CROMWELL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 707, 5 November 1875, Page 3

CROMWELL.

(from cuu own correspondent.) In the Resident Magistrate’s Court, on October 28, 1875, (before W. L. Simpson, Esq.,R.M.,) i—Patrick McNamara, alias Paddy the Hat, was charged with being drunk and disorderly. Senior constable M ‘Gann stated that he was very drunk, and that he had experienced considerable difficulty iu effecting his arrest. Fined 10s and costs, or 24 hours’ imprisonment.—Samuel Vates was, on the information of Senior 'Constable M ‘Gann, charged with having no lawful visible means of support. Robert Kidd, sworn, deposed ; He was an hotelkeeper in Cromwell. Know the accused, who went to his place and asked him if he could give him a meal and a bed, and he would pay him in the morning, as he had money in the Bank of New Zealand. He, on the strength of this assertion, obtained from him two beds and five meals. He has ■no money in the Bank, nor any I am told in his possession. Harrietts Robertson, sworn, deposed : The accused called at the Clutha Hotel and asked her if she could allow him to have a drink, and could lend him 10s,, which ho would repay on the following morning when the Bank opened. Had .not ten shillings, hut gave him a pound. On the following morning he called and asked her for s,a additional sa, as ho not been to the Bank. Lent him that. Had n6t received anything from him ; not even a shilling for drinks, and gave him the cash believing his statement. George Wellington Goodger gave corroborative evidence, and stated that he had procured L2 worth from him. He said that he had drafts on the Bank of New Zealand, Cromwell. Was a stranger to witness and Cromwell. 11. F. Dench, accountant at the Bank of New Zealand, deposed : Accused had no account at the Bank of New Zealand, Cromwell, nor was there one in any such name here. Constable M'Oann deposed : The accused stated that Mr Nicholas knew that he had money. Had called upon that gentleman, who informed witness ho was not aware of the lael. me accused, upon being asked, said he had no defence to offer. His Worship thought the police should have laid the charge for obtaining money under false pretenses, or even, under the Vagrant Act, the charge should have been made under another section as a rogue and a vagabond,

The accused here stated that he was formerly in a large .way of business, at Wellington, and had about L4O when he left MaeLcau’a station, which he had spent at an accommodation house about four miles from thefe. His Worship : You are unable to satisfy me that you have any lawful visible means'of.'support, and you are senfenced to one month’s imprisonment in Clyde Gaol, with hard labor. I don’t know in how far I am doing my duty in thus letting you off, but if the parties whom you have so wantonly defrauded take no further action, it is not for the Court to do so. The charge upon which you are convicted is of a totally diUeront character to that which might have been laid,-Police v. Beattiecharged with allowing persons upon his ptMuiscs in a state of drunkenness, being c ntrary to the terms of the Licensing Act, After an amount of evidence of a very contradictory character having been taken, the whole hinging on that very nice point - When is a man drunk’ 'ihe Bench dismissed the case, cautioning Beattie however to be more particular in the conducting of his hotel.—Marsh v. Bradbury.—Fraud summons, The summons being irregular a fres h one was ordered to issue. - A number of applications in the Warden’s Court was disposed/)!, and the Court adjourned. It is e. pleasant duty to be able to congratulate the community upon the arrest, trial, and conviction of an imposter. A •few weeks ago I directed attention to the fact that there was no improvement in the trade of the town, and persons were doing themselves a serious injury in abandoning a settled business for an uncertain one. Those remarks had reference to tailors, shoemakers, carpenters, and artisans generally. Little was it to be conceived that the fabulous and glowing accounts written about the Cromwell district would have the effect of hiring the rogue and vagabond class, but it seems that one young man, named Lawrence Yates, was thereby induced to visit this supposed El Dorado, but so it turned out. On the evening of the 23th ’ultimo hejmade his debut, and started by entering the White Hart Hotel ; he was thirsty and required nourishment, and thus addressed the landlady: “fve come a long way to-day, and I’ll trouble you for tbr-'c drinks, but I must tell you that I won’t be able to pay till the Bank opens. I’ve money in the Bank of New Zealand, and at ten o’clock to-morrow morning, when it opens, I’ll pay you. " The drinks were.supplied, and the traveller de parted. The next place he visited was Goodger s Hotel—requested accommodation the same old story, “ I’ll pay you in the j morning when the Bank opens.” Here he j managed to stick up a score, amounting to I £“• The 26th the memorable morning of ' t!le 2 5th arrived, when the pilgrim bethought him that the Cromwell Hotel presented a respectable appearance, and he would not play ills role (not roll of .notes) unless ho favored them with a visit. The [ rules of politeness demanded it. To so think was to act, and in he dashed. Again the oft-repiated tale ; again the successful issue. “Fifteen eludings I’ve gained,” thought the weary traveller. “Landlord, I’ll pay you in the morning when the Bank opens.” The good old sport, nothing doubting, responds “All right.” But gentle Lawrence (now I like classical names) espied another hostelry, the Clutha Hotel, and thither sped the object of these lines! The gentle Adonis wood the Venus. “ The Bank, the Bank at ton in the morning, only oblige me with the loan of ten shillings but the change was not at hand, and 'a pound note supplied its place. The gay Lothario was in funds, and shouted, “ Gentlemen, will you join mo in a liquor.” The liquid sparkling glass was furnished. “Good -ironing, gentlemen,” and he vauished. The morning came, but not the gushing Lawrence nor his cash. Applica Don to the B»nk followed, when, oh horror ! no Lawrence Yates was known to them. A watch and chain were lost; the traveller was there. “ Police, Police!” the owner of the lost treasure cried. The Bobby, all in blue arrived. Lawrence was then arrested, and consigned, not to the feather beds and lilly-white sheets, with pillow slips and carpeted floor, by maiden hands arranged, but to that dismal building, where seldom enters the gushing Venus, the genial host, the chaste ami pure. Before the Beak next morn, poor—poor in pocket and in honesty —appeared the love lorn swain : “ I had no money in the Bank. lam very sorry, sir, but I would not have done it unless 1 had been drinking; , I haven’t worked for some time past, nor will lif it can be helped. It isu t honest; it isn’t fair. My mother never meant me so to do. Spare me, oh spare me now, and I’ll not come here again.” But the shrewd and conscientious magistrate could not see it, and sent the dashing Lawrence Aatcs to Clyde Gaol, there to soil his hands in Her Majesty’s service. Now, from this lesson a moral may be drawn. A few month’s since a gent from Tnapeka came ;he wooed and won the Printer and his Devil. No money, no cash ; and now, he too, poor soul, is in “durance vile.” Those travelling loafers will surely learn that, though the country towns in hospitality abounds, imposters are ever certain to meet their well-deserved fate, while honesty is, after all, the best course for them to pursue. It is my melancholy duty to record the demise of Jamieson Brown, of the Nevis, and judging by the number of mourners the deceased was held in high regard As far back as 1563 Jamieson Brown was at the Nevis, from thence he proceeded to the West Coast, and held an honorable position. Of him T might truthful!** sn*’ - " iJV— . thy faults, and rich thy mind." Ido not I*'-- -0 but why not have a cemetery at the Nevis, and dispense with the deplorabls- necessity of dragging men such a distance. On such occasions the noblest sentiments are stirred, and it is but alone the honor for the dead that causes others the living—to abandon their pursuits and follow the inanimate body twenty or thirty mile?.

That grim agent Death, has been busy in our district, and carried away an old and respected friend in the person of Mr Scott, who expired in the Cromwell Hospital on Tuesday last. A number of friends followed his remains to the cemetery.