MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1410, 22 August 1878, Page 2

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Thursday, August 22. [Before G-. L. Mellish, Esq., R.M.]

Drunkenness, &c. John Wilson, for being drunk and indecent, was fined 5s and 20s respectively. Ellen Parkerson, for being drunk, was fined 20s. She was also charged, with smashing a window, the property of Richard Mills, but the prosecutor withdrew the charge. One first offender was fined ss. Disobeying Summons of Court.—Hugh O'Neill was charged, on remand, with dieobeying a summons by failing to provide for his four children in the Industrial School. He said that he wished the children given up to him. The Magistrate recommended him to apply to the proper authorities, and ordered him in the meantime to pay 15s a week. Inspector Hickson informed the Court that prisoner and his wife were not fit persons to have charge of children, as they were leading disreputable lives. A Sad Cask.—lnspector Hickson called the magistrate's attention to a case of which he had received information, where a mother, reBiding in the Ferry road, had left her two children in her house all night, totally unprotected. The woman, whose name was Doran, had been deserted by her husband, in consequence of her dissipated habits. A kind neighbor, a relative of the children, had offered to take charge of them, provided the mother would not interfere with them. The magistrate recommended Inspector Hickson to send Mrs Doran to him, and he would endeavor to arrange the mater.

Larceny.—Arthur Gerald Manning was charged, on remand, with stealing £IOO, the property of the Bank of New Zealand. Roger Clough, assistant accountant in the Bank of New Zealand, Christchurch, deposed—Prisoner was formerly clerk in the Bank. The Bank has an agency at South Rakaia, under the charge of Mr Boyd. On the 15th of July it was necessary to send £4OOO in notes and £2 in copper to Rakaia. The noteß, after they had been partly narrated, were handed to me to be sent. They were called over by me and prisoner. It was the duty of any one I instructed to take them. They were then handed to Mr Manning, who took £2 in copper from Mr Grey. Mr Manning then acknowledged the correctness of the whole to the teller. They were in his charge till they were sealed up in a parcel. He gave them to me, and I sent the sealed parcel to the railway, whence I received the receipt enclosed, showing that the seal was intact. The parcel was sealed with the Bank seal. In consequence of a letter I had received from Mr Boyd, I told Mr Manning that the notes were £IOO short, and asked him if he was sure they were right. He repeated several times that he was sure they were right. G-eorge Henry Boyd, agent for the Bank of New Zealand at South Rakaia, deposed—l received a parcel of notes and copper on the 15th July. It contained £3902. I had been advised that the parcel contained £IOO more. I reported the discrepancy to head quarters. John Lewis Coster deposed—l am manager of the Bank New Zealand, Christchurch. Defendant was recently in the employ of the Bank. He joined my staff on the 10th June, coming from Auckland. He had been in the Bank there from the 18th March. On the 27th July I received a telegram from the Inspector to suspend him pending inquiries. [The Bench thought it unfair to say this.] On the 31st July the discrepancy in the notes sent to Rakaia was discovered. A cross entry had prevented the discrepancy being sooner reported, though the fact that the notes were missing from the parcel was discovered earlier. When the case was reported to me I personally investigated it, and as the result of my investigation I Bent for Mr Manning. I asked him what he knew about it, whether had in fact taken the notes—the £IOO. He at first denied it, but subsequently told me that he had taken them. In pursuance of that I reported the transaction to the inspector, and instructed Mr Manning to proceed to Auckland by a steamer leaving that day, to be dealt with in reference to this case, and any other that might be pending. Witness said he wished to state that with reference to the previous question of the suspension, no further action, so far as his advices went, would have been taken except to allow prisoner to retire from the service. To prisoner—You first proposed your going to Auckland ; that would be between the 27th and the 31st July. The evidence was read over, and prisoner asked what he had to sny. He said " Nothing," but asked if bail would be allowed. He was committed for trial at the next criminal sessions at Christchurch, and was allowed bail, himself in £3OO, and two sureties of £l5O each.

LYTTELTON. Tuesday, August 22*

[Before W. Donald, Esq., R.M., and H. R. Webb, Esq., J.P.] Assault. Patrick Whyte was charged with this" offence. John Symons stated that accused, who was a seaman belonging to the Elizabeth Curie, came aboard that veFsel at Havelook on August 7th in a state of intoxication, and without any provocation committed the assault. The evidence was born© out by others, and the Bench fined accused 20s, or in default sentenced him to four days' imprisonment, with hard labor.