MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 935, 23 June 1877, Page 2

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Saturday, June 23. (Before G. L. Mellish, Esq., R.M.) Larceny from the Person. —Andrew Brown was charged on remand with stealing a purse containing £6 from the person of John Lysaght, on Thursday night. The prosecutor and accused had been drinking at the Warwick Hotel. Accused called prosecutor (who was drunk) out of the bar, and lie was seen afterwards to put his hand in Lysaght’s pocket and take something out. He then went quickly down the street, but returned later in the evening, when he was given into custody. He did not spend any money while in the hotel, and did not seem to have any ; but before returning he changed a new £l- - at Burmester’s oyster saloon. Prosecutor stated that the notes in his purse were new ones. When arrested, accused had 12s on him and a penny-piece; but no notes or purse. As the evidence was not sufficiently conclusive that accused had really taken the purse, he was discharged, with a recommendation to clear out of town, or he might possibly be brought up as a vagrant. Drunkenness. —George Hathway was fined 10s ; Mary Kennedy, alias Wallace, 40s, and cab-hire ; and John Lysaght, 40s. Two first - offenders were each fined ss, one of whom was ordered to pay 4s, value of a pane of glass he had broken. Uttering- Counterfeit Coin. Wm. Henry Catons, a lad under fourteen years of age, was charged with having uttered a button resembling a half-sovereign at the the shop of MrNancarrow, fruiterer. The lad had afterwards stated that he obtained the button from Mr James Gatherer in payment of wages. Mr Gatherer called, stated that the lad’s statement was false ; he knew nothing whatever about him. Mr Smith, draper, Market place, deposed that he had sold a number of buttons like those produced in the ordinary course of business. They were exhibited in his windows for sale as buttons. His Worship —There is no doubt that this lad has been induced to commit this offence by these buttons being made in the form of sovereigns. I think- too, that the tradesman is not without blame who sells goods of that description, which at 1 e very likely to lead to the commission of crime, especially on the part of young lads when they get hold of them. It is holding out an inducement to them to commit crime. It is palpable that a young lad, seeing these imitation sovereigns for sale, would purchase them, and embrace the opportunity

that night affords for the purpose of attempting to pass them as genuine coin. As I said before, I think the tradesman who sells these buttons is far from blameless in the matter. With the prospect of making a few shillings out of them, he disposes of article that in themselves form an induce ment for lads to commit offences of this nature. Mr Smith —What about the merchant who sells them to us in the first place ? We merely buy these in the ordinary way, and sell them in the ordinary way. The thing is exhibited in the window. His Worship— That is just the very thing I complain of. It is not an offence which the law takes cognizance of, but any person with common sense would know perfectly well that selling these buttons is affording * facilities for persons to commit crime ; and in all probability had you not sold buttons of this description, so like sovereigns—in fact made to represent them — the lad would not have been here to-day on this charge. Mr Smith—l am not the only tradesman who sells them. His Worship— Possibly, there may be a hundred doing the same thing. Whatever persons may like, you trade upon their likings and dislikings. You sell an article which any person of common sense would know, and you must therefore have known, was likely to lead to the commission of crime. Mr Smith—l did not know it would lead to the commission of crime. His Worship—Then I cannot give you credit for a very large amount of common sense. On the application of Inspector Buckley, who said that he had since learnt that accused and another lad had actually passed one of these buttons on M? Roberts, hairdresser, Whately road, accused was remanded until Monday. James Reese was brought up, and also remanded until that day. _