MAGISTRATE’S COURTS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1979, 28 June 1880, Page 2

MAGISTRATE’S COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Monday, June 28. ("Before G. L. Lee, Esq., J.P., J. E. Parker, Esq., J.P., and W. Westerns, Esq., J.P.] Dbunkhnness.— Patrick Ryan, a hardened offender, who received a bad character from the police, was given twenty-four hours to leave the town. Destboving Peofertt. Bertie Percy Biky, a young man of respectable appearance, admitted destroying some property belonging' to Alice Graves, was fined 10s, and ordered to pay the amount of damage done. A Waif. —William Ralfe, aged eleven, who had already served a period in the Dunedin Industrial School, was brought up on remand as a neglected child, and committed to the Burnham Industrial School for a term of four years. Assault. —William John Wilson, a notoriety, was charged on remand with assaulting Justin Hobbs, a servant in the employ of the Tramway Company. Evidence was given to the effect that a boy had jumped on the tram whilst in motion, and was in imminent danger of falling under the wheels. He was given in charge to complainant, and accused tried to rescue him by assaulting Hobbs. A fine of 10a was inflicted, with costs Ba. Assault and Robbeet. —Windsor Knight was charged with stealing a bag containing a side of mutton, &c., valued at 9s, the property of Isaac Bridges, and also with assaulting Bridges. Complainant, who expressed » desire to withdraw the charge, proceeded to describe the offence in a jocular manner. He stated that be was proceeding home late on Saturday evening, and left the bag referred to in charge of a little boy. Accused, who was almost a stranger to witness, came up and took it away, which led to a struggle between them, in which witness knocked prisoner down, and the latter retaliated by striking Bridges. Constable Bulien said be went to the house of accused with prosecutor, and on announcing his errand, Knight said he would shoot the first constable that came in, and presented a double-barrelled gun, one barrel being loaded with a charge and a half of powder. He was then taken into custody. Accused made a rambling statement, which was calculated more to condemn than justify himself. Three witnesses volunteered evidence as to character, and spoke of accused as a hard-working well-behaved man, who was only eccentric when under the influence of drink. The Bench dismissed the case of larceny and fined him 5s for the assault, remarking that they dealt leniently with him on account of the good character he bore. Lahcent as a Bailee,— George Dell wps charged, on remand, with stealing four bags of onions, the property of John Jesson. Complainant, a farmer at Papanui, said he had put the onions in Clifford’s auction mart for sale, but, there being no purchaser, he offered them to Dell for 10j, but he would not buy. He then told him to take them to the soup kitchen, and accused removed them, but witness subsequently found that they had not been delivered where directed. William Clifford, a son of the auctioneer, gave evidence to the effect that accused informed him he had taken the oniens to the kitchen, and wanted some more. Samuel Bartlett deposed that accused gave him a quantity of onions, and, in doing so, said a farmer had given them to him to do what he liked with. Detective O’Connor apprehended accused, who was a maltster and an old resident here. Mr Ick, the Mayor, in contradiction of a statement made by accused that he had received witness’s permission to remove a bag of onions from the soup kitchen said he had never seen prisoner before and knew nothing of the case. The evidence for | the defence only had reference to the giving away of some of the onions by accused. The Court considered the case proved, and taking into account the good character given to aci cused, and his having been already incarcerated for three or four days, he would bo > discharged. > Embezzlement. John Williams wei i chsrged with having, on the 29th ult., fraudulently embezzled 8s 3d, the property of his : employer, Hugh Neill. Accusedwas employed : to deliver bread, and detained the amount stated, which had been given to him in payment by a customer. He was sentenced to a

month’s impiisonment with hard labour. There were two other charges of a similar nature against accused, and he was sentenced to a month's imprisonment upon each of of them. Illegally on Peemises. —John William Clarkson was charged with being illegally on the premises of John Brightling. Accused was found sleeping in a hayloft, and, as no felonious intent was shown, he was discharged with a caution. Cattle Tbespass.—B, Taafe was fined 5s end costs for allowing his cattle to wander.

LYTTELTON. Monday, June 28, [Before Joseph Beswick, Esq, R.M., and J. T. Bouse, Esq., J.P.] Sunday Selling. Henry Hardecke, lessee of the Albion Hotel, was charged with supplying Mary Dickens with alcoholic liqnor on Sunday June 20th. The defendant admitted the charge, and in reply to the Bench, Sergeant-major Mason stated that he understood the defendant had witnesses to show the liquor was sold under extenuating circumstances. Mary Dickenson was called and testified that on the day in question she procured some brandy from the defendant for a neighbour’s sick child. This being corroborated, the Bench said that had the defendant’s witness given her name to the police at the time the case would probably not have been brought. As it was, the police were justified in bringing up the defendant who, however, would be dismissed. Civil Case. —Haydon v Croton, claim £1 for rent. Judgment for amount claimed and costs, the property held by defendant to bo given up by Saturday night next.