MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 326, 29 June 1875, Page 2

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Tuesday, Juke 29, (Before G. L. Mellish, Esq., R.M.) Drunk and Indecent Exposure.—Ewd. Whittingden, charged with being drunk and committing an act of exposure, was fined 20s. Drunk and Disorderley. William Smith, for drunkenness, was fined 20s.

Larceny. —J. W. Walch was brought up on this charge. Detective Benjamin stated that from information received he went to Stewart’s pawn shop the previous night. He had been there before, and given a description of the studs produced, which had been stolen. Took possession of the studs ; prisoner was in the shop at the time, and Stewart said he had got them from him for sale or exchange. Afterwards arrested the prisoner on the charge of stealing them from Henry Roberts, jeweller, Colombo street. Prisoner said he had taken them only with a view of learning their value, and he did not offer them to Mr Stewart for sale. Samuel Stewart, pawnbroker, stated that prisoner took the studs produced to his shop the previous night, and offered them for sale. He (witness) told him to fix a price, and prisoner said 15s. He told prisoner he would first have to test them, and in the meantime he sent his young man out for a constable. He had received information of the studs being stolen before • this. Henry Roberts, jeweller, Colombo street, identified the studs produced as his property. They were in his shop on the previous Saturday night. He missed them on Monday morning, and reported the matter to the police. Prisoner was in his shop on Saturday night. Gave him no authority to take the studs, but he believed the prisoner only book them to learn their value before purchasing them. The prisoner took them without his authority. Valued the studs at £2 10s. By Prisoner — I have always found you honest hitherto. I have known you for about two years, and been much in your company, and have never seen anything wrong of you. Mr Stewart, pawnbroker, recalled, said that the prisoner told him in his shop that he lived at Ashburton. The prisoner told the Bench that he had only taken the studs in a lark, and had no intention of stealing them. His Worship told him that all his conduct pointed to the intention of his stealing the studs, and his having given the pawnbroker a false address bore this out. As the prosecutor had received back his property, and prisoner’s friends had no doubt been speaking to him, he now wished him to be dealt leniently with. He would be sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with hard labor. —Joseph Greening, a boy nearly fifteen years old, was charged with stealing a cheque for ,£S Ids 9d from a cash box in the office of Messrs Cuff and Graham. Chief Detective Feast deposed to the arrest of the prisoner. He had taken the cheque to S. Cohen, pawnbroker. The cheque was drawn by Messrs Scott Bros. S. Cohen, pawnbroker, stated that the prisoner came to his shop the previous day, and offered the cheque produced in payment for a watch. He detained the cheque, and subsequently handed it to the police. F. Hawkins, clerk to Messrs

Messrs Cuff and Graham, deposed to receiving the cheque produced on the previous Saturday from Mr Scott, on account of his employers. Did not miss the cheque until it was brought to the office by Mr Cohen. The prisoner had been in the employ of Messrs Cuff and Graham until Monday morning. The cash box was locked, but the key was in it. In reply to the Bench, the chief detective said that the boy’s father was away from home, and when here had shown him a very bad example, and what he learnt from his mother was little better. This was not the first offence the boy had been guilty of, and he had brought him before the Bench as much for his own good as in the interests of justice. His Worship ordered the hoy to be sent to the Industrial School until the 17th November, 1875, when he will have arrived the age of fifteen years. LYTTRLTON. Monday, June 28. [Before W. Donald, Esq., R.M ] Breach op Railway Act.— William Rosewarne, was charged with the above offence. Mr Hillier stated that when the 8.45 train arrived on Saturday from Christchurch, the accused was found in a helpless state of drunkenness lying on the bottom of a first-class railway carriage. The Bench inflicted a fine of 20s.

Refusal op' Duty— George Brown waa charged by Captain Stevens of the Tintern Abbey, with this offence. The captain deposed that the prisoner came aft and asked for his discharge, and upon being refused said he would not turn-to again on the ship. The prisoner when asked by the Bench if he was willing to turn to answered in the negative and was sentenced to one week’s imprisonment.