POLICE COURT.—THIS DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1670, 25 June 1875, Page 2

POLICE COURT.—THIS DAY.

[Before His "Worship the Mayor and Dr. Home, J.P.

THE ARMY OT DRINK.

Stephen Goldsmith, William Bransfield, John Grant, John Williams, Thomas Heads, and Patrick Murphy were punished for drunkenness in the usuai mode.

George Davis, out on bail, did not appear, and his bail was estreated.

MY LODGING IS ON THE COLT), COLO GROUND. John Paton was charged with being found in Mr. Holdship's mill, last night, wrapped up in shavings. Prisoner said he had been drinking, and didn't know what he was about. (Prisoner's condition, which was that of a man reduced to a state of palsy from drink, quite verified his words.)

Sentence : Three months' imprisonment,

NEGLECTFUL CA.BBII'S

Alexander Kelly was charged with leaving his hackney carriage unattended in Queenstreet.

He pleaded guilty, and was lined ss. and costs.

James Palmer pleaded guilty to a charge of a like nature, and also to a charge of having no light in his carriage. For the first offence he was fined ss. and costs, and for the other Is. and costs. CHEAP PASTURAGE. Haydon Smith pleaded guilty to depasturing on one occasion, four horses, and on another three horses on Barrack hill. Sergeant-Major Pardy said the horses were a nuisance. Fined 20s. and costs. James Dunne, tne Burglar. This notorious night-robber was charged with stealing frpm the residence of Mrs Rebecca Grattan, in Parnell, on the 11th Maj, one shawl and a quantity of crape. Rebecca Grattan, a widow, said she resided in Parnell with her daughter. She recollected the 11th May. Her daughter was nick at the time, and she was attending her. Her daughter was in a backroom of tbe house. About nine o'clock, witness heard the front door open. She went to see who it was. (Witness had to be several time admonished by the Court forgivingmoreinformation than was required.) About ten minutes after hearing the sound, she went to the door and found it on the jar. In the room next to her daughter's she found some boxes with some clothes all tumbled out. She said "Oh, we're robbed 1" Next morning she examined the things and missed the shawl produced and a pair of blankets. The articles found on the floor of the room were all turned out on to a blanket, as though it was intended to carry them away. To prisoner: I never saw you before ; you're a stranger to me.

Miss Rebecca Grattan, daughter of last witness, deposed that on Tuesday, the 11th of May last, she was sick in bed. On that evening about nine o'clock, she heard the door either opening or shntting, as the knocker flapped, but did not hear anyone come in. She told her mother, who went to see a couple of minutes afterwards. tShe returned aud said there was no one there. Next morning witness went into the front room, and saw the whole of the contents of a box emptied into a blanket on the floor. She missed the shawl produced, value £5, and two blankets worth 14s. The list made out by witness and Detective Jeffrey was a correct inventory of the articles in the box, as follows :—1 crape shawl, £5 • 2 blankets, 14s stolen ; 17 skirts, £8 10s • 15 sheets, 12 pillow slips, 2 towels, 7 bodices, 3 tablecloths, 3 bed vallances, 3 muslin jackets, 2 night shirts, 2 chemise, 1 pair of drawers. Total value, £24 3s 7d.

Mary Ann Johnson, wife of George Johnson, residing in Cook-street, deposed to knowing the prisoner. On Sunday, the 6th June, was the first time she ever saw him. He knocked at the door and asked if sMr Johnson was at home. She replied no, he had gone to Melbourne two years before. At half-past ten in the morning he brought a chain and locket and asked witness to lend him 7s 6d on it, or buy it, but not to part with it on any account, as it belonged to his dear mother. Witness lent him 7s 6d on it. He remained about ten minutes. On the following day about eight o'clock at night he again visited witness. Her two children and another person were present. He brought the. shawl produced and took uway the locket. He told her to be careful of it, as it belonged to his grandmother or aunt. When he got his wages he would redeem the shawl. He was getting 6s. a day, he said. When he came witness opened the door and did not see anything in his hand. Witness asked him how he had brought the shawl as she did not see anything in his hand. He said he brought it in the seat of his trousers. Witness pawned the shawl at Mr Neumegan's for 5s to pay her rent, and subsequently gave the ticket to Detective Jeffrey. To prisoner: Witness pawned the shawl on the 11th. She wanted 7s 6d on it, but Mr Neumegen would only give ss. (Prisoner here requested that Detective Jeffrey leave the Court while ha examined the witness.) The detective retired.

To Prisoner : Detective Jeffrey did arrest me for stealing the shawl. f_fter I was arrested, I gave up the ticket. I then told Jeffrey I got the shawl from some man who knew my husband. My boy then said it was Dunne. He had seen him in the Stockade.

To Sergeant-Major Pardy : The detective did not take her prisoner when he came. The detective told her he wanted to search her house. Witness threw • the keys to him, and said she had nothing .but her own property there. He searched the house. Witness then opened her purse, showed it to him, and gave him the pawn-ticket of that shawl. That was all that took place. When she said she had been taken into custody, she did not know what was meant.

1 homas Johnson, son of the last witness, a shrewd lad, said he knew the prisoner. He saw him come to his mother's house abouft ten o'clock on Sunday morning. [Witness here corroborated the evidence given by his mother relative to the interview.] At first his mother told him to try somewhere else. He came back about half-past one o'clock, and Mrs. Johnson then leot him the money and asked him to stop to dinner, which J_e did, and remained about threequarters of an hour. Between seven and eight o'clock in the evening of Monday he came back aud asked the mother of witness to give him the chain and locket for the shawl.

