MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2406, 11 March 1915, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

MISAPPROPRIATION

EX-CIVIL SERVANT PLEADS GUILTY ,

Evidence ii respect to sevoral further charges against,,' Ernest Alfred Welch,' lato Registrar of the South Island Native Land Court, was heard in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. W. G. Riddel], S.M. Tho additional charges were as follow:—(1) Receiving £17 4s. from C. H. Treadwell arid failing to account for tho same to tho Receiver-General; (2) on November 29, 1911, did steal £44 Is. lid., tho property of the Receiver-General; (3) on Juno 18, 1913, stealing £42 from tho Receiver-General; (4) on September 1, 1913, attempting to commit fraud by omitting, to make a material entry in the cash-book regarding a cheque for £70 10s. lid.; (5) on October 13, 1914, failing to account for £30 ss. 2d., tho property of the Receiver-General; (G) December 8, 1911, the theft of £30 from the Rccoiver-Gcneral; (7) on December 11, 1914, the theft of £63 7s. 6d. from the Receiver-General.

Accused was defended by Mr. T. M. Wilford, while Chief-Detective Boddam prosecuted. All tho charges were taken together. Evidence was given by Henry Alexander Lamb, Government auditor at Wellington, as to his investigations of the books kept by accused, and of the moneys alleged to be unaccounted for. Cross-examined by Mr. Wilford, witness said that the accounts with which accused were concerned had not been audited for eighteen months._ ' Mr. Wilford: Do yon admit that two of the amounts accused is chargod with' stealing have oince been accounted: for? Witness: Tea. Mr. Wilford: Then why did you not state that in your evidence? Witness: I was not asked about it. Further questioned, witness said there had been very little system in the office where accused worked, while there had been a lot of negligence. At the conclusion of the evidence Mr. -Wilford said that it was not the time or place for him to disouss Welch's state of mind at the time of his arrest. Mr. Wilford added that when accused consulted him he said ho had embezzled nine million pounds, and that his relatives had paid £400_ back in tho Upper Hutt bank. This showed to some extent the state of. Welch's mind.

In. view of the evidence to the effect that the sums of £44 Is. lid. and £42 had since heon accounted for, the police agreed to have the charges in this respect withdrawn. The Magistrate agreed, and- acoused pleaded guilty "to the remainder of the charges, and was committed to tho Supreme Court'for sentence. Bail was allowed in £100. CHAEGE OF ASSAULT. Ellon Sullivan, a young woman, was charged with assaulting-' her mother, Mary IkfCully, so as to cause her actual bodily harm. Accused was defended by Mr. P. W. Jackson.

Dr. Henry said that on March 2 he was called by the police to No. 6 Frediwick Street, somewhero about 11 p.ni. Thcro lie attended a woman named Mary M'Cully, whom he found lying on a bed with her head in a pool of blood. There was a! wound. on. .the back of her neck about half--an.-inch long, and which had evidently been' bleeding freely. Witness dressed the wound; and ordered the removal of the woman to the Hospital.

To' Mr. Jackson : "Witness could, not swear whether the woman he attended was drunk at the time. The wound was. not dangerous. Mary M'Cully, who had to be assisted into the dock, faid that she was 68 years of age, and that tho accused was her daughter, She remembered the night she was taken to the Hospital, 'l'h© wound she was suffering from was caused, she supposed, by her daughter, who was suffering from the effects of drink. On the afternoon of the day in question witness scolded her daughter, ahd in the evening they had another, quarrel. "Witness was in the bedroom when she told iier daughter to put out the light, and that was the last word 6he spoke before her daughter seized a knife from the mantelpiece and stabbed her. .

To Mr. Jackson: Witness had had some drink on the day in question. Witness was angry with her daughter because she was" going to - Palmers ton. When her daughter missed the train and returned witness supposed she abused and scolded ber daughter. Witness did not hit her daughter with a poker, but her daughter hit her. Witness pulled her daughter's hair. Witness admitted that her daughter had been very good to her. • .

William Lambert, labourer, Said he was sharing the house in which accused iived. On the night in question accused's mother was under the influence of drink. Accused had also had some drink. There had been a quarrel, and when' witness rushed in from the yard accused had a knife in her hand, and her mother was stabbed in the neck.

Mr. Jackson: "When accused came back from the station her mother was "nagging" at her, and when witness again came home at 9.30 p.m. the mother was. still quarrelling with the daughter. Sergeant Murphy gave evidence that on the night on which the affair took place he was on duty in Frederick Street. He heard excited voices outside house No. 2'about 11 o'clock. On investigating, witness found Mrs. M'Cully-lying bleeding on a bed, and her daughter standing in a very excited condition at the foot of it. Accused said to her mother, "I'hope you are dead in the morning. I ain not a bit sorry." Neither accused or her mother were the Worse of drink on the evening.

To Mr. .Tackson: Accused's mothei was very quarrelsome. On being asked for her plea, accused said that she pleaded guilty under great provocation. That her mother had abused and kicked her ind assaulted her with a poker. She was sorry for what she had done.

Accused was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was allowed in £50, accused to report daily to the police.

THE "WHITE HORSE" HOTEL FIRE

Charles Edmunds, Walter Balch, and Arthur George Young, the three young, men alleged to be_ responsible for the' burning of the White Horse Hotel, and against whom preliminary evidence was taken last Friday, were further remanded to Wednesday next. Bail was allowed as before. OLD MAN IN TROUBLE. An old man named Thomas Carter was charged (1) with lining a rogue and a- vagabond, in that be was found by night without excuse on private property in Thorndon Quay; (2) breaking and entering the dwelling of Margaret H. A.'Buchanan, at Tokokina (Ilawke's Barl and stealing articles to the value of £2 6s. Accused was remanded for sentence to Wednesday next, so that certain inquiries might he made. FOUR RUAHINE SEAMEN. Four seamen olf the Ruahine were charged with absenting themselves from that, vessel without leave. On the application of Inspector Hendrey the four whose names were John AVilson, William Garrett, Edward Carston,_ and John Watson, were remanded until today. The Ruahine sails to-day, and tho qjiartet will then he placed oil board.

OTHER. CASKS. Fre.tliu'ick Martin was convict-

Ed and discharged for drunkennoss and fined £3, in default 21 days' gaol, for indecency in Manners Street.

For drunkenness, Henry Edwards was fined 10s., or -18 '.hours' gaol. Eight first offenders were dealt. with.