Feilding R.M. Court.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 72, 20 November 1883, Page 2

Feilding R.M. Court.

« Monday, Nov. 19th, 1883. Before D. H. Macarthur, F. Y. Lethbridge, H. L. Sherwill, Esqs., J.P.*s. DBUNKS Peter McMillan pleaded guilty to being found drunk in a public place on Saturday last. Fined 10s or 48 hours' imprisonment. John Robinson pleaded not guilty to a similar charge. Constable Price gave evidence as tofinding defendant drunk on the Feildine; streets. A man named Snowies corroborated the constable's evidence, adding that defendant was very abusive. Fined 5s or 12 hours' imprisonment. Accused was warned not to appear there again under similar circumstances. LAB CENT Frances Cook, a asrried woman, W0 chained with stealing from James Buchanan, on or abont ths 15th instant, at Feilding, the snm of £33 14s, the joint property of the said James Buchanan and Robert S. Send. This was a case remanded from Saturday last in order that the parties might secure counsel, snd prodace further evidence. Mr Hawkins conducted ths esse ior the prosecution, and Messrs Psior and Sandilands for the defence. The'ease excited considerable interest, and ths conrt was crowded. James Buchanan deposed : He wss a laborer residing on Makino road; had known prisoner from seeing her working at Roe's hotel for the past five months ; on Monday last saw her at Roe's ; asked her if she had got his vest, which she had been washing; she said she bad; met her again on Tuesday at the bsr; she asked him to come down to the house ; ssid ho had something else to do; she wanted him to lend her sow money to pay London's bill ; lent her £3 3s ; the same eventng she showed him the bill receipted; was walkiog past the house on Wednesday and she called him io; she said there was a dispute of 4s odd en the bilPand asked him for it ; gaveit her and she paid it ; she got dinner and sent for some b»er ; a son-in-law of prisoner, abont 19 years of age> and some children were present ; he paid for the beer, taking out s pound note aad giving it to prisoner ; had some of the beer, and the* prisoner's husband came in ; more beer was sent for, which he paid fear; it was half a gallon each time ; afterwards went to sleep on the sofa ; had drank four or five glasses; had L 37 12a in his pocket when he went to prisoner's house; was quite sure of this ; the money was all right in his pocket when he woke up from sleep : afterwards had tea with the family ; after dark another half gallen of beer was sent for, snd he paid for it ; the family went to bed and he went to sleep on the sofa, waking about half past five in the morning ; after waking searched for his money, and found Ll3 in his pocket book, and Ll 3s is his trousers pocket ; was not in his proper senses and felt as if he had been drugged ; Reid came for him in the afternoon, counted the balance of the money, and took it from him ; prisoner threatened to have Reid locked up for it ; Reid asked her what had been done witb the test of the money, and she ssid sbe knew nothing about it ; on Friday went with Reid and got a warrant to arrest prisoner; the constable read the warrant, and she said that was not her name, and she knew nothing abont the charge; she ssid he had only L2O when he went there, and had given her L 5 of it. [Some of the evidence of witness was unfit for publication. J Cross - examined : First missed the money on Thursday; was sensible enough to look for the money when he awoke, bnt got silly again ; had nothing to drink afterwards ; Eeid pnt his hand into witnets' pocket and took the pocket book out ; didn't remember drinking any rum; didn't, remember prisoner picking up L 2 and giving him ; certain she 41 did not ; was told L 2 was picked np under the sofa and given him; would swear he didn't leave the house on Wednesday night ; couldn't say what induced him to stay in the house all day on Thursday ; ought to have ssid something abont missing his money bnt didn't; JBeidabked him whore the money was ; most of the money belonged to Seid; have never been charged with an indictable offence ; was once accused of selling cheap tobacco, but it turned out he was the wrong; paaty: was not in the habit of lending money ; must have done it nnder the influence of drink ; was never out of the house from the time he went in till Reid came. The ease was dismissed. (Continuation of report ia next issue.)