RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT, ALEXANDRA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 650, 2 October 1874, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT, ALEXANDRA.

Monday, Sept. 28. ’(Before W. L. Simpson, Esq., R.M.) Kemp v. M'Laren.—Claim 10a. Paid into Court, 1

Beresford v. Alves.—Claim LI. Judgment by default. Thomson v. Jones.- Claim L 5 19s 4d. Judgment by default. Wilson and Birch v. Cameron.—Claim Ll9 13s 4d. This was an adjourned case from the last Court, to enable the defendant to show the lesult of previous action in the matter brought in Dunedin. It turned out that the case was struck out, and expenses allowed to defendant through the non-ap-pearance of plaintiff.

The Bench proceeded to give judgment, and said, so far as that portion of the account where the goods had been supplied to Thomson there was not sufficient evidence that Cameron had become liable for Thomson’s debt ; as regards another part, the goods had been accepted back by plaintiffs traveller as bad, for balance LG ICs. Judgment would be for plaintiff with costs.

Cameron v. Blue. —Assau.,,. Plaintiff appeared, ant asked permission to withdraw the case, which was allowed. Rivers v. Gunn.—Claim, L 4 lls 10dThis was a case on a fraud summons. After considerable time was spent iu trying to get from defendant some satisfaction as to his earnings and expenditure, defendant either from his stupidity or insobriety, was unable, or at any rate appeared unwilling to divulge, and after some severe cautions and an adjournment the defendant was committed to Clyde gaol for 14 days’ hard labor. WARDEN’S COURT, ALEXANDRA. o Monday, Sept. 28. ( Before W.L. Simpson, Esq., Warden.) J. R. Kemp applied for an agricultural lease, section 21, block 1., Cairn Hill district, which was granted less the mining reserve. C. T. Murphy applied for a residence area, which waa refused on the ground that certificate had been already granted for same area to one Kuhtze. Several mining .applications ivero dealt with. Wednesday, Sep. 30. W. L. Simpson, Esq., again sat on the Bench to adjudicate on what we may term an unwarrantable arrest by the Police. The charge was i.ne of robbery against two hotelkeepers—Mr Blue, of Clyde, and Mr L. Ryan, of Alexandra —by a man named Peter O’Orady. It appears that O’Grady, who was a stranger to everyone at Alexandra, arrived there by coach on Monday evening last, from tho Teviot, ami having, as he said, about L6O in his pocket. During tho evening ho appears to have gone the round of the public houses, and to have wound up hy sleeping at tho Royal Mail hotel, whereas he thought ho had slept elsewhere. On Tuesday he appears to have continued his libations till cveuing found him the worse for liquor at Tohill’s Royal Mail Hotel; from thence he and Mr Blue went to Ryan’s Bendigo Hotel, where a bet was made, and O’Grady staked in the hands of Ryan a LlO note, who said he would keep it till the morning. O’Grady appeared dissatisfied with this, aud after some arguing declared he had been robbed of two LlO notes. Hereupon, ho went out, returning iu a short time with a constable, to whom he laid a charge against Ryan and Blue of robbing him of four LlO notes. On this statement the Constable (Pierpoint) searched both parties accused, and notwithstanding, ho found no such money described as being stolen, saving the LlO note staked as a bet, the particulars of which Ryan had told the Constable, he arrested them and took them to the lock-up, and kept them there until tho following morning, refusing in the meantime to call in the local Magistrate, so that the accuse! might ho admitted to hail. Mr Simpson, after taking the information, proceeded to hear the evidence of complainant, who contradicted himself, saying at one time he had one sum of money, at another time a different sum, apparently having no distinct idea of what money he had, or what he had spent. The case was immediately dismissed the Bench saying that the story was one of a man who np patently had lost or misspent some money, and who was viciouaenongh to lay so serious a charge at the doors of two respectable men. Ho, however, remarked how careful publicans should be iu their dealings with men tho worse of liquor. The Constable was called, and received a severe reprimand from the Bench for his precipitancy in making an arrest of tho kind, on the bare statement of a drunken man, and without a warrant, and said had tho accused been of the criminal class, instead of resident business men, of whoso running away there could bo no fear, the Constable could not have been more hasty. The Bench in conclusion said there was no possible excuse for the Constable, and characterised the arrest as a cruel one, and one most unwarrantable.