MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1781, 5 November 1879, Page 2

MAGISTRATES' COURTS.

OHRISTCHURCH. Wbdnbsdat, Novbmbbb sth. [Before G. L. Mellish, Esq., R.M.] Dbt/nk and Disordbbly.—A first offender was fined ss, an incorrigible old offender was reprimanded and discharged. Faxbb Pbetences.—Henry Robertson, on remand from November 3rd, was charged with obtaining the sum of £2 19s in money from William Muff by false pretences by means of a valueless cheque, with intent to defraud. Alto with obtaining the sum o£ £5 in money from Digby Andrew! ly false pretonrea by means of a valueless cheque; fur her, with obtaining the sum of 10s in money from Wm. Penfold by means of a valueless cheque ; also, with obtaining £1 in money and a watch from Charles Voisard by means of a valueless cheque fcr £6; and lastly, with attempting to obtain property, to wit, a watch, value £l9 10?, from Malcolm McOallum, by means of a valueless cheque. Mr Izard appeared on behalf of the accused. The prosecutor in the first case, William Muff, sworn, said—l am licensee of the Terminuß Hotel, Ohristchurch. The prisoner came to my hotel on Saturday, August 23rd last. He asked if I could accommodate him, and casually remarked that he waß on the staff of the " Otago Daily Times," and that he had come to Ohristchurch to report oi the "Pinafore" company, and also the chess congress. He remained at the hotel. He asked me for his account on the 27th of August. He also asked me if lie give me a cheque for £3 would I civo I«u the balance, as he had an account in Dunedin, and did not want to draw so many cheques. I gave him his acoonnt, amounting to £5 Is. The cheque produced is the one he gave me, and I gave him £2 19s. From what I learned afterwards I laid a complaint against the accused. Kenneth. McLennan deposed—l am a clerk in the Bank of Australasia, Dunedin. I was so in last August and September. The cheque produced was presented at the Bank on Sept. sth, and waß returned endorsed " No account." The prisoner has not had an account within the last two or three years. I ear.not say wb.etb.9r he had an account at the Bark. The accused, by the advice of his solicitor, pleaded " Guilty" to all the charges, with the exception of the '»t one, which was withe rawn by the police, for the purpose of allowing them to be dealt with summarily. Tho accused made an appeal to the Bench for a lenient a sentence on the ground that, up to the commission of the offences with which he was charged, he had led an honest life, and had only lapsed into crime by the force of untoward circumstances. He had no desire to prey on society, as he was able to earn an honest living as a member of the press, a calling he had pursued in Invercargill and Dunedin. His Worship did not consider it was a case that he could dispose of by a light sentence, as he had ample warning of the consequences of his crime by the narrow escape he had recently had in Aehburton. He would be sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labor on each charge, each term to commence on the expiration of the previous one; in all two years' imprisonment with hard labor.

LYTTELTON. Wednesday, Novembbb 5. [Before Joseph Beawick, Esq., EM,] A Smuggling Oasb —Edward Williams was charged with having in his possession about forty pounds of tobacco, upon which the Customs duty had not been paid, a fine of £IOO being claimed therefore by the Collector of Customs. Mr Alex. Bote, Collector of Customs for Christchurch, appeared to prosecute. Bobert Neil, police constable, said that about 9 p.m. on Tuesday he was walking down Snblin street ; he met prisoner near Mr Green's boarding-houee ; he had the bag and the tobacco in it. (Articles produoed and identified.) The mouth of the bag was hanging down over his head. Witness turned round as the prisoner passed, when about twenty yards away, and than went after him and overt >ok him. He had some conversation with him, to this effect: —Constable asked prisoner whether he knew Thomas Henry Jones and Henry Boss. Accused replied in the negative. They parted then, and when accused was about six yards away, constable went after him, and overtook him again. He asked him what he had in the bug. Accused said he had wood in it. Constable asked to look at the contents, when accused said he could feel from the outside; it was bits of wood he had been picking up. Constable then took the bag off his shoulder, and put his arm in the bag, and told accused it was not bits of wood but smuggled tobacco. Prisoner said it was. These were his exact words. He said he got it off, and then stopped short. He didn't say of whom. He said, " Eor God Almighty's sake, don't arrest me. Pity my poor wife and children." He was then taken to the police station. Prisoner said he would give the constable the whole blesßed lot, and he should say nothing about it but let him go. When they got inside the station, prisoner said ho wanted to speak to witness privately. Witness said, "All right." Prisoner preferred going outside, as there was another man in the station. Outside, he said, " For God Almighty's sake, don't make it hot for me. Don't say that I admitted it was smuggled tobacco." He then said he got it on Peacock's wharf in a bag. That was all the conversation took place between them. The Bench asked prisoner whether he had any questions to ask the witness, to which he replied he had not, but would make a statement by-and-by. The prisoner was then remanded until Friday next, bail being allowed in £2OO.