LAMBING-DOWN.

Evening Star, Issue 3018, 21 October 1872, Page 3

LAMBING-DOWN.

{From the Lyttelton Times.) A case was heard in the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Christchurch, on Thursday last, which deserves more than a passing notice. For the credit of the Province, it must be said that such cases are now of very rare occurrence. In the early days, it was no unusual thing to hear of shepherds, shearers, bushmeu, and others, “knocking down” a cheque for a round sum at one or other of the public-houses, but these “good old times” have happily passed, an 1 though wo are occasionally reminded, in a very painful way, of the proverb about fools and their money, it is seldom indeed that a parallel to the Castle Mill case comes before the public, though it is quite possible that some of the publicans may know a great deal more than their neighbors. The facts of the Castle Hill case, as detailed in the evidence taken before Mr Bowen, arc to the following effectA shepherd named Thompson went to the accommodation-house, kept by one Harris, on a Monday, his intention being to proceed to the Rakaia. He tells us that he had no intention of staving at the house, but merely “called in” for a glass of beer, as any traveller might do. He had two glasses of beer, for which be paid, and then Harris generously “shouted” a glass of giu, Thompson goes on to say that he had several glasses of "in afterwards—he cannot say how many—that he felt stupid, and finally that he was drunk. He supposes that he got drink when in this condition, and the evidence goes to prove that there can be no doubt at all on the point, Thompson stayed at the house all night, and the extent of his drinking may be inferred from the fact that nothing remained in the morning of the LI which he had in his pocket when he arrived at Castle Hill. The remainder of this story is simply sickening. Han-is stript the unfortunate Thompson of everything he possessed. In the words of the latter—“On Thursday morning, money, dogs, boots, and all were gone, I left the house without anything.” The process of “lambing-down,” a* it has been called, was perf. rmed by Harris with a completeness which would do credit to the most skilled professors of the art. The Magistrate said “he did nut see

any great distinction between robbing a man and buying his dogs when he is in such a state as not to know what he is doing.” And what, it will be asked, is the penalty whieli he is made to pay for this fresh enormity? In all, he will be mulcted in, say from L4O to i 50, and ho is again at liberty to find other victims, from he can recoup himself.

(For continuation of News see fourth page. )