MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1088, 24 December 1877, Page 2

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRISTCHTJRCH. Monday, December 24. (Before GL L. Lee, "Esq., and Dr. Deamer, J.P.'s.) Drunk and Disorderly.—Martin Jfichelsen, for being drunk and committing a breach of the peace, was fined 10s.—A similar charge against Edward Hampten was dismissed.— Charles Evans, for drunkenness, was fined ss. —James Dunphy, for being drunk and resisting the police, was fined 10s. —John Brook and John Corboy were each fined ss, and Wm. Warner 10s. —Five first offenders were each fined ss. Miscellaneous. Nicholas Columbus, Thomas Piert, and John Malouse, charged with causing an obstruction in Cashel street with their fish barrows, were each fined 10s. — For furiously riding in Whately road, Henry Milsom was fined 10s. —Henry Weaver, summoned for driving three head of cattle in Madras street, was fined 10s.—John Spencer, for cruelly driving a horse at a rapid pace after it had met with an accident, was fined £1 and witnesses' expenses. —Win. Merritt, charged with tethering two horses in a public thoroughfare, was fined 10s.—For tethering a cow on a public road C. O'Connor was fined 10s. Walter Power, summoned for driving on the footpath, was fined 10s.—John Bennington, for being absent from his cab, was fined 10s. Horses and Cattle at Large.—For allowing horses and cattle to wander at large the following persons were each fined 5s : John Clark, George Hedge, W. Hartnell, W. A. Merriman, P. Hill, J. Eoeser, J. Brown, J. Garland, D. Patterick, W. Hawkins, Mary Virtue, W. Dixon, W. J. Stevens, Hugh Miller, J. Anderson, B. Moss, S. Dornest, H. J. J. Thomas, and R. Beattie, against whom there were two informations, were each fined 10s. Breach of Public House Ordinance.— John McCallum, Junction Hotel, Tai Tapu, was charged with selling a bottle of beer on Sunday, f>th December, to a person who was not a traveller. It was shown that, the person served with the beer was a resident in the district, and that the beer had been taken away from the man after it was known that the policeman was in the house. Fined £5. Disorderly Hopse.—A charge against Louisa Jano Middleton for keeping a disorderly house at Phillipstown was dismissed, as it was stated that defendant had left the premises. Larceny oe Geese. —J. T. Pepperill was charged with stealing five geese belonging to Thomas Allan.—Mr Joynt appeared for the accused. -Detective Walker gave evidence of having gone to accused's house on Saturday last, and from marks previously described by prosecutor, witness pioked out five from a ilock of geese in accused's jjback yard. At a later hour of the day -witness saw accused at the railway station and charged him with stealing ten geese from a pen at Roper's saleyards, Accused said that he had purchased the geese after they had been put up for aale a second time, and paid 8s 9d a,

pair for them. After further enquiries witness arrested accused. When witness saw Mr Preece, the auctioneer, he denied having put the geese up a second time to auction as stated by accused, and said the geese bad not been sold. Accused showed an entry in his book as haying purchased No. 2 pen.— The prosecutor called, deposed to putting ten pairs of geese in Eoper's yard on Saturday for sale. The geese did not fetch the price he expected, and he bought them in, and then left the yard. On returning shortly afterwards he found that five pairs had been taken away, and from enquiries subsequently made he went to the police station and gave information. Afterwards picked out five of the geese at accused's place". The geese were marked with red and blue paint. Witness had not sold the geese, or authorised any person to take them away. In cross-examina-tion witness said he had seen accused purchasing geese at the yards that morning.- - Thomas Preece, auctioneer, gave evidence of the prosecutor having bought in two pens of geese on Saturday which witness had put up to auction for him. The geese were not sold to any one afterwards. Witness sold four pens of geese subsequently to accused on account cf aMr Weir. These had not been removed. Had known Pepperill for a long time, and had always considered him a straightforward man. He had bought hundreds of pounds worth of stock from witness at various times, and on Saturday purchased about £SO worth of geese. It would be very easy for a man to make a mistake when removing these birds. —In further evidence it was stated that accused said late on Saturday that he was certain it was pen No. 2 which had been put up.— Mr Joynt, in addressing the Bench, submitted that the whole affair was a mistake through Pepperill having merely taken the wrong pen of geese, as he had left behind the pen which he should have taken.—-His Worship said the Bench were of the opinion that there was no case. The charge had arisen out of a mistake, and it would be dismissed. —Inspector Hickson told the Bench that if he had known that some geese had been left behind he would not have proceeded with the charge. Furious Riding.—Sydney Hunt, summoned for riding furiously on the South town belt and running against a boy, was fined 10s and 6s 6d costs.