CITY POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 3275, 19 August 1873, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

Tuesday, August 19. (Before His Worship the Mayor ; and Messrs J. Brown and A, J. Burns, Esqs., J.Ph.)

Drunkenness —James Wheatley, not appearing, was fined in the amount of hh bail.

Youthful Depravity.—John Gately and Charles Mulligan, two boys whose head* hardly over-topped the dock, were charged with stealing fourteen dozen bottles, of the value of 28s, the property of Colman Burke. —ln answer to the usual question, Gatelv pleaded that he had taken “ some,” and the other lad that he had taken “a few.”Kdward Spray, manager of Mr Burke’s bottle department, deposed that his employcr imported sixty dry casks, some of which contained lifty-niue and others twenty dozen bottles. They were left on the reclaimed ground, near the Kattray street jetty. On going down to look at them on Tuesday morning he found a cask half-empty; and the next morning it was wholly empty. He should think it contained about twenty-niiu, dozen and nine bottles, of the value of L 3 Jonas Killeg, maltster to Mr Wilson, bought eight dozen and three bottles from the prisoners about the end of last week. He gave them receipts for the bottles, and on their being presented at the office, Is 9d per dozen would be paid.—Alfred Finch purchased four dozen and eight bottles from the boys. They were similar in brand to those pro duced.—- John M'Kutcheon saw the prisoners taking bottles out of a large cask near the Rattray street jetty. One of them said, if he did not tell, he would give him sixpence. —Sub-Inspector Mallard said, if the Bench were satisfied with the evidence that the boys had taken the bottles, he would ask to call additional evidence as to their previous charac ter.—Detective Farrell produced the Police Gazette with the records of crime against Gately, who the witness said had been in gaol for twelve months, besides having been in the Industrial School, where he was found to be unmanageable. They travelled in company, and after leaving town went to Waipori and Tuapeka, and had now returned. They slept in open sheds, and gained their livelihood by thieving. Mulligan’s proper name was Stanley, and his mother had stated that he had been from under her roof for eight days ; and the parents of Gately were known to the police.—Sub-Inspector Mallard, with the permission of the Bench, would put the master of the Industrial School in the witness-box, and he would prove that Gately was incorrigiole, and the baneful results that would follow were he to be again sent to the School. He (the Sub-Inspector) did not think he was saying too much when he stated that, if that course were adopted, Gately would be the ruin of the School.—Benjamin Britton, master of the Industrial School, said that Gately was committed to the school on the 20th September last year. During the time he was there he ran away four or five times, and had taken others with him. He had been put to two situations, but he ran away from both. Was sure if the boy went back serious evil would be the result; and he was beyond control, Welsh, who was committed to the school a few days ago, was his (Gately’s) mate; and he would also be the ruin of some boys who had been there for four or five years, and all witness’s pains would have been thrown away. When Gately was fcprehended at Tuapeka, the Bench wrote To him, and he sent the same reply through the Commissioner.—Gately was sentenced to receive six lashes, and Mulligan ordered to witness them.—They were then charged with being neglected children. —Sergeant O’Neill said that on going into a vacant shed in Clarke street be found the two boys before the Court sleeping there. Gately said he had left his parents about a week ago, and he had been stopping at Shield’s hotel a #ouple of nights, Mulligan telling the saqae tale. —Detective Farrell had been told by Mulligan’s mother that he was uncontrollable ; and though the boys had said they had been sleeping at Mr Shield’s, they had only been in an open shed, and unknown to the proprietor. Be might say he believed that Gately’s parents sent the boy to thieve; and the latter had said he was frightened to go to his home—Gately was committed to the Industrial School for a pppiod of three years, and ordered to be in-

structed in the Roman Catholic form of religion ; and Mulligan for four years, to be brought up in the Protestant faith.—The Bench stated that by seeing Gately flogged it would, no doubt, have a beneficial effect on the other lad.—Mr Britton wished to know if he could make an order on the parents of the children for their support. —The Bench recommended him to summon them for the boys’ maintenance.