MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2189, 2 March 1881, Page 3

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Wbdnbbday, Maeoh 2. [Before J. Nugent Wood, Esq., R.M.J DaxraKßNHßsa. —Wm. Ameson, a sailor, for being drunk and disorderly, and using obscene language opposite the Terminus Hotel on the previous night, was fined 40s or •even days' imprisonment, Fred Lane was fined 5s for being drunk. Lucy Davie, who hod boon drunk and had used obscene language, besides smashing Government property in the lock-up, was fined 25s and ordered to pay for the damage done or one week’s imprisonment. Wife Beating.— Hugh O’Neill, who had neglected to appear on a previous day, was brought up on warrant charged with assaulting his wife on February 25ch. Prosecutrix, in detailing the particulars of the assault, said he pulled her out of bed and dragged her round the room. She further gave him a very bad character, as a loafer and confirmed drunkard, whose children, through his idleness and neglect, bad been taken from her and sent to the Industrial School. The Magistrate administered a severe caution and dismissed the ease.

Fobobby. — S. W. Palmer, on remand from February 2Sth, was charged with forging an order, purporting to be signed by W. B. Makings, of Ooalgate, by which he obtained goods, consisting of lollies and fruit, to the value of £6 12s 6d, from F. 0. Dunning, fruiterer, of Christchurch. The alleged forged order was uttered on December 20th, 1880. Mr Joyce appeared for the prisoner, F. 0. Dunning deposed to prisoner presenting the order on which the goods were sent to Mr Makings, together with an invoice of the same. Mr Makings fifteen days afterwards informed witness that the order was a forgery. Cross examined ; Witness gave the goods on the representation of prisoner that they were for a school treat. Had summoned accused fur the amount, but on an execution being grunted prisoner filed his schedule, dome other creditors of accused bad promised to indemnify witness in the expenses of the present prosecution. J. R. Hart, railway station master at Ooalgate, deposed to receiving some packages of fruit, &0., from Christchurch on December 29th, addressed to Makings. Prisoner, by his servant, applied for and obtained them. Cross-examined : Mr Making* had instructed witness to deliver to prisoner goods coming addressed to Makings. Palmer kept a book at the Malvern Races, which was taken in the name of Makings, who paid for the privilege to the race committee. Did not know if prisoner and Makings were partners. Moses Everettt deposed to being instructed by Makings and Palmer to get the goods in question from the railway, which he did, and took them to Makings’ booth, where he delivered them to prisoner. Understood from Makings that he was a partner in the booth speculation with the prisoner. Crossexamined : Shortly before the goods arrived witness saw Makings, and gave him £1 from Palmer on account of the goods. Makings told witness to got the fruit, Ac. from the railway, and take It te the booth. Re-examined—Makings on the day previous to the races told witness he could not attend at the booth on account of a domestic occurrence. W. B. Makings deposed that he was employed on the railway at Ooalgate. Did not write, or authorise prisoner to write, the order produced. On December 19th prisoner informed witness that he had put his name to a tender for a booth at the Hororata races, as the committee would not accept one from Palmer direct. Palmer told him if the tender was accepted ho would pay witness £ll which he owed him, and £3 3s that would have to be paid fer the privilege. Witness did not substantially demur to this arrangement, and ho afterwards paid for tbo privilege to keep the booth, of which £2 was refunded by prisoner. Prisoner then told him there were some goods that be had bought and paid for coming from Christchurch, which, to make the tender look right, would be addressed to witness. Witness told prisoner that was of no consequence if prisoner had paid for the goods. A day or two afterwards witness received a letter and invoice of the goods from Dunning. On that witness went to the booth to prisoner, who said there was no need to be frightened, and gave witness £7 Is, which prisoner’s wife, who was at the counter of the booth, said was all the cash they had taken. The money thus paid was on account of the £ll previously mentioned as owing to witness before the fruit transaction. Witness bad not received any more money. Cross-examined—If Palmer had paid all the money be owed to witness there would have been no bother about the present transaction. Had done several kindnesses for Palmer just as a friend—got him bis slaughtering license, &o. Ho bad, however, been paid a trifle in money for the kindnesses. Told the station-master to deliver the goods to Palmer’s order, but when doing so believed that they had been all paid for. When the £7 Is was given to him. Palmer told him to pay some of it to Dunning, and let some of it go towards the extinction of the old debt. The money was not given exolus vely to settle with Dunning, and to pay the balance of tho booth rent. There was an agreement that witness should go to the booth on the race days, and receive £1 for it. He did not fo, however, because the bailiffs were in is house. Witness allowed Palmer to sign his name to the slaughter-house returns. The slaughter-house was in fact licensed to witness, Mr Joyce submitted that the evidence had clearly shown that prisoner and Maki- g# were partners, and that tho present proceedings had been instituted by creditors on account of transactions in trade for which they might or might not feel aggrieved, Tho charge of fraud could not be supported. His Worship thought there was no evidence to sustain the charge in the plaint. Case dismissed.

PBOTECTicm Obdhs.—The wife of John James King obtained an order protecting her earnings os against her husband.