RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1069, 9 October 1883, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

ASHBURTON— To-day,

(Before H. 0, S. Baddeley Esq, R.M.) Breach op Borough By-Laws —Robt, Smyth and David Fitzgerald were each fined 10s for breaches of the Borough bylaws. Drunkenness James Divey and Thomas Preston were each ordered to pay 6s for being drunk in a public place, with the alternative of 24 hours’ imprisonment.

Cruelty to Animals —Thomas Dunn was I charged with having cut off the tail of a oat I in the Somerset Hotel. Accused pleaded j not guilty. The evidence of the barman I was taken, and went to show that the I prisoner came into the hotel and asked | witness for the loan of a knife, with which I he deliberately cut off the tail of a cat | lying near the fireplace. The animal was I a very tame one, and well-known to be I quite harmless,—His orship character- 1 ised the case as one of the worst ever! brought under his notice. The prisoner j had preserved a disgrace ul callousness, J pleading not guilty and yet refraining I from putting a single question in the way I of cross-examination. The Bench would J mark its sense of the offence by not allow- j ing the option of a fine, and the prisoner I would be sentenced to three months’ im- I prisonment with hard labor. I Robbery with Violence. —John Talbot was brought up on remand charged with having committed a robbery with violence upon the person of Archibald Smart, at Methven. —Sergeant Felton said that he was not prepared to go into the case yet, as the alleged stolen property had not been recovered. He would therefore only tender such evidence as would, in his opinion, justify a further remand. —Archibald Smart, having been sworn, gave his version of what happened on Friday night last. From this it appeared that the prisoner and two other men, whom witness was unable to identify, had been following him about during the evening. Witness admitted' having had a “ few beers in,” but was perfectly well able to take care of himself. At about half-paat 9, when he was at the back of Patton’s Hotel, Smart stated that three men attacked him. Two of them seized him by the arms which they hold behind his back while the prisoner relieved him of his watch, valued at L 5, and LI 14s 6d that he had in his pockets. Witness was afterwards thrown into the water-race. The accused put several questions to the witness, but on the Bench saying that an opportunity for crossexamination would be afforded when the case came on again, he desisted.—His Worship then remanded the prisoner for eight days Bestiality. Henry Walmer, alias Smith, vaa charged with committing the above offence at Methven. The evidence was heard with closed doors, the prisoner being committed to take his trial at the next Supreme Court sittings at Christchurch.