RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 136, 18 June 1872, Page 6

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Thursday, Junk 13. (Before E. 11. Canw, Esq., 11.M.) Applicailon Withdrawn'. —The adjourned application of Duncan M'Pherson for a general license for premises at Rocky Point, was now withdrawn at applicant's request. Martin Piricii r. M'Fadden.—Claim, £3 1 Is. (id. Jn Igment given for amount claimed, together with 93. costs. E. M'Nulty v. Robert Burns Q.M. Company, Registered.—Claim, £3 Ids. fur one week's wa;es. Mr Colclough, legal manager, represented the Company. Witnesses were examined at considerable length, and judgment was given in favour of defendant for ±'l 155., with 9s. costs of Court. W. Watson v. Royal Standvrd Q.M. Company, Ueoistereo.— Claim, £29 Ss. 6d. This was an adj.turned case, having been partly heard on the 23rd ult. Mr Wilson for plaintifl ; Mr Brongh for defendants. The plaintiff was called by Mr Lirough, and examined at some length. I hs Worship gave judgment in favour of plaintiff for one week's wa-es (£5) in lieu of notice of dismissal ; together with 9s. costs of Court, and 21s. solicitor's fee. With regard to the balance alleged to he due since February 1871, the Magistrate believed that amount war. covered by receipts produced on behalf of defendants. As to the claim made for extra payment for Sunday work (getting up steam, &c), it had not been prove I that there was any stipulation made as to overtime at the period of plaintiff's engagement; and the Magistrate was of opinion that had the plaintiff been entitled to overtime, he would have been paid for it before. The plaintiff was certainly not entitled to payment for coming to Cromwell for his wages.

Monday, June 17. (Before James Taylor, Esq., and James Hazlett, Esq., J.P.'s.) Pbunkenness. Martin Halloran, charged with having been drunk on Saturday evening, was let oil' with a caution. Charge of Stealing Money.—Martin TTalloran was then placed in the duck on a charge of stealing two £1 notes from a till in the bar of the Cromwell Hotel on Sunday, the lGth Prisoner pleaded not guilty. The evidence of Sergeant C issels and Constable Walsh proved that the accused had been locked up on Saturday night for drunkenness, and admitted to bail on Sunday morning ; and that he was again arrested for drunkenness on Sunday. On the tirst occasion, the sum of £1 3s. 6.1. was found in his possession, and on the second he had £3 3<. 6d. The evidence of Mrs Kidd and Miss E. Sparks went to show that the accused was in the bar of the Cromwell Hotel on Sunday, and asked to be served with a hot drink. Mrs Kidd had deposited £2 in notes, along with some silver, in the till during the day, and the notes were afterwards missed. The accused was alone in the bar sufficiently long to enable him to gain access to the till if so inclined. Neither of the lastmentioned witnesses, however, was prepared to swear that the notes found on the accused, and produced by Sergeant Cassels, were identical with those deposited iu the till by Mrs Kidd. The accused stated, in defence, that he had brought the notes with him from Dnnedin, but had concealed them in one of his socks for safety in case he should get drunk and lose them. The Bench expressed themselves as having very little doubt that the accused committed the larceny, but held that as the notes could not be identified. there was not sufficient evidence to convict. The accused was therefore discharged. Drunk Again.—The same man was again charged with having been drunk in the stive's of Cromwell, and pleaded guilty. The Bench inflicted a tine of 405., or 48 hours' imprisonment in default of payment. The delinquent refused to pay the tine, and was marched oil' to the lockup. Chvroe ok Vaorynoy.— Mary Allen, an old woman, was charged by the police with having no visible lawful means of support. Sergeant Cassels stated that the accused was one of ! the worst cha-acters known in Dnnedin. Since | February, 1870, she had served twenty months jin gaol for various offences, vagrancv, exnosnre lof person, ivc. The p-isoner sta+cd that sin- had come from Tuapeka. whore she had a daighter I mirried to a Chinaman, and was o:i her wav t>> | Qneenstown, where she had a friend. If allowed, j she would at once leave the town, and go on to | her destination. Their Worships decided to give j her a chance of leaving the district, and caui tinned her not to appear again before them, as in | the event of a second appearance she would not I be so leniently dealt with.