RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1405, 15 December 1884, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT

AS HB URTON. -To-day. (Before H. 0. S. Baddeley, Esq., R‘M.) |j| DRUNKENNESS. c James H. Roberts, having been remanded to Addington fo,? medical ( treatment, was charged with having 0 been helplessly drunk in a public a place on 6th instant. The accused was j ordered to pay the expenses incurred, L 4 14s sd, with the alternative of three j. weeks’ imprisonment. BURGLARY. v Henry Dudley, on remand; was charged c with having broken in£o the shop of j Messrs Orr and Go. on 10th December j and stolen therefrom 2 pairs blankets, 6 ] pairs men s socks, 1 pair trousers and vest, 1 suit clothes, 8 pair worsted socks, ( 1 pair boys’ boots, 24 yards calico, 4 , Crimean shirts, 1 box paper collars and 6s j 9d in money, the total value of the pro- , petty being LlO Is. , Constable Latimer deposed that at a , quarter past three o’clock on the 10th j December he was on night duty in East street. His attention was attracted by a j noise in Orr and Co. ’a drapery shop. He , found the door of the shop shut bat unlocked, and he opened it. He saw the accused standing behind part of the door, rolling up a pair of blankets. Witness asked the accused what brought him there. He replied that he had found the door open and came in. He put out his hand to remove the key. from the door, but witness prevented him doing so. Accused then put his hand into his pocket, and witness arrested him. Accused resisted violently and pushed past witness on to the footpath, where a severe struggle ensued. After witness had succeeded in handcuffing the accused, he left him and proceeded to collect the stolen property. While so en gaged the accused ran away, but witness recaptured Kim after he had gone about three chains. Witness then removed,the accused to the police station, and on searching him found two skeleton keys, a piece of candle, a pencil, and 6a 9d m money in his possession. Witness discovered a skeleton key in the door of the . shop. ‘Wiiuooß described and produced the stolen goods which the accused was in L the act of removing when arrested. Sergeant Felton said that at ten min- : utes to four o’clock on the morning of the . 10th instant, he was called by Constable [ Latimer to the office at the police station. Witness then found the accused in cus- , tody charged with breaking into the pre- ’ raises of Orr and Co. Witness said to the ’ constable, “He has picked outanassort- . ment,’’ and the accused remarked, , “ What’s the b- y use of taking things j of the same scrt. I picked out a useful lot. I suppose I shall not have another chance for some years.” S. W. Alcorn, manager of Orr and Go’s. 3 drapery establishment, identified the ’ stolen property and deposed as to their ’ value. The goods remaining in the shop had been very little disturbed, bnt witj ness (noticed a number of spots on the floor occasioned by the candle grease. 8 'there were no candles used by the emr ployees in the shop. About 4s in small ? silver had been taken from the till. To the accused : Witness could swear ? that there was either 10s or 10s 6d in silver in the till on the evening preceding j the burglary. The accused remarked that he I had to say about the clothes. He had placed them ready for removal 8 but had not stolen them. Constablegßoddek said that he had met 1 Dudley at about a quarter to eleven on 1 the night of the 9ih instant. The ao- * cased said was on his way to the 3 Royal Hotel for a drink, but had no f money. The accused said that he never reool--1 lecied seeing Constable Beddek. i The accused having been cautioned in 3 the usual manner, was asked if he had . anything to say. He said that he admitted s being on the premises, but not stealing the property. He had placed it in readi--3 ness for removal, and the policeman had / taken it out of the shop. Ho wished to > deny the statement made by Constable Beddek. He had 7s in his pocket that j evening. He had been drinking all day, . and after meeting the constable had two I drinks at the Royal and paid for them, 3 and took 6d worth of beer away with him. 3 On his way home he met his housekeeper f and another woman, and returned [ to the hotel with them and shouted, t and purchased a bottle of beer , for which he paid. He ultimately t reached home at about a quarter to twelve t that night, and he thought the Bench P could judge of the condition he was in. 3 In committing the accused for trial the Magistrate said that he felt it incumbent upon him to express his high appreciation # of the courageous conduct displayed V>y . Constable Latimer in arresting the . accused. The officer had not hesitated to enter the shop alone, although at an hour ’ when assistance could not be readily ■ summoned, and then there might have been a strong gang of burglars upon the 1 premises. The Magistrate thought the public of Ashburton particularly fortunate in having the protection of a thoroughly ' bold and efficient police force. Sergeant Felton thanked the Magistrate for his eulogistic remarks, and undertook that his commendation of Constable Latimer should be reported to the proper quarter. Bail was refused. LARCENY.

Henry Dudley was further charged with having stolen on or about Ist November, 6 pairs drawers and 1 undershirt, valued at L2 2s 6d, from Orr and Co. 's

drapery shop in East street. S. W. Alcorn said that he recollected packing the goods described in the information on the sth December, for delivery on the following day. On the 6th December the goo la with others were missing, and after making dil : gent inquiries elsewhere, witness reported the loss to the polics. The accused had not purchased the goods. Sergeant Felton said that on searching

the residence of the accused he had found in a box in the bedroom the piece of wrapping paper produced, bearing marks similar to those described to the police by the last witness as having been on the covering of the stolen property. The drawers, shirt and other goods produced had been found in another box. In reply to a question, the accused said that he had a lot of things in the room. Witness then charged him with having stolen the property. The accused said that he had purchased the goods from a poor swagger, and that ho often procured articles of clothing in that way.

Constabls Smart said that he had accompanied the last witness to accused’s residence. He corroborated the evidence of the sergeant.

The accused baying been cautioned, said that he had been in Ashburton twelve years, during which time he had been accustomed to buy goods from swaggers and others. The fj.\nnnl produced he had purchased six months ago, the drawers being purchased about three weeks ago at 3s 6d per pair from a traveller. The accused was committed to take his trial at the next Jessica of the Supremo Court.