POLICE COURT.—Monday.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 151, 4 July 1870, Page 2

POLICE COURT.—Monday.

(Before H. H. Turton, Esq., and G. Wynyard, Esq., J.Ps.) -L

DRUNKENNESS.

John Woods, J. Storey, R. Youi.,7. C. Wheelan, J. Whitlan, J Foreman, J. (~'_. ii.-.i, and D. Ualbraith, for this offence Mere uu.-h fined ss. and costs, or to be imprisoned twentyfour hours with hard labour. Bridget Foley for same offem c was fined in same amount, and lor obscene language was fined 20s. and costs, or to be imprisoned one month. J. Thompson fo being drunk and disord; >; v was fitted 20s a;id costs with seven dnys' iiiipiisonment. John Tackabury, for a third oiience, was fined 20s. and costs, and to be imprisoned seven days. VAGRANCY. The same prisoner, for being an idle and disorderly person, was sentenced to be imprisoned for three months with hurd labour. IAiiCKNT. David Thompson was charged by Albert Doruwell with having, in the beginning of __SiD_ stolen one butcher's block from ~~~" ttnd-street, his property, of the value of ■iP - - - * acre Waited. f°r fche defence. TBURBAiVpecter Hroham stated that *W.__ -vV tn»--oi had inform d l"v»-'_h *• ... , <tid. ]»•• ployed counsel lor the p;. r-; all neces- '-''c last, minute had come to linn unci i_Keil him to prosecute. He there!' re had not had time to get up tha case, but if Mr. Doruwell still wished hint to go on with the case he would. Albert Dornw 11, deposed : I am a butcher, residing in Queen slreet. I know the prisoner. Ido not know his occupation. I have had a butcher's block, which 1 accu.-ehim of taking. I first missed it a wet kag ■. 1 had left it on a, vacant, al otment in Shortland-street. There wis no one in charge, and nothing else there belonged to me. 1 have had the block for three or four years. I Iwve since seen it in a butcher's shop in West Q ci n-stivet. The name over the shop is Nelson and Co. I saw a person, I think Mr. N. lson. 1 was not then qiite posi.ive that, trie l>io<-k was mine; it had been altered. Prisoner told tne he had brought ir. from Onehucg.-t, from Mr. Gibb's yard. Nelson sail he hail bought it from Mr. Thompson ;he aid not say when. I had gone from town in th- heg'iiningt f June, and came bad. at the end. The block may have been missing before I left town. I »u_ quite sure now the block I stw in Nelson's is mine. I brought some men and examined it by lifting it up and down-it w s mine. The men pre-ent were James and Tom Lot-kit. To Mr. Joy : I swear the value of the block ,is £5. I believe I paid that for it four or five years a^o. It has h-en lying on the Viicint allotment for seven mom lis. 1 have I not the block in Court; I did not subpoena the partie- to produce it; I did not, tell the police to bring it; it was not lying on my > property ; it was not protected by fence or wall ; it was left expesed on the lot ; there are lots of other old tilings lying there. I was iioiiig up .-hortland-street and I missed the block ; I made enquiry of Mr. Langfford and Dyer. I suspected thai Somebody opening a . new shop would have it. It is not an opposition shop; it may fed a pound or so of beef, but does me no harm. Several parties wanted to buy it. I went to Nelson and (Jo. because I would most likely find it there. Hie reason I laid this information is because is j was my duty a-> a citizen. It was the very afternoon 1 missed it that I laid the information. 1 mean a near to the time as I possibly could. I v.as advised to set 1c it. 'J here were tw > or thr ? interviews with Thompson before I laid the informal on. I said to j Thomp-on if he would give me £5 all would Ibe right; if he would not, he must bear the con-equences. I was offered £2 for the block by Thompson. I refused it, and said " Well thei you must suffer the consequences." All this passed before I laid the information, vlr. Wilson said he had bought the block from Thompson and paid 10s for it. This was in Queen-street. I remember in the presence of two persons Wdson saying that if I could swear to the block I mig'.it take it away. It was aft-r this conversation and their refusing to pay me £5 that I laid the information. It was several days after that I had a conversation with Detective Ternahan. I asked Mr. Wynn's a j vice on this matter. He does not a pear foe mo here to day. To the Bench : I identify thu block by cross-cut jigged marks on the bottom. I believe they do not dispute the property of the block. James Nelson deposed : I am a butcher in West Qaeen-.-treet.. Defendant was engaged on commission by me. D ,riiwell was in my shop on Friday week and several times ..e----sides. lie asked me where I got the block. I said from Thompson. I ha 1 received it from Thompson in first week of June. I paid the piisoner nothing for it. He had male enquiries and could find no owner for it. Told Doruwell and his men to examine ihe block iv any way the liked. I did not tel Dornwell that I gave lUs to Thompson tor it. Nothing ot tho sort. To Mr. Joy: The sta fement made by. Doruwell that I paid ten shillings to Thomp-on fjr it is quite falso I am iv opposition to Doruwell, und d ,ing a lair business. I would not have taken the block only we could find no owner for it. It was lying as rubbish. I would rot pay more than 15s or a pound for it. I went up to Dornwell's shop and said if h* could identify the block I would give it up. I offered £2 for it, sooner than have any tr üble with him ; lie replied he would not take £4 19s llfd for it Tho iias Baird was present when I made the offer. Thomas Lockwood deposed : I am in Dornweh's employment. I remember going to Wilson's shop with Doruwell. Saw the block in question there; it had been Dornwell's. I had seen it in an open space in Shortlandstreet. It is a round block, about four feet high and five feet across. To Mr. Joy : I am still in Dornwell's employ. Would not give £5 for it; its value I think is £5 ;itis as good as new. I would ray the » mie price for it as if new. 1 would pay £. for it, if, I couLd not get it for less. This was the case for the prosecution. i . Mr. Joy asked for the case to be, dismissed. ■ It was at ase of most gross nmlicious persecution, with the intention of extorting an exorbitant price for the block. Tne prosecutor had taken the criminal law-into his own hands ; and he asked whether lie had any case lo meet before he proceeded to call witnesses. . Tho Bench at once dismissed the case.

