MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1433, 19 September 1878, Page 3

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRISTCHUROH. Thursday, Septkmbkb 19. [Before G. L. Mellish, E<q , R.M.] Forgery and Uttering.—The case against Rowland Augustus O'Hara, who had bean remanded pending the arrival of an order for his committal to the Asylum, was again called on. He had in the interim been sent to the Asylum, and the charge against him therefore fell through.

Cuvelty to Animals.—Job Horwell was charged with having, on September 14th, at Lincoln road, unlawfully abused, ill-treated, and tortured ninety sheep, more or less, by keeping them in a certain paddock without sufficient food. Tho inspector of slaughteryards deposed that on the date named he found a mob of Bheep in the yard belonging to accused, and ascertained thpy had been confined there for fourteen days with scarcely any food. They had even eaten the surrounding gorse. James Wright, the owner of the yard, said accused brought the sheep there three weeks ago. There was no grass in the paddock. Saw accused give the sheep some hay on one occasion, and he had them out on the road one day. Some of them had died, and the whole were now killed. There were about a hundred sheep, and he had only seen one trues of hay given them. Constable Stevenson described his visit to the paddock, where there was not a particle of food. Defendant's son on one occasion admitted that it was four days since the sheep weie out on the road ; 280 sheep were put into the paddock. William Howell, a son of the accused, said he had been in charge of some sheep at Addington, and they had both grass and hay. They had hay two or three times when they were not on the road: they eat two or three trusses in the last fortnight. Four or five had died. Constable Stevenson, recalled, said thero was very little grass on the roadside—the road was shingled. The accused said he had done his best to feed the sheep; they had had hay, but being inexperienced in stock, he did not know the quantity they required. Hi* Worship Baid he hid no doubt a great piece of cruelty had been perpetrated, as it was absurd to suppose that a person like the accused could be so ignorant of stock as not to know what quantity of hay they required. The accused was fined 40s. Larceny.—Thomas Singleton was charged with having stolen goods to the value of £3 16s, the property of John King. Mr G-arriek prosecuted, and Mr Joynt appeared for the accused. At the request of Mr Garrick, one item, a bag of oats, was struck out of the information. All witnesses were ordered out of Court. Detective Walker, being sworn, said he knew the defendant. On Saturday, the 14th instant, he went to the house of the accused in Tuam street east, and searched it. He found the sugar mat produced marked WA 3. It was on the iloor, and was used as a mat. Also found about 251bs of sugar in a little tub in the pantry, and thirty-three tins of salmon in a cupboard in the diningroom. The pieces of case produced he got from Mr King on Monday when in his company he searched the house, the prisoner not being present. Subsequently arrested the prisoner on the Monday evening on the warrant produced. Head the warrant to the accused who merely said " All risht," and then took prisoner into custody. By Mr Joynt— The tins were concealed at the back of the cupboard, and the cupboard was unlocked. Only took the sugar mat because Mr King said it was his property. The sugar was in a little tub in the pantry. King being sworn said the defendant had been in his employ for over two years. He left on the 24th of August. He did not owe anything to the firm. His occupation was that of a salesman, he was authorised to take goods for himself on credit, and debit himself with their cost. He had paid all that was debited to himself. The supplies ho had were not large. In the whole running account against him there was but one entry of a tin of salmon, and the largest entry of sugar was one of Gibs. Missed a case of salmon, part of a lot of 20 cases which came in at that time. The case was Meglar's packing. There were four dozen tins in a case. The case in Court was precisely the same aB the one he had missed. The pitice of the case produced was part of ono in which the salmon was packed. It had on it the bond mark No. 899, and all the cases were similarly marked. Tho brand on the sugar mat produced was similar to what witness had in stock at present, and|the sugar was of the same quality and color. From information witness received from Mr Mathews he went with Detective Walker to Singleton's boarding house. Looked into Singleton's store room, but found no salmon there. Made enquiries and then found tho salmon produced packed away in a cupboard of the side board, and callt d the attention of Detective Walker to it Witness's young man,|JohniTurnbull King, subsequently gave him tho pieces of the caso produced which corresponded with the eases in wbicli thesalmon was packed. The detective found the sugar in a small American tub, and witneß3 found the mat on the floor by the door of the store room. The defendant never had at one time such quantities of sugar or salmon as a bag or a case. j [Left sitting.J |