CITY POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 4297, 4 December 1876, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

Monday, December 4. (Before his Worship the Mayor and J. Logan, Esq., J.P’s.) Drunkenness. —Edward Sheady, John Shaw, James Caradus, and John Warner were all discharged; Henry Rickards, face was very much disfigured, stated that he had just broken the pledge, and was fined ss, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment. Fighting.— Robert M ‘Donald and Edmond Hardy were charged with fighting in Princes street at 11.45 o’clock, on Saturday night.—M‘Donald, who continued to conduct himself in a boisterous manner, after being arrested, was fined 20s, or, in default, forty-eight hours’ imprisonment ; Hardy, 10s, or twenty-four hours. Stealing Ham, James Powell was charged, on 'the information of James D. Hutton, with stealing a ham and some bacon, of the value of L2 10s, from the Caledonian Hotel, Walker street. Mr M'Keay defended.—The evidence showed that the accused took coals to the prosecutor’s hotel on Saturday afternoon. Shortly after he left, a ham and some bacon were missed. Detective Henderson executed a searchwarrant over the accused’s house, and in the kitchen found a ham hanging. The ham was

identified by Mr Hellyer by mnrlf pieced upon it by him when he was curing it for the prosecutm. The bacon was not recovered. —Mr M ‘Keay argued that the accused was drink, and that the evidence disclosed no felonious intent. When the accused went home he found a h&m in one of his coal-sacks —it had probably been placed there ; and he hung it up in his kitchen, which was accessible to anyone.—Mr Fleming, produce merchant, and Mr Martin, coal merchant, deposed that the accused had worked for them, and that they had always found him honest and straightforward.—The Bench retired for a few minutes, and on returning into Court stated that they considered it clearly proved that the ham had been stolen and that it had been traced to the accused’s possession; but from the good character the accused had received they were inclined to deal as leniently as they could with the case, as they believed it was from drink, to some extent, that he had been guilty of stealing the ham. Under the circumstances, the >accnsed would be sen* tenced to be imprisoned till six o’clock this evening.