LAKCEISY. James Hall was charged with stealing v bell, value liis, the property o; Edward Long. E. Long, depo.ed : I know the prisoner;, I saw him on Saturday. He went into the room

and took up the bell; I refused-hint drink ; 1 subsequently missed the bell,; th*atproduced i, my .bell, it is valued at 7s.\6d. j")ie was a littleY-fie*worse of dritik. /_; "•_. To be imprisoned three months with hard labour. ; ■*'■ ! Norman Trad well was charged with stealihg j from Ihomas Macrea y the sum of £2 ... ■' j Charles Whaylan, deposed : lam a labourer. I _„.v pii oner on' last Saturday night; T was in Macready's t»tar JLlotel with him ; I saw him running away from the bar about 6 o'clock. Don't know what he had done; don't know what caused me to look round and notice him. Never stated that I saw him jump behind the counier. Never stated so to the constables, or that I had seen him put his hand in the till. Never said so to anyone. ■*■; . . Ellen Casey, deposed : I am servant at Mr. Macready's. 1 was in the bar about 6 o'clock, on Saturday evening. Saw prisoner and last witness there. I had gone out for coal when Miss Dill called that a man had robbed the till; on retu ning, found that two pound notes wero gone, also the prisoner; J?3_-t~ ' ness was remaiuing. .-■-'"' Phoebe Deim^ij^jf^^ood Terrace, 'ealVnsonby' Road—7s. ZTOTMENT in Br l" "with frontage l:-w. e-stre. "ir th!-'V. —d 88, .-.-'• >(>... -ap and. left it rtranii .-} 3 looked round ai, me and then run. '-'> To prisoner : I saw you inside the counter, and h aril tome one at the till. I onstable Jeffi ey deposed: larrested prisoner on Saturday evening, about seven. He stated he had jumped over the counter to draw a pint of beer. Found 23s.'on him. This was in Chancery-street. He was then the worse of liquor. To be imprisoned four months, with hard labour. ASSAULT. James Green was charged by Michael Skerry of assault ing him on the 28th June, by striking him with a riding whip. Mr. ifennett for plaintiff; Mr. Joy for the dofi-nce.

