MAGISTRATES’ COURT.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1465, 26 October 1878, Page 2

MAGISTRATES’ COURT.

CHRISTCHURCH. Saturday, October 26. [Before G. L. Hellish, Esq , R.M.] Drunk and Disorderly.—The following drunkards were fined ;—Samuel Dobbinson, 20a; Patrick McSbanc, 10s; Hugh loung, 20s; and Archibald Knowles, 10s, A first offender was fined ss.

Larceny.—Thomas Uyun (on remand), and John Freeman, were charged with stealing a suit of clothes, value £6, the property of John Clark, tailor, High street, on the 17th iust. The prisoner Ryan had previously been convicted of larceny in August, 187/, and

undergone a sentence of four months imprisonment ; and Freeman was shown by the records of the “New Zealand Police Gizette” to bo an expire convict from Western Australia, which colony he left in September, 1870, and has also since been convicted under the Vagrant Act in New Zealand. Mrs Thyrza Clarke, the wife of John Chirke, tailor, High street, deposed that they resided on those premises up to last Monday. Last Thursday week, the 17th inst., she brushed and tied up four suits of clothes, and placed them on a shelf just inside the shop door. Her husband was lying ill upstairs at the time. She left the shop about a quarter-past 2 o’clock, leaving her little girl, about eleven years of age, in charge of the shop. About five o’clock, after returning from town, witness tni-sed one of the suites of clothes. Next saw them last Sunday in the possession of Detective Benjamin. They were worth £6. The morning after the clothes were stolen witness reported the loss to the police station. Walter Beil, a barman at the Southern Hotel, Madras street, denosed that the prisoners had both came into the hotel about four o clock on the 17th inst., the prisoner Ryan carrying a bundle. They asked to be trusted two pints of beer, but witness refused, and the prisoners went out, but returned almost immediately afterwards. AMr Jansen was having some drinks at the bar with some friends, and ha shortly afterwards went out, and directly after witness missed one of the prisoners, but he could not say which of them Andrew Jansen, a laborer employed at Kirwee, stated that lust Thursday week he was in the bar of the Southern Hotel, and the prisoner Freeman came in and said he would like to have a pint of beer, and that he had a suit of clothes he would like to sell. Witness told him as he was wet ho would give him a pint of beer, but he had better keep his clothes, as he (witness) had enough. Prisoner took the beer and drank it, and offered to sell the clothes to witness for £l, saying they were worth £3, and he (witness) might as well have them as if he (prisoner) pawned them he would not get so much money on them. Witness wont out with the prisoner to look at the clothes. They reached the house by different doors, and went into another room. Witness wife was present, and ho gave the prisoner £1 for the clothes, the same produced in Court. _ The prisoner did not say how he go', possession of the clothes. The same eveni g witness went to Lyttelton, and the next day (Sunday) he put on the clothes he purchased from prisoner. Detective Benjamin came to him, and from what he said to him witness went to Belgrave’s Hotel and took off the clothes and gave them to the Detective along with the handkerchief in which they were_ wrapped. He afterwards accompanied Detective Benjamin to Christchurch, and went with him the next day to Addington Gaol, where, amongst a number of other prisoners, he identified the prisoner Freeman as the man who had sold Lira the clothes. Freeman said, “ There is the man I sold the clothes to; he is a married man, and I don’t want to see him into any trouble.” He denied stealing the clothes, but said he had bought them from another party. In answer to the prisoner Ryan, the witness said he did not remember seeing him in the Southern Hotel the day he bought the clothes of Freeman. Deteciive Ben j unin proved obtaining possession of the clothes at Lyttelton under the circumstances detailed by the last witness, and he subsequently, from information received, arrested the prisoner Ryan in Madras street south, and charged him with stealing a suit of clothes, and taking them into the Southern Hotel, in company with another man. He (Ryau) denied knowing the hotel, or anything about the bundle, and said he had only just come from Dunedin, Afterwards accompanied the previous witness, Jansen, to Addington gaol, and heard the prisoner Freeman acknowledge that he was the man who had sold Jansen the clothes. He added, he did not want to put another man in for what he had done, but he did not steal the clothes ; he had bought them from another man who was with him at the hotel. Witness arrested the prisoner Freeman yesterday (Friday) on bis coming out of gaol_, and explained the charge to him. He said he had not stolen the clothes, but had bought them on the morning of Thursday, 17tb, from a man in the hotel where Hnghy was barman. He gave 80s for them, and Ryan was the only person wl O was present at the time. This was the ev dence, which, after being read over, and the prisoners cautioned in 'the usual manner, they were committed for trial at the next sessions of the Supreme Court.