RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1552, 14 July 1885, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT

ASH bURTOiJI—Today. (Before H. O. S. Baddeley, Eaq., R.M.) Police Offences Act—o By ell was charged with having been away from hia horaa and vehicle in a public place—at the Railway Station—so as to be unable to have the full control thereof.—Mr Branson applied for the defendant, and raised an objection to the information, contending that section 2 of the Act did not constitute the railway station a public "place. —On the application of the police the charge was withdrawn. Vaorancy.—D. Cullen, on remand, charged with vagrancy, was dismissed, the police undertaking to provide for hia removal to Christchurch. Larceny of a Doa.—Colin Mclntyre was charged under clause 18 of the Larceny Act, 1867, with the larceny of a sheep dog the property of Andrew Mao Farlane. The accused pleaded ‘Not guilty.”—Andrew Macfarlane, sheep farmer of Alford Forest, said he met the accused at Methven about twelve months ago, and had arranged to lend him a dog while shepherding for D. Cameron, dunes. Witness had not seen the dog again. He valued it at L 7. Accused had no authority to dispose of the dog, nor to remove it from Cameron’s farm.— To the accused: Witness had lent the dog to accused for a month ; for no longer. D, Cameron, farmer, Methven, said accused had been at his farm for about two months waiting employment. Macfarlane had told witness that he had lent the dog to accused, and -he (witness) recommended Macfarlane to look sharply after it, as accused was not in his employ. When accused was leaving, witness told him to tie up the dog as Macfarlane had desired him to take care of it. Accused tied the dog up, but about three hours’ later untied it and took it away.—J. W. Wright, stock manager for Matson and Co, Christchurch, said that between June 3 and 6 last the accused had Instructed Matson and Co to sell the dog now in Court and claimed by Macfarlane as his property. The dog was sold on June 10 to H. Mathias, of Racecourse Hill, for L 3 8s 3s.—H. Mathias said he had purchased the dog now in Court as stated by the previous witness.—-The accused called no evidence, but addressed the Bench at some length, alleging that Vlacf .rlme bad given him the dog. He quoted the poet Robert Burns in support of a contention that one man’s word was as good as another’s, and concluded by throwing himself upon the mercy of the Court.—Sergeant Felton said tne accused was a disreputable character. He had been discharged from the Police Force and from a warderabip in tue Lyttelton Haul on aci count of hts drunken habits. i'ho accused was sentenced to two months’ Imprisonment) with hard lebor,