POLICE COURT.—Thursday.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 554, 19 October 1871, Page 2

POLICE COURT.—Thursday.

[Before Thomas Beckham, Esq., R.M.]

Drunkenness.—Three persons were punished as usual for this offence.

Drunk and Disorderly.—Charles McShane was charged with this od'ence, and having pleaded guihy, was ordered to pay a line of 205., with costs, or to be impiisoned for forty-eight hours. Malicious Injurs* to Property.—The same man was then accused of having wilfully destroyed a pair of trousers, the property of Detective Jeil'ery.—lt appeared from the evidence that lie" had been very disorderly in the circus on tho preceding evening, and on being apprehended destroyed tho clothes of Jeffery.—Sentenced to pay tho value of the property and a fine of £5 ; in default, to be imprisoned one month, with hard labour.

P__I.J[JIIY. — George Spray appeared to answer a charge preferred against him by John Crosbie, of having committed wilful and corrupt perjury in tho case of Spray v. Crosbie, heard*on the 10th instant, before ilic Resident Magistrale.—Mr. Hesketh appeared for tho prosecution, aud Mr. Kces and Mr. Joy, LL.B., for tho defence—Mr. Hesketh opened the case, and explained the circumstances of the alleged perjury. The question was, did Spray pay Crosbie t_lo on the 12th October fur the purpose of applying for a lease for the Hazelbank Company, as sworn by Spray, or was that sum p__id at a subsequent date, and for a different purpose. He then called Mr. Cunningham, the Clerk of the Court, who produced the information in tho pr-vious case, and deposed that during tho hearing of it. Spray gave evidence for the prosecution, and in his examination swore that; he paid £10 to Crosbie en the 12th October, 1870, which ho said he required to pay for a lease. He also said he gave Him the money as his contribution towards the lease of tho Hazelbank ground, which was ro be obtained for the company, and that he gave him nothing subsequently. In crossexamination, Spray repeated the assertion as to the payment of the money and the date of his handing it to Crosbie, as well as the purpose for which lie did so. He further said that the receipt for the calls was given him by his wife on the 21st October, and that it w..s not on that day he had given Crosbie. the money. —John Crosbie deposed : Defendant and I were both shareholders in the Hazelbank Gol.l Mining Company. On the 11th October, 1870, I left Grahamstown by the Willi mis. During next d>y 1 was iv Auckland, and remained there up to tho 19th ot ihat month. It it. false that Spray paid me £10 on the 12th, at Grahamstown. I was not there on that day. He on no occasion gave me £10 for the purpose of applying for a lease. If was late in the evening of the 19th when I arrived back in Grahamstown. On the 21st I received £10 from Spray, to pay his calls as a shareholder in the Hazelbank Gold Mining Company. The amount due by him was I*l3 15s. I had got 14 from Mr3. Spray on the 19th or 20th of July. I give the recejpt for the amount to Mrs. Spray. The balance of £5 was otherwise accounted for. I received no o.her sum of £i.O during the month of October.—This witness was subjected to a long and severe cross-examination, biit adhered hi all essential points to his statements in tho examination in chief. —E. W. Morrison, proprietor of the hotel known as the Oh! House at Home, deposed:—lv Octohr, 1870, I was proprietor of that house. I know John Crosbie. In October, 1870, he was ..faying iv my house. Ho came on the 4th, and left on the 19th. Ho has paid me for his iiccommodalion during that period. On tho 12th October I gave him 10s., which he required. I have a memorandum in my book of the transaction. I made it on the same day. lie has repaid the 10s. I have on various occasions lent him money, which he lias always repaid.—To Mr. Rees: The whole of tho entries in the book now produced are in my handwriting. The 12fh of October is fixed iv my recollection from the certainty in my mind that the entry in the book was made by mo on that day. Crosbie paid for his accommodation from the 4th to the 19th, but he might have been away for a night. —James Skene, auctioneer at I Grahamstown, deposed : —ln October, 1870, I was legal manager of tho Hazelbank Gold Mining Company. On the 11th of October 1 came to Auckland by the Williams. We 1 left about six in the evening. I am certain of the date on account of entries made by me at the time in my office diary, and from my being compelled to attend the.Supreme Court on the 13th. I attended the Court on that day, and returned to Grahamstown on the 14th. I cannot undertake to name any person who canNc up in the steamer with mo. I do not know where Crosbie was on the night of the 11th. Ido not.know that any lease was applied for on account of the 'j'azelbank Oomp-my, In October, 1870, Spray owed £13 15s for calls Ido not know who collected the amount. I know nothing of Spray having paid .£lO f.r a lease. I had conversations with Spray in regard to his interest in the claim. The first was in. the hospital, in December, 1870, and the second in January, 1871. Ju the first, Spray wanted to transfer his interest in the claim to some one who -would act during his absence. In January, he came to ii)V office, and wished a transfer wrilleu out, which was prepared for him. Spray .aid he did not know what interest he held iv tho claim.