RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 3496, 7 May 1874, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Thursday, May 7. (Before J. Bathgate, Esq., R.M.) Air. in Trouble. —Robert Glover, - I actor, was charged ou remand with stealing from the LuueUin Hotel, Maclaggan street, ■ l| uc pair tweed trousers, one tweed vest, two white shirts, onesdk handkerchief, one blue necktie, and three shirt-studs, valued at L 4, ithe property of William Chaste. Mr r M‘Keay defended.—William Chaste said he ; was a sailor, and was living at the Dunedin 1 Hotel on,the sth irist: -In his bedroom upstairs, he had, amongst other things, a carpet : ba g, which, with its contents, was there at ;one o’clpck.jn the, afternoon. When he re-- ; tarried about eight o’clock he found his room ;in a state of disorder, and the bag apparently ; tampered with. Called Mr Cox, the landlord, and'.in,his presence opened the bag, ;when he discovered that the things mentioned in the information had been abstracted, They, were worth about L3or L 4. Witness saw prisoner," who appeared to have been drinking, in Cox’s bar between twelve and one o’clock. Identified the things produced, except the necktie, as his property. —By Mr M'Keay :He mainly identified the trousers by the stitching at the bottom. He again saw prisoner in the evening when he was druriW ; he was then wearing- witness’s ■ vest it did not occur to witness at the :time, seeing accused was iris, beastly state of drunkenness, that he had taken the things ■for a joke, and not intending to steal them. He, however, thought Glover took them while under the influence of drink.—Mr IM'Keay expressed himself as satisfied with the reply, and said he should admit the identity; Mary Nopnan, coqk at the Dunedin Hotel, remembered the pi Loner being -at the' hotel: op. Tuesday. Seeing; he was the worse of drink, witness advised him ;to go upstairs and lie down. He went into cne of the bedrooms, and lay down on the bed She could not say who occupied the room. —By Mr M T£eay : frhe did not believe Glover went to the hotel..to steal the clothes.—Qonstable White apprehended prisoner in Maclaggan street, tie was wearing underneath; a pair;pf, tyowsers produced, and underneath bis vest the vest, produced, and previously identified by prosecutor. Between his trowsera was the shirt, and in a poryjer bag which he was carrying were the studs, necktie, earrings, &c. By Mr M'Keay : He did not know it was a usual thing for actors to wear two suits, or two, - seen a ; circus-man with, six of them on at once. (Laughter.)— His Worship: What about prisoner’s previous convictions ?—Sub-Inspector Mallard : If it is the proper time to put them in, 1 will do , so. —His Worship : Lpt them alvyays.go with the ’ease. —Mir M'Keay submitted that that was not the proper stage to produce conviptioris. —’Subjnspecior Mallard explained they were at Lawrence.—.Vlp M'Keay, ip atatipg the case for the defence, pointed opt the absepce of felonious intent, ihe taking of the things was admitted. Daring the whole day prisoner had been collecting money on tipkete fer his benefit, and went from hotel to hotel, and at each place got drink. At noop he was partly drunk, and at three very drunk, so much so that he had to be put to bed. Of course drunkenness was no excuse for crime, but rather an aggravation, yet it was excellent evidence of the.wapt of felonious intention. Accused was so drunk that he could not have had a collected miud to kpdw what he was doing. Another proof that he had pot taken the things intentionally was that he was in receipt ®f an excellent salary—Lß per week —and therefore had no reason to steal.— C. O Brien, lessee of the Queen’s Theatre, said prisoner had been playing for him. With his wife he earned L 6 10s per week. He was at rehearsal on Tuesday from ten to one, and was to have played that night. He had a benefit on Monday. When artists have benefits they usually leave tickets at hotels to be sold. There is a general lending of clothes among theatricals. When there was but little time for changing, sometimes they went to the theatre in two suits.—Thomas Wood, scene shifter, knew the accused, baw him at 8 p.m, on Tuesday, when he was Ve Zt-? n 1 k - sc ? JBUC h so that witness dio not think mm fib to be brought on tho stage. His Worship said, unfortunately for prisoner there was no doubt that he had taken the things; indeed, the fact was so clear and indisputable that even his counsel had admitted it. He impressed upon prisoner Shat it was “never too late to.mend,” and advised him, on completing his sentence, to leave the place and endeavor to do better elsewhere. The sentence was one month’s imprisonment with hard labor.