MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1383, 22 July 1878, Page 2

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Monday, July 22. [Before W. Donald, Esq., R.M.] Drunkenness. Johanna Mahoney was fined 20s, with the alternative of ninetysix hours’ imprisonment. John Brown was fined 10s. Catherine McDonald, alias Sullivan, was sent to gaol for a month as a vagrant. George Godden was charged with resisting the constable, and being illegally on premises. Mr Allen, of the Golden Age, and Constable Lonegan, proved the offences. He was fined, for being drunk and assaulting the constable and being illegally on the premises, 10s for each offence, with the alternative of forty-eight hours’ imprisonment. Malcolm Mathias, alias George Brown was charged with getting drunk on Saturday, and having been realised on bail with repeating the offence on Sunday. He was fined 5s and 10s for the offences respectively. Lunacy feom Deink.— Henry Williams, alias John Hawker, was charged with lunacy from drink. Charles Wady, builder, of Tuam street, deposed to finding the man in a wretched condition. This witness’s treatment of the unfortunate fellow was a marked contrast to that of a witness in a former case. He had given witness a pint of tea and some pudding and other refreshment, and then taken him to the police. Inspector Hickson said that Williams had hardly been sober for thirteen years. The Bench remanded prisoner to Lyttelton for a week. A first offender was fined 10s.

Vageancy.— George Cunningham was charged with having no law'ful visible means of support. Inspector Hickson informed the Court that the man was unable to obtain employment, as he was subject to Sts. Thomas Griffith, a boarding-house keeper, deposed to having turned the man out of his house about midnight, in consequence of his other lodgers threatening to leave if Cunningham was allowed to remain. The Bench severely censured this witness for his inhumanity. Mr [J. E. March, who was in Court, expressing his willingness to take charge of the poor fellow, the Bench remanded Cunningham to the Selwyn Home. By-laws. —The following were fined as stated below for breaches of city by-laws : Richard Sunderland, 10s; Charles Oswald, £3 ; George Drayer, 10s ; Arthur Petherbridge, 10s; Samuel Dobson, 10a; William Cudden, 10s ; George Baker, 10s; Nathaniel Yale, 10s ; Patrick Smith, 10s ; W. R. Smith, 10s; H. Matson, 10s ; Arthur Paget, 10s ; William White, 10s ; William Holley, 10s. Dog Nuisance. —Margaret Grant, for having a dog unregistered, was fined 20s; Christian Christiansen was fined 20s.

Injuring Property.— Charles Courtney and Andrew Q-annigan, two lads, were charged with breaking a drain pipe, the property of the Heath cote Road Hoard. The clerk of the Road Board proved that it would cost 5s to repair the mischief. The boys were respectably connected. The Magistrate cautioned them, and on their promise not to offend again, let them off with a fine of 2s 6d each. Protection Order. —Caroline Light applied for a protection order on the ground that her husband, James Light, was habitually drunk and guilty of cruelty. As the husband had received the summons only that morning the case was postponed till to-morrow (Tuesday).

Damaging Telegraph Wires—Charles Oswald, for damaging the telegraph wires, was fined 10s, and ordered to pay damages, 12s.

Undutiful JChild. —Martin Brady was charged.lby his.; mother, aged fifty-four, with neglecting to support her. He pleaded that he was perfectly willing to support her in his own house, but could not afford to keep her apart. He had a wife and three children, and through illness he had got into debt. The mother said that the son’s wife would not suffer her to remain. An order was made that defendant should pay 5s a week. Railway By-Laws. —The following were fined as stated below for breaches of Railway By-laws. [Mr Duncan appeared to prosecute.] —John Leonard, 10s ; William Sparrow, lOs ; William Henry Scott, 10s; Alexander Moderate, 10s j Robert Wallace, 10s ; James Escott, 10s.

Forging and Utteeing.—Bridget Barrett was charged, on remand, with forging and uttering a cheque for £lO on the Union Bank of Australia. Robert Plunkett, salesman at Cookham House, Colombo street, deposed— The prisoner was in the shop on the 6th July, and purchased clothing to the value of £3 or £4. She paid by a cheque. The cheque produced is the same. It is for £lO, and on the Union Bank, is dated 6th July, and purports to be signed “Thomas Claridge.” She told me she had received it for wages. I asked her to endorse it, and she did so with the name “Mrs Clarkson.” I know Mr Claridge. He is a farmer, living a few miles out of Christchurch. I gave the change, about £6, in cash. I saw defendant about a week ago in Colombo street South. Mr Chisnell was with me. I heard a portion of the conversation between prisoner and Mr Chisnell. She admitted that she did it, and said she was sorry, and handed him two £5 notes. I cannot recollect the exact words she used. The cheque was put into the till. George Taylor Chisnell, of Cookham House, deposed to having paid in the cheque to the National Bank on the Bth July. It was returned, endorsed “ refer to drawer.” Witness gave the cheque to Detective Walker on the 14th. The reason of the delay was the fact that witness waited to see Mr Claridge, who generally came to town on Saturdays. Witness saw prisoner i Colombo street on Monday last. She was pointed out to him by the last witness. Ho accused her of passing a forged cheque. She seemed very much confused, and mumbled something. Witness said to her, “ Unless you hand mo the money I shall at once hand you to the police.” She said, “ I will give you the money,” and took two £5 notes from her purse, which she gave to witness. He made her no promise. [The Magistrate informed witness that this proceeding of his was very irregular. Witness asked, “ How so ?” The Magistrate Witness had never seen prisoner before. He might say that she seemed very sorry for what she had done. Thomas Claridge, farmer of Papanui, deposed that prisoner and her husband had been in his employ for about ten weeks, and had left on the sth of this month. He had promised to meet them on the following day, but was unable to do so. He met them on Monday, the Bth, and paid them their wages due, £l7 10s in cash. He never paid by cheque, because he could not write. The receipt produced was written by prisoner and was witnessed by the man at the weighbridge. Witness never knew prisoner to go by the name of Clarkson. Witness banked at the Union Bank, and kept a cheque-book at homo. He generally got his cheques drawn up by Mr Harman, and affixed his mark to them. After getting them changed he paid all accounts in cash. Prisoner might have found his chequebook in his coat pocket, as she was his house servant. Prisoner signed the receipt for her husband, who put his cross to it. Prisoner had no authority to draw any cheque for witness. Thomas Fraser Baldwin, ledgerkeeper at the Union Bank, deposed to the cheque having been presented and referred to drawer as the signature was not known. Detective Walker deposed :to arresting prisoner on warrant. She said it was the first time she had been guilty of a dishonest action'; the devil must have tempted her. The writing on the cheque and on the receipts has a great similarity. Having been duly cautioned and asked what she had to say, she declined to make any statement. She was then committed to take her trial at the next criminal sessions of the Supreme Court, On the application of her husband, the Magistrate said prisoner could bo admitted to bail, her husband in £l7O, and two sureties in £75 each.