MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1774, 27 October 1879, Page 2

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

HUE. COBEE 27. [Befor. , and 0. Q Parker, Esq., J.P.) DsUNk and Disoedhelt.—Four drunkards were fined respectively sf>, 10s, 20a, and 60s. Stealing a Watch.— James Walsh, alias Michael Golding, charged with stealing a watch the property of William 0010, was remanded for a week, to be brought up sooner if possible. Laecekt. —Richard Palmer and Minnie Bench, alias Edwards, were charged with stealing £5 14s, the property of John Young. The prosecutor, a laborer living in the Ferry roa i, said he called at the house of the prisoners at Addington the previous day, and dined with them. After dinner they all three went to Harry Garland’s, in Tuam street. Witness paid for drinks, and also for a bottle of rum. He then had six £1 dotes, and changed one to pay for the rum and the shout. Received 14s 6d in change, which he put in his purse, and that into his trousers pocket. Witness then returned to the prisoners’ house. In the course of the afternoon he missed his purse, and had reason to suspect the female prisoner of having taken it. He charged her with the theft, which she denied. The male prisoner had cleared out. Witness then gave information to the police, and, accompanied by Detective Benjamin, went to the prisoners’ house at 11 o’clock at night. The prisoners had retired for the night. Detective Benjamin told them the charge and searched the house. He found under the head of the bed in which the prisoners had been sleeping, four £l-notes and some silver. The male prisoner ran out of the house and tried to get away, but the detective ran after him and brought him back. The detective then took them to the police station, the male prisoner on the way again trying to escape. The woman on the way asked witness not to press the charge heavily against her, but to put it on to her companion. Detective Benjamin gave evidence as to the arrest of the prisoners and the finding of the money, as stated by the last witness. The Police Inspector handed to the Bench a long list of convictions against each prisoner, and they were committed for trial at the next sessions of the Supreme Court. Cheating with Dice. —Henry Williams was charged under the Vagrant Act with playing an unlawful game with dice. William Smith, a laborer, said ho was in the 0-olden Fleece on the 21st, playing at hllllards and dice with three other men. The accused cut in, and the witness saw him exchange the dice in the box for others he took out of his waistcoat pocket. The dice he took out of his pocket were false, and had two sixes, two fives, and two fours. The prisoner was then given in charge to the police. Detective Benjamin said he know the prisoner as a card sharper and the associate of thieves. He had searched his house more than once for stolen property. Detective Neil gave similar evidence. The Bench held that the offence had been proved, and sentenced the prisoner to twelve months’ imprisonment with hard labor. Stealing Bettses. —David Grubb was charged with stealing a letter containing £l, the property of the Postmaster-General of New Zealand. There was a second charge of stealing a letter containing £1 Os fid, and a third of stealing a letter containing £3. .Mr R. D. Thomas appeared on behalf of the prisoner. Sydney Johnson Dick, chief postmaster of the Christchurch Post-office, being sworn, said — The prisoner was a clerk in the post-office at Christchurch. I posted a letter on the 21st of this month addressed to Mr A. Cameron, Box 241, Dunedin. It contained two£l-notes. One was a note of the Bank of New Zealand, No. 1517886, Christchurch, Ist October, 1878 ; the other was a note of the Union Bank of Australasia, U 178053, Ist January, 1878. I posted the letter myself between two and three o’clock. The letter also contained an envelope addressed “ Alex. Farqharson, Esq., Civil Engineer, Brisbane, Queensland.” The notes and envelopes produced are the same. It was the duty of the prisoner on the following morning to close the Dunedin mail. Ho did so. The letter would have to pass through his hands in making up the mail. The following morning (the 27th) about half-past seven o’clock from something I had hoard, I ordered the prisoner into the chief clerk|s room. I told him there was a letter for Dunedin missing, and asked him if he knew anything about it. He said that ho did not. I told him that as ho made up the mail I naturally suspected him, and that he must show mo what he had in his pockets. He showed mo a few trifling articles. I told him that was not satisfactory, and that ho must turn his pockets inside out. He then, from his left hand trousers pocket, produced the cover of the letter to Cameron, and the addressed envelope that had been inside, and the two £1 notes. He also produced two other letters. Wo had a great deal of conversation, and the prisoner said, “ There was no use denying it,” referring to the test letter, I posted the letter produced as a test, as other letters containing money had lately been missed. I then sent for Detective O’Connor, and gave him the notes and the letter. By Mr Thomas : I posted the letter in the ordinary course at the aperture outside. The letter was closed with gum. The letters for the ma'T would not come into accused’s possession until five o’clock the next morning. I satisfied myself when the afternoon staff of the 21st had gone that the letter had been placed among the Dunedin letters. Robert Kaye, chief clerk in the Post-office, Christchurch, said : In consequence of letters having been missed, I remained in the Post-office on the night of the 21st. I knew a test letter had been posted by the chief-post master on the 21st, between two and three o’clock. I traced it right through the office, and saw it all right about 5 a.m. on the 22nd, before the clerk came on duty. To all appearance it was closed as on the night before. The clerks came about half-past five. The prisoner was one of them. None of the clerks know I was in the Post Office when I left. I returned about seven o’clock. When I returned the Dunedin mail had been made up. The bag was sealed. I had an excuse for opening it. I searched for the test letter produced, but could not find it. I then reported the loss to the chief postmaster. I told the clerks, in the healing of the prisoner, that no one must leave the room. I remained with the clerks until they were called in. The prisoner took the key of the water closet and made two attempts to go out, which I stopped. Immediately after he was tailed into the chief postmaster’s room. I went for a detective at once. Maurice O’Connor detective constable, said—l went to the Post OEoe on the morning of Wednesday, the 22nd. The prisoner was accused of given into my custody. Thß Tr( f "I did take them this mo ™ n f; 1 oeived the letter produced from the Chief Postmaster. [This was the case for the pro- < .eoution on the third charge, of stealing the letter containing . £3. The other cases were * then proceeded with.

then proceeded with. The evidence in theso cases was of a similar nature to the first one, with the exception of the identification of the letters by the persons who posted them. Th# cases being closed, and the prisoner’s defence reserved by Mr Thomas, be was committed to take his trial on all three charges at the next sessions of the Supreme Churt. On the application of Mr Thomas, bail was allowed in two surities of £250 each, and the prisoner himself with £SOO. [Left sitting,]