MAGISTERIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6362, 17 December 1898, Page 4

MAGISTERIAL.

CHRISTCHURCH. Saturday, Dec. 17. (Before Mr R. Beetham, S.M.) An Alleged Pickpocket. — A young man named George Williams, alias Wood, pleaded not guilty to a charge of having yesterday committed a felony, at the New Brighton racecourse, by attempting to steal from the person of John Grammel. Detective Chrysfcall applied for a remand to enable the police to find Grammel. The circumstances under which accused had been arrested were, that Detective Fitzgerald caught him in the act of picking the pocket of the person named. There was a further charge against the accused of stealing £1 from the person of John Grammel. The accused was remanded till Dec. 20. A Juvenile Mendicant. — A girl aged fourteen was charged on a warrant with being in Tuam Street for the purpose of begging. Two ladies gave evidence which went to show that the accused was in the habit of begging from door to door. Constable Cullen also gave evidence to the effect that he had seen the girl sitting on a doorstep in Ferry Road crying. Upon being questioned she said she had lost 3d belonging to her mother, and she was frightened to go home for fear of receiving a thrashing. This story was a very common one among beggars, as it was well calculated to work upon the sympathies of passeis-by. The accused was sent to St Mary's Industrial Home at Nelson, to be brought up in the Boman Catholic religion. Affiliation. — John Doig was charged (cm remand) that being the father of an unborn illegitimate child, he was about to leave the colony without providing adequate means for its future support. Mr Harris appeared for the informant and Mr Donnelly for the defendant. The complainant was a girl fourteen years of age. j Drs Nedwill and Diamond gave evidence His Worship said that the evidence was sufficient to justify him in ordinary securities to be lodged. Mr Donnelly made an application for the case to be proved, and evidence for the complainant was taken. The defence was that on the night mentioned by the complainant, the defendant was elsewhere, as would be proved by witnesses who could be called if the case were adjourned. Mr Beetham accordingly adjourned the case till Dec. 20, bail being allowed in the same amount as previously.