MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1761, 11 October 1879, Page 2

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

CHRISTOHUKCH. Saturday, Octobbe 11. [Before Gh L. Mellish, Esq., B.M.] Dbunk and Dibobdkbly.—A first offender was fined sb, and a confirmed inebriato 60s for being drunk and disorderly. Tbbspasbing on thb Pbbmishs. —Samuel Laird, charged with being illegally on the premise! of Alfred Walter JWright, High street, was, in the absence of the prosecutor, cautioned and discharged.

Steamkg Gbics.—Thomas Englett was charged with, stealing a number of imitation gems from the Cbristchuroh Museum, valued at SA. Mr Neck appeared for the accused. Stephen Badham, assistant at the Christchurch Museum, stated that he closed up the premises on the evening of Thursday, September 4th, about half-past fire. He had gone through every department before locking up, to see if any visitor win remaining. There was a staircase that until recently had been left open leading up to the roof of the Museum. Witness did not go there. He returned to the Museum at 8.30 nex£ morning, and found two of the assistants there. From information given by one of them, he went to a cupboard and found that a case of fac-simile gems was missing. That case had been left on the previous eTaning in another glass case in the same gallery. The glass top was locked. The exterior large case was oloscd, but the lock had been forced. Nothing else was missing. A window had been broken at tie foot of the staircase leading into the geological gallery. The box produced in Court was the box missed. Witness had never counted the number of gems but believed there were eighty. Now there were only eleven left. Had seen the prisoner before in the Museum on more than one occasion. Dr. Haast left for Sydney immediately before the occurrence. The gems were imitation ones, and he thought £4 or £5 might replace them. W. Sparks, also an assistant at the Museum, gave corroborative evidence. He could identify one of the gems positively and several others". Amongst them was a diamond with eight faces, the oriental ruby, another diamond, and an aqua-marine. William Telford, labourer, in the employment of the City Council, deposed to finding a box in the river. There was nothing in it but water, He dried it, and afterwards saw something glancing in it; the stone produced, an imitation ruby, was what he saw. H. Bnsche, barman of the British Hotel, Lyttelton, stated that the prisoner had stayed there for three months. On the 24th went a walk with prisoner round £he Sumner road. During the walk the prisoner said he had come into property worth £6OOO or £7030. It cc misted of diamonds he had got from a party at Greymouth. If witness would pay the pas« sage money of both to Germany, he (prisoner) would give him half. Witness agreed to find the money, but would not promise anything until he had seen the diamonds. He told him a long story to account for his possessing the diamonds. The gist of it was he had got them from a " party " who had taken them at a Vice Begal ball at Sydney. The " party " had since died of consumption in the prisoner's house in Greymouth, leaving him the diamonds. On October Ist prisoner showed him the diamonds. He told prisoner they were not diamonds. The latter said they were, but refused to have them tested. Witness subsequently took from the box ten of the stones, which were tested and found to be glass. Witness did not want to get the prisoner into trouble, and that was the reason he had promised to keep the matter quiet. Detective Benjamin said that on the Ist he received ten stones from Henry Busche, and went to the hotel and arrested prisoner. The prisoner was committed for trial.

Foegeby and Uttebhtg.—John Jones was charged with forging and uttering a promissory note for the payment of £45, and a second charge for forging and uttering a Dromissory note for the payment of £B7 10s 63. The prisoner was undefended. John Maysmor, a oommision agent and auctioneer at Fielding, said he had had no business dealings with accused. The signature on the promissory note was not his. John Albert Morgan, commission agent, detailed the circumstances under which the prisoner wished to borrow money from him on security of the promisory notes. Fredk. Lloyd stated he lent the prisoner money receiving as tecurity the two promisory notes. The prisoner was oommitted for trial.