LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1649, 16 January 1913, Page 5

LAW REPORTS.

LOWER COURT. ■ (Before Dr. M'Arthur; S.IIJ : : r : .--C DO THUGS HAUNT THE CITY? ■; LORNE STREET CASE. JOHN GRAY AND HIS STORY.

Quito. a black scries of allegations ot assault and robbery were related in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, when •,three big , menj-'Taddy" Donovan, John Condon,land William Henry Adams —wero. charged with having, on December 2G Inst, assaulted John Gray and Tobbcd him of 7s.i , threo watches; and two gold chains, of tho total value of ,£2O. • '• :

Mr. V. li. Meredith appeared for Adams, and Mr. C. V; Goulter for Condon and Donovan. •" . ; "■

"Hand Us a . Spoon I"

Jplui Gray itos tho first witness called. He stated, ttiat ho ,was & labourer, some-, what .strange,-to Wellington.; On December 26 last ho had gone to Day's.-Bay, and on, tho Day's Bay wharf >the accused Donovan had gone up to him and asked for a match. 'Witness gave him one. Donovan thon said: "Can you do a drink?"

and. witness: .consented to have one.'. They walked along tho,wharf, a little.way,-and then.; met Adams, ■ and ,- Condon, and Adams's-wife and child. .The men had a. drink, and thoy returned to, the' city on the. samo ferry l steamer.' > They had moro . drink in the' and then (accomp'inied , by tho three accused) he went to -iG Lome . Street,'-,whore Adams.ilived.-: Ho sat on a pouchy and they gave him ■whisky, Afit ho felt sick and wished -to; lea-re 1 the, ropm., : Donovan met ; this : proposal by offering,another drink (declined), and then, seeing that witness .was about .: to,-go'.'outside Donovan grabbed him by, ;the throdt and nose and lorce<l iiim back on., to the couch. Donovan's friends also took-hold of hiin, and one of theui.ejacu-, latcd: "Hand .us a : spoon I". .A: spoon was' thereupon found .and; forced between his leeth to open his mouth, and half a. cup )f. liquor was "poured down his throat. •Ho struggled, but was ovcrnowcrod. He •omeijibered,, beisg carried Into, the - next '.ousoi and laid in 'front of tho 'fireplace. • 'Je still : struggled to call .out, hut Donofan had him:Dy the throat,:another had him. by tho feet, and someone struck him some blows in the stomach. He heard one .-■' of.-Ms assailants exclaim':/'"Peel,-under his arm, and seo if there is any money there!":' Then they, tried' his boots for money, '..and, -'they'/tookfrom hiin ■ the ' watcnes. and .'.otherarticles' ' mentioned-, in the .' 'charge; 'After that ho •' received a heavy blow in .tho stomach (probably '.' from *j sopie6ne's , 'khee), I .:and .this rendered. ' him unconscious. When he recovered consciousness l hc proceeded to tho Mount : Cook . Police, Station, and.''.the 'case' was' immcdU ately'put'into the' hands of Detective- .' Sergeant - Cassells/ --'Actoompanied- by!• th.o , detective ihe wept >tp Adams's house, where they met' Adams and Mrs. .Adams. ■'Ellen . -Elizabeth.^Adams,, wife 'of yWil,liam -Henry Adams : (one. of - the'.'accused), Btated' that arid-,Gendon . ■. hid ■ stayed at' her;.house at; Christmas .time. , In reply to a'questiori:she.added : 'that.she. had seen Gray'-at- the house /on Boxing Day,

• Found. Hidden in tho Ivy, . Constable .A. ,G. M'Hugh, of..' Mount Cook; Station, gave evidence to the effect that on Dcccmbor 31 he had accompanicd Detective: ,Casselta; t0..; Lorjie' &Wet, ■ ? lii ,the Adams's ihoiise. lalliad found two ;watched'and a. medal, iwrapped iri,'.;a>picce\bf 'dirty linen and hidden in the^iyy,;;;.! i

