MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1554, 11 February 1879, Page 3

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. TtTBBDAT, FiJBBT/ABT 11. [Before G. L. Mellish, Esq, R.M., and Dr. Deamer, J.P., and L. Walker, Esq., J P.] Laboent. —Gertrude Burgess, remanded from t e previous day, was charged with stealing jewellery to the amount of £4, the property of Elizabeth White. Mr Neck appeared for the prisoner. The prosecutrix, an elderly woman, said she was a widow keeping a boarding house in St. Asaph Btreet. Shortly after last Christmas the prisoner came to board in her house. She left a week ago. She subsequently missed two brooches, a ring, and some other small articles. She afterwards saw the ring at the jeweller's broken up. Two weeks previous to finding the ring she missed it. She lost it out of her box, where she hud placed it. It was not broken up when she put it away, it was only cracked. On Saturday last 9he went with a constable and saw a brooch belonging to her, which the prisoner was wearing, but said nothing to her then. The ring was worth about £3, and the brooch, a plated one, 4s. She had previously missed the brooch, which was in her possession about a fortnight ago. Prisoner left her i house a week ago last Friday. Had seen the , prisoner wearing the brooch, but had not said , much about it to her. Had never given her the brooch. The box in which the ring was kept was not locked ; she kept the brooch in it. Jane Bryant deposed that the prisoner came , into her house in George street about the 30th of last January. She was wearing a ring, which at her request she took off, but , broke it doing so. She said a young m»n had given it to ber. It was a lightish ring, with | one small stone out of it. The ring produced is the same. Francis Pollock deposed that he i wub an assistant at Mr McCallum's, the watch , maker, in Colombo street. The prisoner came , into the shop on the 6th inst. to have a ring , repaired. It was in two parts, and she said it , was not her own, and wished it repaired by , the following Saturday. She gave the name ; of Miss Birdsey or Beardsley. On the Bth j inst. he gave the portion of the ring produced j to a constable. By Mr Neck—She said she j wished it done by last Saturday. Constable Cullen said on the 12th inst. he went to a house in George street where the prisoner was residing. He was accompanied by the prosecutrix. The latter at once accused the priaor. er of stealing her ring. The prisoner said, "O'n, I'll tell you about your ring, you know you broke it and gave it me to get it repaired, as you had no money yourself at the time." " 1 took it to a jewellers in Colombo street. I will go and get it for you." The prosecutrix said, " You're a liar. I did not give it you to get it repaired." At the same time she accused her of stealing the brooch she was wearing. Pmoner said, " You gave rae that ] as a present." Prosecutrix said she did not. The witness then went with prosr-cutrix and the prisoner to the shop. The last witness was there, and he gave him the ring produced, which the prosecutrix identified as her own. Mr Neck having addressed the Bench on f behalf of the prisoner, his Worship said as there appeared to be a doubt as to the dis- , honest intention, the prisoner would have the benefit of it, and the case would be dismissed. Assault.—Frederick Williams again appeared to answer the charge of assaulting Jane Stanley. The case had been adjourned to enable the defendant to call witnesses in his behalf. The defendant's witness, a young man, gave evidence that he saw the defendant struggling with the prosecutrix, holding her round the neck. He could not »ay whether it was done in fun, but the prose cutrix did not appear to regard it as Buch. This was the only witness called, and his Worship said it was corroborative of the assault which he had no doubt had been com mitted. The defendant siid it was not the first time the prosecutrix had threatened to put a knife through him. His Worship said he did not wonder at it when he took her by the throat. He must be a ooward to assault a woman in such a manner. He would have to pay a fine of 40*, and had it not been his first appearance the fine would have been heavier. The defendant/ intimating his inability to pay the fine, his Worship said the alternative would be 96 hours imprisonment with labor.