MAGISTERIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5349, 30 June 1885, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

CHRISTCHURCH. This Day. (Before R. Beetham, Esq., R.M., H. J. Hall and A. Ayers, Esq.) " Findings " not " Keeps." — William Frost, John Thomas Meek and William Ayers were charged with stealing two lots of copper, valued at 19s Gd and 63, on June 23 and 26 respectively, the property of Mr John Sims. The prosecutor was a timbor merchant at Kaiapoi, and the owner of the ; wreck of a small steamer, " The Eclipse," ' portions of which were at present on New j Brighton beach. The accused admitted ' having taken the copper or " muntz j metal," as one of them kept persistently i asserting that it was, with the evident imI pression that there was one law for copper,

and another for muntz metal. Meek had : come acrosß «the old wreck, and he and ■ Ayers had stripped off some sheets of the- ' metal, which Frost took into Christchurch * and sold to Messrs J. and T. Danks. The Bench repeated the warning given in a similar case the other day, to the effect that persons should adopt the safe rule ©f leaving alone things which do not belong to. them. Mr Beetham considered the accused had been punished sufficiently by the trouble they had beon put to, and they were discharged on payment of the prosecutor's and witnesses' expenses, amounting to £2 17s. A Bad-tempered Woman. — Emily Stevens admitted a charge of assaulting Charlotte Dowey. Both complainant and defendant were inmates ot the Armagh street Dep6t ; the former was a poor, halfsilly woman, and the latter was credited by the matron with a very violent temper. She said, in excuse, that it was a hard thing she could not take her own child's part. Mrs Dowey had threatened to knock her child'B brains out with a shovel, and she had then hit her in the eye, and would do so again under like circumstances. The evidence of the matron was decidedly against the defendant, and it appeared Bhe had been guilty of similar misbehaviour D^tftre. His Worship to defendant : " You are sentenced to 48 hours' imprisonment, Mrs Stevens." Defendant (looking at unfortunate complainant, who still bore the mark of the assault) : "Black- eyed Sußan can take care of herself when I come out then." Hiß Worship : "In that case, Mrs Stevens, you are sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment." Defendant was then taken out, muttering something to the effect that his Worship had better make it 16. CIVIL CASES. Defaults. — In the following cases there was no appearance of defendants, and judgment was given for plaintiffs by default : — Doyle v. Casserley, claim £5 9s ; same v. Cus din, claim £1 5b ; same v. Rhodes, claim £6 6s ; same v. Moyrid, claim £1 ss ; Booth and Co. v. Collett, claim £22 15s 4d{ Dougall v. Reid, claim £2 fis 6d. Miscbllaneous. — James and Co. v. Wood, and same v. Bevins, were adjourned to July 7. — Hopkins and Co. v. Forster, claim £70 8s 4d, balance of account due for meat supplied. Mr Stringer for plaintiff ; Mr Westonfor defendant. The defendant had been proprietor of the Coffee Palace, carried on in the old Post-office, previous to that building being pulled down after the fire. Hopkins and Co. were butchers, who had supplied defendant with meat. The claim was for the balance of an old account in 1882. Defendant stated that he had paid £40, for which credit had not been given. Plaintiff's books showed no such payment, and his bookkeeper said he knew nothing of it. Defendant said his books had been destroyed in the fire at the old Post-office. Counsel having addressed the Bench, Mr Beetham, in giving •judgment, said that leaving the question of a point of law for Mr Weston to appeal upon if he wished, the Bench concluded that the facts were in favour of the plaintiff. The supply of the meat was admitted, and, that being so, it was for the defendant to prove the payment ; he had failed to prove it, for there was no evidence of any importance to corroborate his statement. It might be defendant's misfortune, that he had lost his books ; but he appeared to have neglected the most ordinary means of self-protection which every business man adopts, as he had failed to get possession of the promissory note, which he said he had retired. The Bench had no hesitation in giving judgment for plaintiff.