"I Will Tell Mr. Cassells tho Truth » Dctective-Sergeant Cassells deposed that - he had gone to Adams's house; on tho ; evening. ot December 26, and interviewed him ill' Connection, with the allegations made. • Adams had told him that. he had been asleep and did cot know'anything ' about -any. robbery. Grtiy, !who .accompanied him (the detective), then identified Adams lis one of the, men 'concerned, and -: so hb took ; Adams ,to'; Mount Cook Police, Station,: whero accused iiade a' statement . to tho effect that he knew nothing of- any robbery in his house. Witness .thereupon allowed Adams-to",go. -On- the afternoon ■of December 31, however, .witness saw Adams in .Tory S£re'etj':.shqwed : liim the' ■watches - which had been, recovered, pnd charged him with the offence. 1 That evon- ; ing Mrs. Adams-called to see-Adams/ who ' .was' iii 'the cells,-and witness - heard,him : say: .IT think I will tell Mr. CaSsells tho truth about it.": .Ho .(the then called out: "What .was that - you 6aid?" "I think I will tell the ,truth" about it." Witness said: "Now just Temeraber ihafc;l'am. not asking you to :tell me'anything, 'and you do '. eo. at your own'risk." -'Adams' still main-, tamed that he wished, to' tell thq truth, and /he ' then made tho' following statement:— \ Paddy said; to'me:'"l think this. ' fellow - (meaning Gray) has ■ some - ? - money." I said: ''If ho has, take him away front here, and get it it you ■■ : ■ want it." 1 Ho'6aid: ."It's, easy "enough' done. I can dose him." Wo then all' had- a; drink, /arid Paddy gave; Gray , . clip, and;said: "Ira . .;done.''-.-''.l- : :said:''to ::h'im,:--"It, should , Where;"- :7'Aridj-after.' i , ; ■ ! ;fow..minutes Condon.'got.up and said: ■ "Come on, Paddy, wo will mako a -'■quick job of'it." , ■ ■ . -• : • Gray was'then asleep on tho couch.. ■■■ Condon. held Gray s arms, and Paddy, went through him. .Gray then-started to kick, and -Paddy? said:."l'll soon fix that. Give: him spmo of this." They ~ r-then;gave him'another: dose—l thins - "with" a'spoon.;'' Paddy, by this time, had. tak-Jn everything frouv Gray, and ' said: '"What will we do /with, him ■ now?"' I; said: " ;ddn<j; leave him in • here." Paddy and Coudon then • , picked .him -up, and X got .hold of his, v. legs, and we -carried him into tho . empty -hopse-next"door and -laid him i on tho floor in tho kitchen. Poddy. , said L ",Come: along with: mo',', the both <"• | of you, and see where I plant. the .i stuff" . . . i ■ '.'

>• ■'[Detective Cassells then proceeded. He ' etated that:he -saw Condon 'arid Donovan 1 in .Manners SWeefc on the mornin? of Decomber 31, and took them to the Manv ner? Street . police; station -and charm] them' with' 1 the 'oftonce/ Condon said: .' "That will do me; I don't knew Adams." Donovan said:' "Jack, give .mo a fair go: . . ' . Adams has the , stall planted -. in a rag." . ■-.' , ~V'.'. ■•To',Mr. Meredith: .Adams had* been somewhat under tho lnfluenco ■of ■ liquor trhon witness &nd Gray had visited his 1 ■ bouse, on December 26. ■ ;

Sent Up For Trial. .'.- Accused ;pleadcd not. guilty -. and; were committed to the Supreme ,'Court for trial. Bail;was applied for in Adams's*case, Bnd'was allowed ,in two-sureties-of >£50 each,. and, tho 'accused's recognisance' of #0.

TENT PLUNDERED.. JEWEI-LERT WORTH -SXOO TAKEN. Albert Henry Palmer ; was accused of the. theft of .£IOO worth of '■■jewellery beloiik to Joseph James Gootey. The jewellery .'consisted .of brooches,' ricckletsj etc. Joseph James Gooloy, who carries on biyine<ss in a tent next to the * Duke of Edinburgh Hotel in Willis street, stated that he left the tent at about .10 p.m. on Now-. Year's, eve. He ,left: jewellery and !other goods-'in-two-boxes'arid a case, which were', 6ecuroly. ; closed down. He returned to tho.- tent'on 'January : 2, and discovered that it had been entered and about'.£loo worth' of goods : stolen. Entrance ; to, tho,, tent had ■ becn.:effectedjfrom the backi ' %'■ V';' V-' '• ' "" ' . :Nellier : He'rdman'',;deposed :;tha,t : Palmer hadboarded it', lior i'plAftsi '!;!&• . Boulcbtt Stre.ct; ; and. thiit 'on ; January.} 2 she hsid iou'jid'two glass axes under his pillow. Detective stated, that 1 Detective Andrews arid ho ; had ari'estcd Palmer on Jdnun/v 3, and on that afternoon l'nlnior;~had taken them to 'a spot' in Tolav«r» 'J'frrace/ pear tlie Kclburne tramway, •where Jfhey fobrid which had been taken from-tho tent. Palmer stated that ho had come from the Kin? Coun-

try and had been knocking . about tho city drinking.: He had spent the money' which ho brought to (Wellington and m these goods seemed so.'.easy'Jto get ho had taken them.

Palmer pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supremo Court for sentence.

STREET; ROW.

" OUTSIDE A QUAY lIOTBD. .Thomas Flomihg_ ,Vas fined ill on a charge of his having broken tho peaco of Lambton Quay by fighting. " .. Tho police stated that a' tow had taken place outside the Central Hotel and that they had 6eeir"Flctnrng strike another man. • \ ' Fleming pleaded fiot guilty and said that ho had, merely intervened during tho row to take a razor from a man who was brandishing it. . THE SCOTT CASE. In tho cases in' which James Sootfc is charged with having published a double chart, and, with having, been in Lambton Quay for th« purpose of betting, judgment Has been reserved sine die. ■ OTHER'CASES, William Hammington was charged with having indecently assaulted a little girl. Ha was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. ■ ' For insobriety, Samuel . Stephens was fined . Jil and'ordered to pay medical expenses amounting to 17s. Gd.' Tho' Court dismissed a 'case in which John Rend was . accused of the'theft of i£6 belonging to May Spencer.