating a disturbance, and using obsoeno language in Martin street, were fined 10s and 40s respeotivsly.— Mary Welstead, for similar conduot in Lyttelton street, was aontenoed to six months' imprisonment, with hard labour. Dbunk and DiflOßDßßtY.— Two inebriates, who appeared for the first time, were fined' 5b oaoh.— John Ohubb was fined 10s. Mamoiousi/y Sbtting. Fibb to a Stack of Hay.— James Smith was oharged with an offence of this nature. John Smith, in tbe employment of the Roy A. P. O'Callaghan, Lincoln road, said : In the absence of Mr O'Callaghan yosterday, I was in oharge of tho farm. Prisoner was hay-making for Mr O'Callaghan, and about noon I went away from the bay staok to dinner, leaving prisoner and three other men in the vicinity of tho staok. On returning from dinner about one o'olook I saw tbe staok on fire, and on going up to it I found prisoner threo or four ohains away from it making hay. I went away, and asked Mr > Wright to get a constable to arrest the men , whom I had left near the staok. Subsequently a constablo oame up, and I gave prisoner into i oustody for having eet fire to the staok. I i did not hear him Bay anything to tbe oon* etablo when arrested. The staok was com* i pletely destroyed, and also three hay forks.

The staok and forks belonged toft O'Callaghan, I have seen prisoner smoking. Prisoner said that he had his dinner near tbe staok, and after he had done he lit his pipe aad walked away to his work. He thought be had put the matoh out with whioh he lit bis fipe, but he supposed he had not done so. nspeotor Buokley said he did not think it was any use going further with the case, as there was nothing to show malioe on tiie part of the prisoner. The Rev A. P. O'Callaghan, in reply to the Benoh, said that he had no desire to press the oharge, ss he did not think the fire had been malioionsly caused. If be bad been present, he would not have given prisoner in oharge, but his man (Smith) was right in the action he took, as Smith oould not tell whether there had been any malioe in the affair or not. For his part, he (Mr O'Callaghan) believed that the fire had only resulted from gross negligence on the part of prisoner. The case wae dismissed. Stbaxino Tumbles*.— Mary Connor, alia* Gallagher, for having stolen two tumblers from the Warwick Hotel, was sentenoed to seven days' imprisonment, with hard labour.