CITY POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 3299, 16 September 1873, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

Tuesday, September 16. (Before His Worship the Mayor, Messrs J, Black and J. Brown, Esqrs., J. P.’s.)

Drunkenness. —Robfc. Frew was charged with being drunk and disorderly on the previous day. Constable Gallagher stated the charge, which defendant denied, saying that he was only having a sleep at the time. On being asked if he had any questions to put to the arresting constable, he said, addressing him, “ 1 think you will need a glass the now.” —Sub-Inspector Mallard asked that he might be allowed to put the sergeant in the box, seeing that the constable’s statement had been challenged.—Sergeant Colder gave corroborative evidence. Defendant was fined 10s, or in default forty-eight hours’ imprisonment. James Hart was fined in a similar amount, with a similar alternative. Keeping a Brothel.— Anne Sherry was charged with keeping a house frequented by persons of ill fame.—Sergeant Colder said that prisoner’s house was visited by all the lower prostitutes in the town, and by convicted thieves. He had cautioned her before. On going to the house on the previous day he saw her there with the woman Forbes, and she was “maddrunk.” He thought it unsafe to leave her there, from the exhibitions she had previously made of herself wfien under the influence of drink. —Sergeant Hanlon said that prisoner’s place was an accommodation house for the “ lower

orders;” and that it was always open to them. —Prisoner .denied the charge, saying no man or woman besides herself had slept under her roof for months past. She further stated that the woman Forbes had only been in the house two or three minutes when the constable Came in —She was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labor.

Larceny.— William Rouse alias Heard, on remand, was charged with stealing an overcoat, the property of William Davies, from the Immigration Barracks, Caversham, on the 11th inst.—William Davies, a passenger by the Peter Denny, had seen the prisoner, who came out in the Allahabad, about the barracks. The coat now produced was on the foot of his bed on the morning of Thursday last, at about 11.30 o’clock. He missed it a short time afterwards. Witness paid L2 for it in Glasgow last New Year.—Abraham Solomon, licensed pawnbroker, said that the accused took the coat produced to his shop at about noon on Thursday, offering it as a pledge. He said that he was a cabinetmaker, working at Port Chalmers, ..and that he bought the coat at one L yons’s shop* in Hoxton, for L2 5s ; and that he wanted lls on it, giving the name of Heard.—Accused examined the witness with the view of eliciting that he had stated that he had bought the coat from a man who said he had purchased it in Hoxton ; but the latter denied this, saying accused informed him that he had bought it himself.—Detective Farrell said that on addressing the prisoner he denied that his name was Heard, giving the name of Rouse ; but feeling sure of his man, he arrested him.—He was sent to gaol for two calendar months, with hard labor, the Bench ordering the coat to be returned to the prosecutor, and the loan money to be given to Mr Solomon. Mary Forbes alias Hepburn, was charged with stealing on the 15th inst., one pockethandkerchief, and one purse containing L2 in notes, one half sovereign, and L4in silver, the goods and property of Ah Ming. Prisoner was not defended. Ah Ming deposed : I am a tea-hawker, residing in a right-of-way off George street. I was in my house about nine o’clock yesterday morning ; and at that time had a coat hanging on the door, in the pocket of which was a white silk handkerchief, and also a purse containing L2 in notes, one-half sovereign, and L 4 in silver. At the time I speak of, the accused came into my house, and asked me to lend her a handkerchief. I told her to take one fr m the coat-pocket in which was the money I have already referred to. I did not see her go to the pocket. She left the house almost immediately. I then bad occasion to put on my coat, and when doing so, I missed the handkerchief as well as the purse and its contents. This would be half-an-hour after the prisoner left my house. No one had entered the house except the prisoner on that morning. The handkerchief now produced was the one in ray pocket. Before asking 'or my handkerchief, the accused saw me counting the money and place it in the pocket from which the handkerchief was taken. 1 remember accompanying the police to a house occupied by the woman Sherry. While there I saw the accused and Aim Sherry, The former said she would give me LI if T would “ let her off.” By the bench]: The prisoner was not in the habit of frequenting my house.—By the accused : I did not give you the handkerchief.—Frank O’Brien : 1 am a police-cowstable stationed in Dunedin. The robbery of Ah Miug wa*i reported to me at about two o’clock yesterday afternoon. Acting on the information I received, I accompanied the prosecutor to the house occupied by Ann Sherry, in St. Andrew street. The prisoner was there, and both were under the influence of drink. 1 charged the prisoner with the robbery, which she denied. She acknowledged having been in the prosecutor’s house that morning. On searching her I found the handkerchief, which is the one identified by the prosecutor as taken from his pocket. Prisoner had a long conversation with the prosecutor, endeavoring to compromise the matter by offering him a pound, —Sub-Inspector Mallard said the prisoner was searched by the female searcher on being brought to the station, but no money was found on her. Of course he did not expect to find aoy, as she was too old a thief not to know better.— John Golder : I am a sergeant in charge of the police, stationed at North Dunedin. On going to Ann Sherry’s house yesterday I saw the last witness, the prosecutor, the prisoner and Sherry, I was present when the prisoner was about to leave the house, and 1 had my attention called to her. She was apparently about to take a purse from her pocket and hand it to Ann Sherry; after which I observed her keep groping in her pocket, as if endeavoring to find something. She made some remarks about a purse, but was too drunk for me to understand what she meant. —This closed the case. The Bench had no doubt that the accused had stolen the handkerchief, but as there was not sufficient evidence to support a conviction, dismissed the charge.—Sub-Inspector Mallard asked thatthe other charge, viz., that of vagrancy, might then be proceeded with.— Sergeant Golder said that he had had an opportunity of watching the prisoner during the last six or seven weeks, and that she occasionally had intervals of sobriety. During the time he had known her she had not gained her living, honestly, but by prostitution.—She was sentenced to three mouths’ imprisonment.