RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume III, Issue 640, 31 August 1869, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Tuesday, August 31. (Before T. Powell and J. Jackson, Esqrs., J.P.'s.) CIVIL CASES.

J. PlampVv. J. Purcell. Claim— £1 14s 6d. Amount aud costs, paid into Court.

J. Kennedy v. R. Thompson. Claim —£12 Is4d. Adjourned for one week. J. Beard v. Capt. R. Dyason. Claim —£9 12s 6d. Adjourned .for .one week.

DRUNKENNESS. C. Margraves, for this offence, was fined 5s or 24 hours imprisonment.

LABCESY. E. f Rauce, charged John Woods with stealing a clock, a locket, a brooch, and a coat, the property of prosecutor. E. Ranee sworn, said : i am a tailor ; I know the prisoner; between 11 and 12 o'clock yesterday morning prisoner came into my house and struck my wife; I went to her assistance, and her brother came also; we put him out, and locked the door; I subsequently went outside the gate and he struck me ; he then took an axe and broke the door open; he nailed the door up inside, and said no one would enter while the ammunition lasted ; he stopped in the house until about 4 o'clock ; when he came out we saw the goods in a handkerchief; the brooch locket, and clock, now produced is my wife's property; 1 value them at £4 ; I did not see prisoner take the brooch and locket.

By the Court: The ammunition is mine.

By Prisoner: I found the axe under the bouse; I rent the house from trustees ; the previous tenant was JSroady ; the trustees are ;\iessra Ashforth and Liffiton Constable Swan sworn 6aid: I am a police constable; about 4.30 yesterday afternoon I was told by plaintiff that prisoner had broken into his house and stolen some property; I arrested the prisoner ; he had then a clock' tied in, handkerchief; in searching I found aa locket and a brooch in his trowser pocket; prisoner said the property was his.

By Prisoner: I arrested you before you gave me the clock.

C. Ashfqrth; sworn said : T am. a trustee respecting a, section and house; I have given prosecutor possession of the house through prisoner's eldest son, prosecutor's brother-in-law. ... '

J. Woods sworn said : I am a son of the accused, the clock belongs to my sister, my mother gave it to her, she got it from Sir R Douglas : the brooch belongs to-my sister, also the locket; the coat formerly belonged to me, J gave it to Mr Ranee ; the coat is worthabout 10s.

By defendant : You stole the clock out of the house, and a picture which defendant had formerly stolen from his sister ; the coat was bought from Moeller Bros, for 303.

Constable Swan sworn said : I found the coat on the prisoner under the coat he has now on.

Prisoner said lie had possession of the house, and let it to Broady; the prisoner took the house by f orce ; the property belongs to me. The prisoner was sentenced to 14 days', imprisonment with hard labor.