MAYOR’S COURT.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2607, 26 June 1871, Page 2

MAYOR’S COURT.

This Dat. (Before his Worship the Mayor and the Hon, Dr. Buchanan, J.P.) DRUNKENNESS. Edward Edwards, David Baxter, Robert Somerville, Duncan Cameron, and Robert Walker were each fined ss. MANSLAUGHTER. James Smith and Michael Donnell were charged with causing the death of one George Clark, in Princes street, On Saturday. On the application of the police, the accused were remanded till Wednesday. THE PRINCES STREET FIRE. Charles Coldammer was charged with having at Dunedin, on June 13, conspired with F. W. Reichelt, to set fire to and burn down the premises of the said Reiohelt, with intent to defraud the New Zealand and other insurance companies. On the charge being read, Mr Anderson, who appeared for the prosecution, said: —ln this ease we withdraw the charge for the present. Mr Barton : Then Goldammer will be discharged. The accused was discharged accordingly. F. W. Keichelt was brought up (on remand), charged with setting tire to his premises, with intent to defraud the New Zealand and other insurance companies. Mr Anderson conducted the case for the prosecution. M r Barton appeared for the accused. The evidence was mainly a repetition of t hat given at the Coroner’s inquiry. The first witness examined was Mr G. W. Elliot, agent for the New Zealand Company. In cross-examination he stated that, when he was going to insure, his first act was to inapect the premises; then to endeavour to ascertain, as near as possible, the value of the stock to be insured. Character .was one of the main things in insurance. He considered deichelt to be a man of candor, of bland and open countenance. As a rule, he made inquiries as to an applicant’s character, it he had not a personal knowledge of him. He came to Dunedin in 1807 ; but did not know Reichelt until he effected an insurance in witn ss’s office. An honest countenance and a good stockbook would always get an insurance with him. Prisoner’s insurance with the Victoria Company was offered to witness; but he declined it at the rate named. Witness’s company would be relieved of a liability of L7QQ if Ueichelt were convicted; the- compahy was still liable for L3CO, Reichelt having tiansierred his interest to the extent of L3OO to a building society. Neither witness nor his office were prosecuting, unless the fact uf Mr Anderson watching the case could be construed as such. He did not say, nor would he admit that he had said, about town that Reichelt was guilty ; and that he (witness) would prove him to be so. ' It was impossible for him to say whether he believed he had said so or not, By Mr Anderson : If he had previously kpqwp as much of Reichelt as he knew now, h§ would no| have insured his place. Mr Jack was examined briefly, On Goldammer being ca led,

Mr Barton asked the witness if he had received the Queen’s pardon, or been assured that ho would not be again prosecuted ?

Witness : I was discharged this morning. iM r Barton: But have you received any assurance that you will not be again proseuut. a on that or a similar charge? Witness : I have not. Mr Barton : Then i submit Goldammer is not a proper witness to call. Either he will oe giving'evideucg under that lie will ugt be prosecuted aftpfwajdq, or, without that understanding, he tyill be giving evidence which hereafter miy be used against him—in which case the Crown mis no right to put him in that position. I shall object to his evidence until he appears as a pardoned witmss. The Commissioner of Police ; He is only an o din ary witness. There is no charge against hjm. Mr Barton ; But he was discharged in >» peculiar wav. Mr Anderson remarked that the charge had been withdrawn for the pre« sent.

His Worship: I think the witness’s position is a simple one. The charge has been withdrawn against him so far as the Bench are concerned.

Mr Barton : Is there no other charge in contemplation against Goldammer ? Was my learned friend Mr Ajidersoft' jil' advised in saying that the charge had been merely withdrawn for the present ? The Commissioner of Police: There is no idea or intention on the part of the Crown ever to prosecute him. Air Barton : Let Goldammer understand his position; that’s all. Charles Goldammer, examined by the Commissioner of Police, said: 1 am a carpenter and ’oaUinbt-maker, and Reside ip Cumberland street. 1 have known the aol cused for about seven years. I was in the habit of working for him, but am net very intimately acquainted with him. I got some cases from him about four weeks ago—goods which I bought. I co Id not say how many cases 1 got; they were brought down at different times to my place; ab -ut eight cases. They were of different sizes, f .-Atppoppff they contained goods of bis own—i iueap goods out of hia own shop-r=whigh I bought from him. I afterwards sent them away from my own house to another place in Leith street, which I rented from M r Winchester, and they remained there until Detective b'arrell took them away last week. I took this house, which Was a two-roomed cottage, for the special purpose of storing the goods. I did not select the goods myself, neither do I know exactly what the cases contained. I told him to send me good, saleable articles, I could not say exactly what is their value j hut I expect from L|oo to LISO. I have not been m'thb‘fancy gobas trade before. At the time I bought the goodfc I was going through the Insolvent Court. I have not yet paid Reichelt for them. The arrangement was that 1 should pay him by bills ; but they have not been drawn out yet. '1 he bills were to amount from LIOO to Ll5O. 1 am pot aware that any of the bills are in existence ; they might have b&px drawn out ; but if so, 1 was not aWare df it. L neither signed them nor paid any bash; As a rule I work at my trade untilSpGn. daily ; it was after that hour that I removed the goods, by means of drays, from my plqce to the house ip Leith street. Twp made. There wepe two and there might be one, two, or three days betweeft each removal. It was not quite'dusk whep the things were removed. 1 know «f the lire at Leichelt’s, and of the inquest that took place, an account of which,’ and of the question as to lieiehelt’s stock raised there, 1 read in the newspaper. 1 gave no information to anyone of having purchased or re- 1 ceived stock from Reivkclt. • The place in

