RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT, PORT CHALMERS.

Evening Star, Issue 3349, 13 November 1873, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT, PORT CHALMERS.

Thursday, November 13. (Before D. Rolfe, Esq., and Captain Thomson, J. tVs.) Breach of the Prison Regulations.— Charles Pistor was charged by Warder Joseph Baxter, with throwing a piece of tobacco to the prisoners working at the new road yesterday. Mr Mansford defended,—James Baxter : I was in charge of a gang of prisoners yesterday. I saw the accused and another man pass. r i here were two prisoners close to them. I saw accused throw a piece of tobacco behind him. 1 spoke to him, when he admitted throwing it, but said another man named George Myer told him to throw it down.—By the Bench :It was a little after four when the tobacco was thrown behind him. —Mr Mausford stated theie was no doubt that the accused turew it down. He was a foreigner, only lately arrived, and had been at work in the Water Tank. He came ashore and was walking along with another man named Myer, when the latter asked him if he had any tobacco, he replying yes; Myer then asked him, to throw it to the prisoners, and he then threw it behind him. He had not been in any trouble before. If their Worships would not dismifs the case, he would ask them to inflict a nominal fine. The Bench were willing to believe the accused was led into it innocently, but considered it a serious affair, and inflicted a line of ss, or twenty-four hours’.

Larceny.— John Thorn was charged with stealing one umbrella, the property of John C. Harris, of the value of 10s. The prosecutor stated that on Sunday evening be bad occasion to go into the Provincial Hotel for the purpose of sending up a Press parcel. He had then an umbrella, which he stood down while the waiter got him a piece of string. He then went towards home, when he remembered the umbrella, but would not go back for it. He called for it the next day, and founi it was gone. The next time he saw it was in the hands of the police.—Thomas Guest, engineer on board the Dowr Castle, went into the Provincial Hotel with the accused on Sunday evening. The umbrella was standing there, and the accused put his baud upon it. Not getting served, they went to Dench’s. Witness then saw the constable take the accused with the umbrella. No one gave it to him ; and he was the worse for liquor.— Constable JSicol, sworn : I saw the prisoner, in company with others, leaving Dench’s Hotel. He was trying to conceal something under his coat. Witness watched him. and when he got as far as the Port Chalmers Hotel, saw prisoner leave the others to g-> down the jetty. He followed, and asked him where he got the umbrella from. He said he bought it from a man in the Hotel. He was trying to conceal it under his coat.— Mr Woodhouse, chief officer of the ship Bebington, gave accused a very good character, and stated, in answer to the Bench, that there had been nothing logged against him. —The Bench were inclined to look leniently on the case, on account of the good character accused had received, and dismissed it. Fighting. —Morris Kavanagh was fined 40s and costs, or 14 days’ hard labor for this offence.