Michael Skerry deposed : I am a boardinghouse keeper. Saw the defendant on Thursday ni^ht, in Queen-street, near Wakefieidstreet, about 11 o'clock. He was standing with a mob, and i t-aid, " Good-night, Mr. Green." lie said, "I don't look blue, do I?" He then followed and struck tne on the head with a whip-handle He said, " That's the b— that pounded my goat." I replied that he should be at home with his wife and family, lie then followed and struck me on tne side of the head. My head bled, and was painful. A doctor attended me for that blow.

To Mr. Joy : I am an Irishman. Have engaged a doctor. I always pay the doctor. 1 am all right in the head now, but am still suffering headache. Was in the Wheatsheaf with some friends ibout half-pa^t eleven to look fa- a man. I had nothing to drink there. The bar door was then shut. Do not remember the landlady laying her hand on my shou der and telling me to go out. Was the first to say good night. Did not say " Bight, left, right, left.' liave heard that Green is a wachuian in Queen-street. I did not say "You arc- an old crawl er," or a .' b old thief," or an " old rogue," or any provoking language. I was passing by him when I said " Go home to your wife.''

Dr. J-to kwell, deposed : Was called in to see Skerry about half-past twelve at night; he was suffering from a slight contusion on left side of his head, which was bleeding a little ;it was not itself dangerous; its after results might be ; never saw anything serious result from such a wound.

To Mr. Joy: Would not say that Skerry was in danger of erysipe'as. Charles Powell, deposed : I am a steward on board a ship, now residing at Mr ."•kerry's. Knew defendant; saw him on Thursday night, about eleven. This witness corroborated generally previous evidence, but stated that in the Wheatsheaf f-kerrj aud he had beer. Skerry had said to Green, " __ou ought to be horn-- with your wife." Green replied that he should not syeak about his wife, and ran after him and struck him.

To Mr. Joy: I swear positively that we had been together in the Wheatsheaf. In addressing Green, Sfeiry did not speak in a fiiendly manner. Do not think he siiid in a friendly way, "Go home to your wife." I must admit it was in a taunting, insulting way. Green then said ho had no busino.-s io speak about his wife, and it was then he _truck him.

Sergeant-Major Morrison deposed to having seen the wound and sent for the doctor.

Constable Halloran deposed, after the passage of words about " gre-m" and " blue," Skerry said, "If not, you're an od crawler." Urecn leplied, "I never crawled fro.n you." The other replied, '■ Yes, you paid the fees for the goat." " I did not," said the defendant. " You're a liar," said the complainant. " Don't call me a liar,'' said the defendant. I then Separate! them, and told them to go home, and was going away, when I heard complainant, 30 or 40 feet up Wakefield-strett, call out, " If you go home to your wife, you'll fi,id some one with her." Defendant called out, " What's that you nay ?" and ran towards him. 1 ran also, but he wa3 in advance of me. 1 found them struggling for the whip produced, and with difficulty succeeded in taking it. I did not see a blow struck, but complainant told me he was struck. I saw the wound, and went for the doe tor. .

Cuse dismissed with full costs. A counter charge of insulting language w as withdrawn.

threatening language. Mary Hill was charged by Eliza Beal with having, on the 26fch June, used to her threatening and abusive language. Eliza Beal deposed : I am the wife of Geoige Beal, resitting in Duke-street. I live mar defendant. On the 26th instant, at two o'clock in the afternoon, I went into my own yard, which adjoins that of defendant. She came off her own premises, and said to me, " You d—ohlb—, I'll give it to you," and attoi her worse expression. She constantly abuses me, and 1 cannot live in peace. Mho defendant made a long. statement., tending to throw the blame of the quarrel on complainant. Ordered to find two sureties in £10 each to keep the peace for three months Court adjourned for half an-hour. The Court resumed ai 2.15, and the business was proceeded with. L .RCENV PROM THE BARQUE ISLAND CITY. tep'ieu Ellis (on remand), was charged on the information of Oapc. John Johnson with ielonioii.ly stealing 281bs. tobacco, value £6; also a quantity of tea, sugar, meat and hides,

from off the barque Island City, the property of the informant.

Mr. Wynn and Mr. Joy appeared on behalf of the prosecution, and Mr. Tyler, of the firm Rees and Tyler, appeared for the defence. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. This case was going on as we went to press.