Leith street was kept well secured. I had the key of the door in my possession. Farrell took away seven or eight cases—l can’t say which. He took some gold mouldings from my house in Cumberland street; I got them from the prisoner, I did not pay for them; The travelling bag, containingsiiks, was also in the house in Leith street; I got them from Reichelt. He did not tell me the exact value of the goods ; be represented that they were worth from LluO to Ll5O. I would be surprised if 1 were told they were valued at L4OO. (Mr Anderson here rose to examine, and was objected to by Mr Barton, as having no locus standi. The difficulty was cured by the Commissioner of Police instructing Mr Anderson, who then proceeded to ask questions.) I became bankrupt about two mouths ago ; it miglr be a little rnor. ; and received my discharge last week. The goods were sent home fi oni Be ohelt’s in the middle of the day I never sent any of them away to any person. I did not put them down as an asset in my schedule; I had not received them when I tiled. By Mr Barton : I worked for the prisoner ; the last time about two months ago. I was to have dene some work for him op the day of the fire ;it was o lay down a floor. He was very friendly to me, and on several occasions has done me “good turns.” Ido not know what 1 meant when I said I was not very int : m»tely acquainted with him. 1 understand the keeping of a retail shop, having been shopman to Cohen Bros., furniture dealers, for five years ; and sometimes managed their business during their absence. When I became bankrupt I was left destitute with a wife and family; I am a countryman of Reichelt. On one occasion I did him a “good turn.” When I became bankrupt he told me he would give me a start with some of his stock ; that was two months ago. When the offer was made I wrote to my br«ther at Cromwell, asking his advice as to where I should start in business. The letter produced is a rep y men my brother. [The d' oum. Nt was dated April 8. The learned counsel read the fallowing passage “ I have just received your letter of the second and am glad to see you are all well. I thank you for the tilings you sent me. With regard to your opening business here or somewhere else I shall give you what information I can. Between this and Oamaru, I should certainly choose the latter place. There is no furniture shop here : thprp is one in another ■Jb Queepsttnyn -02- tjie tiret 1$ tfin latter 40 iififes from here ; but the carpenters supply everything in the shape of furniture what does not come from town ; there is no opening here for that or anything in the shape of what Reichelt can supply you with, for the place is too small, &c.”] There was no concealment about the removal of the goods ' fiom Eeichelt’s. I left the selection of them to him, because I have never bee.n pi the fancy gon4s trade myself. I told him to jetyue liave good articles'. I put the thiqgs into the hp'naie in Leith'street'because pa the first place t Wag nqt through the In- ' Solvency Ceurt, apd I iyas afpaie\ my Q r O ( U 1 tors might take them j apd in the next, there was not room for them in my own ho,!se. Although I did not i get my certificate until last week, there was no doubt I would get it, as no creditor opposing mo. For the same reason I did not give the bills. The gold mouldings were not hidden ; a few were in a box because there was no room; but the rest were laying about. 1 got them all at the same time as I got tho ; Ptnei’B. I sometimes get orders for picture frames ; and use the mouldings. They are not worth m«ch, becaqsc they are not saleable gpods. 'I had ift pay 1$ roc them Slid that ‘is all they w’ere wortty 1 remember a Mr Bp thicker ; apd of Reichelt setting him up in business. He bought aa much as LIOO worth of goods at a time for him ; sometimes less. By Mr Anderson ; The “good turn” I did for Reichelt was about five or six years ago, when I settled some of his debts, to the extent of (AO or 1 received the money from his father. The only “good turn” I. did Reichelt was this negotiation with his creditors daring his absence. When I tqok the iq Lplth (Stfe'et, I told tyltiWifichestep I’wanted it for the purpose of storing goods, By the Bench : It did not strike me that it would be better to leave the goods with Heichelt, seeing that I was going through the Court. But for the fire L should have been away to Oamaru with some of the goods. The Court was adjourned at 5.30 p.m. ——• " tl ' "■