RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT, PORT CHALMERS.

Evening Star, Issue 3310, 29 September 1873, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT, PORT CHALMERS.

Monday, September 29. (Before Hugh M'Dermid, Esq., Dr Drysdale, and Captain Thomson, J.P.’s)

Theft. —Henry English was charged, wbh stealing one pair of paddles, the property of Alex. John Rutherford, on or about •'eptember 7. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. —The prosecutor said he purchased a pair of eleven feet paddles, painted stone color, from Mr Neil, of Port Ohainnrs. Those produced were similar to them. A man named 'I urnbull, who had charge of his boat, reported to him that the paddles were gone.— Benjamin Christie, settler, residing in Port Chalmers, said he knew the prisoner, and lent him a boat about the first week in August. There was a pair of paddles and an old sail in it. He returned the boat to witness about three or four weeks afterwards, and said the paddles were lost, but there was another pair in place of them. Witness had promised to lend him a gun if he brought the boat back.— John Neilaon : I remember selling a pair of paddles to Mr Rutherford ; those produced are the same.—Sergeant Neil deposed that about the 20th of this month he heard the prisoner had brought a pair of paddles to Mr Christie ; having heard there were a pair lost in Dunedin, he got Mr Christie’s son to bring them up from Deborah Bay. Prisoner was a very objectionable person to have in the Port, his conduct being bad here, likewise in Wellington, Auckland and a; Home —Prisoner : May I ask who informed you about my character at Home? Witness: The correspondence 1 found upon you.—Prisoner said on the 7th inst. he left Port Chalmers with the intention of returning the boat, but on arriving in Dunedin he found her very nearly full of water. The pair of paddles was lying in the bottom of the boat, instead of those he got from Mr Christie, the boat having been used by some one. He waited till high water, and left about half-past twelve, and arrived at Mr Christie’s about seven a.m, on Sunday. He told Mr Christie he had returned the boat.—The Bench retired for a short time, and on coming into Court, said they found this case full of suspicion and the prisoner’s character very bad, but he would have the benefit of the doubt and be discharged, the paddles to be returned to Mr Rutherford.

Drunkenness. —Henry Gxeisis, for being drunk and disorderly on the railway pier on the 27th, was fined ss, or twenty-four hours’ imprisonment.