MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1030, 13 October 1877, Page 2

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Saturday, October 13. (Before G. L. Mellish, Esq., R.M.) Drunkenness. —Robert Smith was fined 10s; John Williams, alias M'Farlane, 60s, the Court remarking that accused had been up six times since March ; Mary Maule, 40s, and J. Scott Ridley, 10s. Miscellaneous. Margaret Clark, for soliciting prostitution, was fined 60s, and Lucy Davey, for using profane language, 40s. Larceny of Wool. —A. J. Chapman was charged with the larceny, as a bailee, of four bales of scoured wool, the property of J. Cracroft Wilson, at Leithfield. Mr Joynt appeared for the prisoner, and Inspector Eeast conducted the prosecution. —Charles Huddleston, manager of Culverden station, the property of Sir Cracroft Wilson : I know the defendant, who sorted the wool at Culverden at the beginning of the year, and afterwards scoured the locks and pieces. The wool was scoured at defendant’s place at Leithfield. Ninety-six bales of locks and piei.es were sent to him, and 500 cwt. of sheepskins to be felled and scoured. These were delivered in two loads, on the 3rd and 18th of February. The gross weight of the locks and pieces was 384 cwt. 2qrs. 61b. Chapman w r as to scour, class, and pack the wool, which was to be delivered to the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, at Lyttelton. The bales were to be branded with the numbers and the description of the wool. So far as I know the wool was scoured, and delivered and shipped, to the extent of 102 bales. The weight was 9 tons 18cwt. 1 quarter and 211 b, and the delivery took place at or about the middle of April, The accused was paid £132 10s 7d for scouring the wool. I did not give or sell the defendant any wool at that time. Since then I asked him w'hat he had done with the ferbs, and he said ho had packed them with the other wools. I asked him how much he had over that he could not get into the last bale, and he said “ a little in a hag,” and I said it would be left till next year.—Thomas Douglas, wooheonrer, residing at Leithfield, said; In April las I was in defendant’s employment. I recollect a consignment of wool coming from Culverden. I pressed it. It was sorted by Robert Oldman. It was kept in a place t ill it was supposed to be all scoured, and it was made up into bales. It was branded with the Culverden brand, a circle I think. There were a 100 or 101 bales. That was not all the wool which was brought. The fribs, there was a bale of them.—l took and also | washed myself, and there wao a bale of these I pieces. Chapman had some fleece wool, '

which he bought from Matthew Dalzell, and this he packed with the odd cwt. of pieces, and branded the bale A.J.C. Whilst I was washing the fribs defendant went to Culverden for his cheque, and after he came back I asked him what the owners had said about the firbs. He said he had told the owners that there were so few of these that he packed them amongst the other locks. I also asked him about the overplus, and he said he had told the overseer there were 261bs. or 281bs. I then asked him about the daggles, and he said he had told there were about ten cwt.; instead of that I knew there was close on a ton in the dirt. There was a lot of wool attached to the daggles (I washed the daggles for defendant), and there were two bales, branded A.J.C. There was another parcel of wool-sweepings, which he fetched to the wash, and he and I sorted it. While we were doing so, he said, “What would I say if the overseer were to come and catch us sorting this wool?” I said, “Tell him that you bought it from some one.” That was packed, and I went to Mr Wilkin’s with the rest, about four bales in all. The defendant had no wool but that from Culverden on his premises at the time. By Mr Joynt—l was 36 days with Mr Chapman. I went there some day in May last, early in the month. The days were not continuous days. I was away eleven days, then went back, stayed a week, and left him then. I was there when the Culverden wool went away from Chapman’s. I could not say how long I was there before the Culverden wool went away, perhaps about three weeks. The fribs were kept by Chapman, and were washed for his use after the Culverden wool had gone. None of the other men who had been employed by Chapman were there while I was scouring the fribs. Chapman used to buy both wool and skins from the farmers as they brought them to him. I had been drinking hard before I went to Chapman ; while with him I was drinking a little, and during my absence for the eleven days I spent eight with Mr Philips, at Lyttelton, for medical treatment. When I returned from Lyttelton I asked Chapman for my money, and he said I was in debt, having stayed at Mr Thomas Wilson’s live days. I left Chapman’s to go to Homersham’s, and as I was going Chapman said “For God’s sake, Scottie, don’t say anything to them about that wool.” Afterwards Chapman sued me for £3 15s 6d, for payments alleged to have been made on my behalf. I was living with the Homer shams when he summoned me. Judgment was given in my behalf. The first person I told was Mr Woodhouse. I also told Sir Cracroft Wilson’s son after I had been a week at Homersham’s, but I did not do so on account of Chapman not paying my wages.—James Gibson, clerk in Mr Wilkin’s office, remembered Mr Chapman sending four bales of scoured locks to the office. They were branded A. J. C. An advance of about £26 was made upon them. The wool was shipped to London—By Mr Joynt—Chapman has since had transactions with our office. —J. Cracroft Wilson : I am the owner of Culverden station. About the beginning of tins year Chapman had got wool of mine to sort; but he had no authority to convert any of it to his own use.—lnspector Feast said that Oldman was a most important witness, and he could not be found, although he had been seen in town yesterday. He would ask an adjournment.—C. Huddleston, recalled, said he considered the 102 bales a fair result of the wool sent down. The case was adjourned till Thursday, the 18th instant.