MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1291, 9 May 1878, Page 3

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Thprsday, April 9. [Before G-. L. Mellish, Esq., E.M.] Drukk and Disorderly.—Mary Edwards was fined 10s and Arthur Streak 5s for this offence. Wm. Munro Eoss, who admitted that he had been drunk and disorderly, appeared to be still under the influence of drink, and was ordered to be locked up till he was sober. Wife Desertion. —Samuel Badham was brought up on a warrant issued in July, 1876, and charged with deserting his wife, Ann Badham.

Wounding with Intent. The same prisoner (Samuel Badham) was charged with wounding Sergeant Hughes with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. The hearing of both cases was postponed till next Tuesday. False Pbetences.—David Wright, oh remand from Hokitika, was charged with obtaining money and goods to the value of £lO and £7 10i by means of valueless cheques. Inspector Hickson applied for a remand. Mr Joynt appeared for prisoner, and asked for bail, which was granted—two sureties of £SO each. Accused was remanded to the 14th instant.

Larceny.—Charles James was brought up, on remand, and charged with tho larceny of a brace, a hammer, a level, and a smoothing plane, valued at £1 19s 6d, the property of H. J". Leathwick, who resided in tho Springfield road, John Jarvis, who resides in the Perry road, and William Smith, who resides at Addington. Henry J. Leathwick deposed that the prisoner had been employed as a carpenter at the Warwick Hotel. Witness missed a brace on the 27th of April. It had been left in a building, the window of which was not fastened. The brace produced was the same, and worth about 15s. To prisoner —There is no mark on the brace, but I can swear to this being mino. Samuel Stewart, licensed pawnbroker in Lichfiold street, deposed that the prisoner had pawned the brace at his shop. He obtained 5s on it. Witness handed it to Detective Walker. To prisoner —I have seen you with a brace similar to that before, but I don't think it was that one. Detective Walker deposed that he had arrested prisoner, on the 7th instant, at the British Hotel. I told him the charge, when he said " I lost a saw, a malet, and a chisel on the job myself." Similar evidence as to the larceny of the other tools was given by H. J. Leathwick, A. A. Selig, Detective Walker, John Jarvis, and William Smith. The prisoner, when asked for his defence, said " I am not guilty of tho brace, the rest of the tools I borrowed. It was drink that, in a certain degree, caused mo to do it. My own tools were with theeo, and I took these." The Inspector said there were many more tools missing, and if the prisoner were remanded for a day or two, other charges of larceny could be substantiated against him. The Bench remarked that prisoner had previously been several times convicted and sentenced him to a month's imprisonment upon each charge—four months in all, with hard labor. Inspector Hickson said that all the money found upon prisoner was Is Id ; this [he proposed to give to the pawnbrokers. Soliciting Alms. George Smith was charged with an act of vagrancy in soliciting alms. The witnesses in this case not appear--1 ing, prisoner was discharged with a caution.