Mrs Johnson went into the kitchen to get a drink of water, and when witness came out gjhe saw prisoner buttoning up his trousers. Before this Dunn had asked Mrs Johnson if she would give him the locket and chain if he brought her a shawl, and she said she would.r

To prisoner : I saw the shawl directly after you had pulled it out of our trousers. I did not see the shawl in your possession.

To Sergt.-Major Pardy : I first s aw tho, shawl on the table in the front room, i in front of prisoner, who was sitting on the w -(r;xi Detective Jeffrey said that in c j rpany with Detective Grace he arrested prfßGj ier at Cox's Creek He charged him W ll this offence. Prisoner replied : " There \r rill be some desperate work between you al id me, Jeffrey, if jou don't leave me alone. " He denied all knowledge of the shawl. Witness described the shawl, and explaia ed to him that it was one he had BgiveD to a Mra Johnson in Cook street, that he had ta ken it here one mght in the seat of his tro users. Hrf replied be did not know Mrs Jol inson, and was never in her house in her hoi ise in his life. To prisoner : When I arrested yon, I had the shawl in may pocket. I did not arrest Mrs Johnson on the charge of stealil ig the shawl—never thought of such a thing. Prisoner : I hope your Worships wil lmake a special note of that. Prisoner : If it was me that had the pawnticket on me wouldn't you arrest me ? Detective Jeffrey : Yes I would. 1 knew it was you took the shawl days before. I was told so by people in the house. Prisoner (viciously): That's like tl'ae rest of your gang. It's no use me askiiogany more questions. There's no case Prisoner said he knew nothing whatever of the charge.

BREAKING INTO THE PREMISES OF MR. '.BOYCE. The case of burglariously entering in to the premises of Charles Boyce, butcher, Ponsonby Road, was then proceeded with. Charles Boyce deposed that on Saturday, the 22nd of May, he left his house- about ten o'clock in the evening with his wifce. The windows were left down, and the door shut, and secured by a latch, but not locked,. The* bedroom was not fastened, but shut. Between: eleven o'clock and half-past they came back and noticed that the bedroom window was open. At that time he did not notice anything missing. Be shut the window and! went to bed. About three o'clock in the afternoon next day he missed a work-box, which had been left on the washstiand in front of the window in the bedroom. The

box contained a gold brooch, value £3* and a pair of silver ear-drops, value £1 ; the workbox was worth £1. He identified the box

and jewellery produced as his property. He had not seen prisoner about there.

' Mrs Mary Jane Boyce, wife of Charles Boyce, Ponsonby road, corroborated her husband _ evidence. She said that in addition t. the articles mentioned by her husband, a pah* of jet ear-rings lying on a collar box were missing, also a pin-cushion. Constable Clark found the work-box afterwards. The work box, silver brooch, and pincushion was returned ; the silver brooch, was in the box when found, which was pinked up in the paddock opposite the house. The ear-drops and pincushion were found outside the house close to the window. She first saw the gold brooch and ear-rings in the possession of Detective Jeffrey. She indentitied those produced as the game. She never saw prisoner before to her knowledge. Detective Jeffrey stated that on Wednesday, the 16th instant, he, in company with Detective Grace, arrested the prisoner. They took him to his house at Cox's Creek, telling him they were going to search for some jewellery. They found in the house behind the lining boards,, above the chimney, the ear-rin.s and brooch produced. Also a loaded pistol, watch, and chain, night-cap, and red handkerchief. All these articles were concealed by a brick placed over them. When he polled them out he said to prisoner, who was sitting in the room, "You are charged with stealing these." He said, ■' Yes, I know I'm in for it; that looks very black against me " Witness remembered searching prisoner on the 23rd of May last (Sunday night.) He then had on him the handkerchief in which the things were found rolled up. Prisoner • By what marks do you know that handkerchief ? Detective Jeffrey : I recognised it at the moment I saw it, and told you so, by its general appearance. To prisoner : You had no stolen property on your person when I arrested you, nor m ! - our swag, nor mixed up with your things. There was a stinking leg of mutton hanging up, and I threw it out. You objected, and I said that most likely youWouldno.t wantjt. leg of mutton as yon would not be back there again soon. The place I arrested you in was a four-roomed house and you occupied one room of it and it was in that room the property was found. I have been there before and since. Mr. Mason was in my company when I was there before. I did not go direct to the place where the things were planted. I was searching five minutes before, and have searched the house since— nearly pulled the place down. I was never at your place during your absence before you were arrested, while you occupied it. Prisoner when charged said he knew nothing about the charge whatever. Prisoner desired to call Detective Grace in

his favour. ■ Detective Grace was then sworn, and in reply to prisoner's questions said he sawDetective Jeffrey take the things from the lining board. He also heard prisoner say: " It's all up with me now." The prisoner was then charged with stealing from the house of Charles Mack certain properties value £10 16s. • ' Charles Hack deposed that the articles stolen were in his coat and vest, hung on a nail in his bedroom. The coat and vest were found by a lad, named Alexander Freeman, in the yard of the Baptist Chapel, Welles-ley-street. Detective Jeffrey found the stolen property in prisoner's house. The next charge, viz, that of burglariously entering the dwelling house of Annie McKesizie, Graham-street, and stealing therefrom a gold watch, was proceeded with. In this case the evidence was similar. The next charge was then read over to the prisoner, viz. —That, on the 6th June, he burglariously entered the dwelling-house of George Scorgie, of Hobson-street, and stole therefrom a pair of trousers and certain moneys. George Scorgie, Angus McGuinness, and Detective Jeffrey having given evidence* the depositions were read over to the prisoner who was fully committed to take his trial on the five charges at the next criminal sittings of the Supreme Court.