CHRISTCHURCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2597, 21 July 1876, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH.

Tnis Day. (Before G. L. Mollish, Esq., R.M., and W. H. Pilliott, Esq.) The Court openod at 11 o'olook. VAGBANOY.—Jamos Kent was brought up under the Vagrant Acfc ohargod wifch having indecently exposed himsolf in a shop at tho Heathcote. Tho offonoo was fully proved. Prisoner Baid he was drunk when ho oommittod the offence, and was sorry for what ho had dono. Ho did nofc recollect anything whioh ooourred on thafc day. A witness named Wilson proved fchat prisoner was porfootly

sober at the timo. His Worship said it waß fortunato for prisoner that thoro woro no previous oonviotions against him. His oonduot in this instanoo towards a fomalo unablo to proteot heraelf was, howovor, so disgrace- , ful and cowardly in its naturo that fcho Bonoh would sentence him to six months' imprisonment wifch hard labour. Stealing. A Doo.-— Frank M'Donald was brought up on a chargo of having stolon a spaniel bitoh worth £10, tho property of J. G. Oraddook, Leeston. Mr Thomas appeared for fche defence. Inspector Feast; said fchat two mon woro conoornod in tho theft, and as only ono had beon arrosted ho (Inspeotor Feast) was not prepared to go on with tho oaso, and would thoreforo ask for a remand. Mr Thomas oontonded that a prima facie oaso musfc, at least, be mado out boforo tho Bonoh would bo justified in granting a remand. Aooording to his olient's version of tho affair the dog followed him fco Ohristohureh notwithstanding thafc ho mado several attompts to Erovonfc ifc, and whon ho got to Christohurob o told Bovoral people of fchis ; in faofc thoro had beon no concealment whatever. Inspeotor Feast said Mr Thomas had a good way of putting tho oase for his olionfc, but he should wait until he (Inspeotor Feast) had dono. He intended to ask tho Benoh to hoar Dofcootive dettington's evidence, and would now do co. Detective Befcfcingfcon said ho arrostod prisoner and explained tho ohargo to him. Priaonor, in reply, said he was driving wifch a Commercial traveller from Southbridge to Ohristohuroh, and on arriving afc Dunsandel ho noticed tho dog for tbo first time following the buggy. They tried to turn fche dog baok, bufc oould not. On arrival in Ohristohuroh, he took tho dog homo to his mother's, and it waslost for a time, but was afterwards brouaht baok by his brother. By Mr Thomas : Prisonor did nofc aay anything by way of olaiming the dog as his own property. Witness had nofc aoen fcho dog advertised as lost. Inspeotor Feast said, after what Mr Thomas had said on behalf of prisonor, ho might inform tho Bonoh thafc ovidenoo would be forthcoming to show fchafc tho dog was taken up by prisoner and his friond, and plaood in the buggy, also thafc it was brought infco town tiod to fche buggy. If fchis oould bo oalled trying fco prevent fcho dog following fcho buggy, then ho could nofc undorstand it. Mr Thomas still ! contended that thoro wao nothing boforo tho Oourt on whioh to remand his olionfc, bufc fcho Bonoh held ofchorwiso, and remanded prisonor until Thursday nexfc. On tho application of Mr Thomas, prisonor was admitted to bail, himsolf in £60, and two sureties of £25 each. Labobny op a Coat. — Edwin Tumor was brought up on remand, oharged with having stolen a coat, the property of John Potors, a passenger by tho s.s. Wellington. Inspeotor j Feast produood a telegram from tho Inspector of Polico, Auokland, stating that Mr Coombs, ' ot Queen stroet, know prisoner porfootly woll, and positively asserted that a Boynfcon's ooafc had not been sold to him j also, fchat no one but Mr Ooombs had suoh ooats for sale. Another telogram from the samo souroo was also submitted, Bhowing that prisoner had boon oonvioted at Sydney, undor fcho name of Osbaidisfcon, for burglary, and sontenoed fco seven years imprisonment, Mr Thomas, addressing the Benoh, contended fchat those telegrams wore not admissiblo against prisonor, and that the Bonoh must disoard thor n; also that the identity of tho ooafc as that lost by prosooutor had not been dearly proved, and the prisonor wao ontitlod to any doubt on fcho matter. Ho referred to tho ovidenoo given by prisoner's daughter, to tho effect that her father had tho ooafc in Auokland, and urgod that, in faoo of thiß, a conviction could not in justioo bo rooorded againßt prisonor. His Worship said ho did not beliovo the evidonoo given by prisoner's daughter, and had not a shadow of a doubfc as fco the guilt of prisoner, who would be sentonood to one month's imprisonment, with hard labour.