MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 915, 31 May 1877, Page 3

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Thursday, May 31. (Before-a. L. Mellish, Esq., KM.) Drunk and Disorderly.—An inebriate, ■who appeared for the first time, was fined ss. David Grey was fined 20s. W. Perry, charged with being drunk, using obscene language in Gloucester street, and resisting" the police,. was fined 40s and cab hire. Michael Geary, for drunkenness, was fined 10s. " . , , ■ Abduction. —The adjourned 'charge of abduction against George Robertson was called on. Mr Thomas appeared for the accused. Inspector Buckley handed in the warrant for the arrest of accused, which had been received from Dundin. Mr Thomas called Robertson, father of the girl, who stated that he had laid' the information on which the warrant had been issued, and was now anxious to withdraw it. Matters had been arranged, and he had consented that accused and his daughter shoitld' be married. His Worship said he would telegraph the circumstances to Dunedin, with a view to the warrant being cancelled. Jn the meantime defendant could beat liberty on his own recognizances. [Later in the sitting a telegram was received from Dunedin asking that the warrant should be returned, when it would be cancelled.] an Order.—Henry Jordan was brought up in custody, charged with disobeying an order of the Court to pay £1 per week towards the support of his wife. Inspector Buckley told his Worship that the warrant had been forwarded to Timaru, but he had telegraphed for it. Mrs Jordan called, stated that she had received no money from her husband since February 6th. In reply to the Bench, accused said he had been •working in the Mackenzie Country, and had not had the opportunity of sending the money down. As accused had £2l on him when arrested, his Worship ordered the arrears, £l3, to be paid forthwith. Violent Assault.—A summons charge against Edward Jones and Edward Hawlin, for violently assaulting John Barlow, landlord of the Papanui Hotel, was adjourned until Monday next. Embezzlement. George Wells, late station master at Coalgate, was brought up on remand to answer six charges of having embezzled moneys amounting in the aggregate to £21.14s lOd belonging to the General Government. When arrested accused told Detective Benjamin that lie expected it, and had been endeavouring for some days to borrow the money to make up the deficiencies. He asked how much was deficient, and when told, said he thought it was only £22 and that after knocking about the sheds all day ho did not feel much inclined to look after the books. A. C. Eyfe, accountant of the Canterbury Railways, |stated that accused occupied the position of station master at Coalgate from 31st January, One portion of accused's duties was to collect carriage on goods, enter the amounts in the cash book, and forward the money to Christchurch the day after receiving it. From something that had come to witness's knowledge he sent for accused, and asked him how he accounted for the deficiency of £24 odd. He replied in effect that he had not appropriated any of the money to his own use. Accused subsequently made out the list of amounts produced purporting to be cash not accounted For in the cash-book. The deficiency of fc'24 14s lOd was still owing to the Government. In reply to accused, witness said he did not know of his own knowledge for how long a time there had been a cash-book at the Cpalgate station, as he had never been up there, but he should suppose from the first day ' Evidence was given by a number of witnesses of the amounts paid by them to accused for carriage of goods on various dates. Tlie-e payments did not appear in the cashbook nor had th-y been paid in, but the maio'rity were shown on the list afterwards " supplied by accused. In reply to accused, Mr King, an assistant m the accountant's office, stated that there

had been a cash-book at the Coalgate station from the time it was opened in 1876, but it had not been properly kept. He had, however, gone lip some time since and put the cash-book right. In reply to the Bench, accused said ho had nothing to say only that the deficiencies had occurred through his neglect. His "Worship said he would deal with the case himself as one of simple embezzlement. Two of the cases would be dismissed, as there had not been sufficient evidence adduced to support them. The othe" four charges bad, however, been proved, and accused would be sentenced to three months on each, or twelve months in all.

LYTTELTON. Thursday, Mat 31. [Before W. Donald, Esq., E.M.] Assault. —-Mrs Johnston was charged with assaulting Mary Jane Kelly, and also with destroying her hat, to the value of 6s 6d. The Bench inflicted a fine of 10s for the assault, and ordered the defendant to pay value of hat ss, and 5s Court costs. Civil Case.—Nelson v Burt, claim £4 Is 2d ; Mr H. H. Longhnan for plaintiff, and Mr H. N. Nalder for defendant (adjourned case) ; judgment for plaintiff for £1 7s 2d, each party to pay his own costs.