MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1298, 17 May 1878, Page 2

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH Friday, May 17. [Before G-. L. Hellish, Esq, R.M.] Drunkenness. — One first offender was dealt with in the usual manner. William Elworthy, William Gallagher, and George Craw, against whom lists of previous convictions were handed to the Bench by Inspector Hickson, were fined 20s each. Wounding with Intent. —Samuel Badham, on remand, was brought up on a charge of wounding Sergeant Hughes, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. His Worship said that he must send the prisoner for trial as there was a prim a facie case and the question raised by Mr Thomas was a point of law upon which he (the Resident Magistrate) would t ake no responsibility. He would endeavour to put the prisoner to as little inconvenience as possible, by making the bail as small as possible. At the same time the prisoner should remember that hedeserved punish - ment for using a knife. Prisoner would be admitted to bail on his own recognisances £IOO, being also required to report himself to the police three times a week. The depositions of the witnesses were then read by the clerk, and after receiving the usual caution, the prisoner who declined to say anything was committed for trial at the Supreme Court, Larceny. —Julia Nicholls was charged with the larceny in a dwelling of £lO, the property of George Day, George Day, residing at Sumner, deposed—l know the prisoner. Her husband is in my employ, and she has been occupying the same house with me, on condition that she would keep my part of the house clean. There are eight rooms in the house, of which I occupy two ; prisoner and her husband occupying the remainder. I was ill on Tuesday morning last, and sent for my daughter, Mrs Rule. I had throe £lO notes and four or live sir all notes under my pillow, and 1 wanted my daughter to take them away. She did not. When I got out of bed 1 put them in my cash-box. That was on Monday morning. My daughter left it on the table, and I put it into my cashbox on Wednesday morning. The cash-box was placed in the chest of drawers. It was locked. I had the keys. 1 went to a sale in the neighborhood on Wednesday. 1 left, my apartments open for this good woman to clean. It was about ten o’clock in the morning. I returned about 2, but went away again, I did not look at the cashbps till tiie evening after tea. I found it uo»

locked. There was an extra bunch of keys in my drawers. One of these fitted the rash box. I found this out since I found the box opened. I missed a £lO note from the box. I don’t know on whit Bank the note was. I sent a cheque by Mrs Rule to the Bank of Australasia to get it cashed, and she brought me the money. I did not authorise the prisoner, or any one else, to take any money from the box. lam quite sure there were three £lO notes in it. when I locked it. I did not give prisoner a £lO note. Mary A. Rule, widow, daughter of the last witness, deposed—l reside at Sumner. I cashed a cheque for £37 10s for ray father at the Bank of Australasia. I received three £lO notes and the rest in single notes. I gave the money to my father. He was unwell, and I attended on him on Wednesday morning, I think between four and five o’clock. He was in bed. I saw the three £lO notes and several £1 notes in his purs?. I did not count them. The money was under his pillow I think or on the box beside his bed. I placed it there myself ; it was in the purse. I left about quarter-past five, and returned with some food about six o’clock. I did not see a cash-box that morning. I did the day before, but not that morning. My father mentioned his loss to mo on Wednesday evening. I went to his house yesterday morning, and found a bunch of keys in the drawers. One of the keys unlocked the cash-box and another unlocked the drawers. Prisoner has been taking care of my father’s house. I was with Detective Benjamin when he went to my father’s house. He asked me to search prisoner. I took prisoner into a room to search her. I asked her to acknowledge that she had taken the £lO note, and showed her how I thought she had done it. She then acknowledged she had taken it, and said she had not the money on her, but it was upstairs. We went out, and I told Detective Benjamin what she had said. We all went upstairs, and prisoner took the note out of a little box, and handed it to Detective Benjamin. When I went into the house, I heard her deny that she had any money. I did not hear what question the detective put to her. Detective Benjamin deposed to having received information which led him to go to Sumner and tell prisoner that she was suspected of stealing £lO from Mr Day. Prisoner and her husband denied any knowledge of the £lO note, saying they had only £3, which Mr Day had that morning given them to pay the butcher with. Prisoner said she had cleared out Mr Day’s rooms on Wednesday as usual. The witness corroborated the evidence of the last witness. When prisoner gave witness the note she said that Mr Day had given it to her. To Prisoner—You gave me a £1 note before you gave me the £lO note. It was enclosed in another envelope. Re-examined I gave her back the £1 note. To prisoner—l may have given it to Mrs Rue. I did not keep it. Pi isoner—Mrs Rule kept it. George Day, recallel, deposed—The bunch of keys which was in the drawers was his. To prisoner— I am not aware that I used bad language to her when she made my bed. I gave her £2 for the butcher. Mrs Rule, re called, deposed—l did not take the £l. I left it on the table. I never touched it. The Bench informed the prisoner that the law allowed the cate to be dealt with summarily, provided she confessed, otherwise it would have to be sent for trial. She said she would tell the truth. While cleaning the room, she moved the chest of drawers, the top came off, and she then saw the letterbox with the money in it. She took a note, which she thought was a one-pound. She showed it to her husband, saying she had borrowed it from Mr Day. Her husband said it was a £lO note, and she should give it to Mrs Rule in the morning. The Bench sentenced her to two months’ imprisonment with hard labor. Protection Cedes. —Charlotte Bunnett was granted an order to protect her earnings and for the custody of her child on account of the continual drunkenness of her husband