MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2197, 11 March 1881, Page 3

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH. Fbiday, Mabch 11. [Before Q. L. Lae and R Westenra, Esqs., J.P.’e.] Dbtjnkennhbs. —For a first offence a man wbm fined ss. Labcbny.—Peter Donoghue, alias McDonald, was brought up on remand from the Bth inst., charged with having stolen £6, the property of Betsy Young. The prisoner denied the charge. Betsy Young deposed that she was a general servant at Eaiapoi till last Saturday, when she was paid her wages, £6. She came to Christchurch by the mid-day train, and met near the Commercial Hotel the prisoner, who sold her a book. She then went with him to the Palace Hotel. Her money was then in a hand bag which she was carrying. They went into the bar where there were no other persons. They had a drink together, for which witness paid. She laid her bag down ; prisoner took it up ; he left shortly afterwards. When he had gone she examined the bag, and the £G was gone. She followed prisoner, and charged him with taking the money. He denied it, saying he had only a few coppers. The money was in the bug when they went into the bar. Cross examined by prisoner—lt was half past four in the afternoon when they met in the square. She was not drunk. She paid for nothing but a bottle of beer. She did not treat the barmaid. She did not ask prisoner to go home with her. She did not ask him to help her to find money she had lost, Henry Green, a newspaper runner, a boy of thirteen, deposed to seeing prisoner and last witness together on the sth instant, at half-past four. She bad with her a small bag ; it was open, and witness saw some notes in a little pocket in it. He afterwards saw them go away together northwards up Colombo street. Prosecutrix was a “ little on.” Cross-examined by Prisoner —She was sober enough to walk. Sergeant Pratt deposed that on lust Tuesday evening he met prisoner in Colombo street, and culled him in to the Golden Fleece Hotel, and told him that Betsy Young, in whoso company on lust Saturday he was known to have been, had lost £6 while with him, aud that witness suspected him of stealing it. Prisoner said he had done nothing of the sort, the girl had had only 3s on her. Witness searched prisoner and found only 8d in money on him. Prisoner said he Lad been [stopping with Mrs Dixon in Now street. Witness and Constable Coles went there, and after some conversation

with Mrs Dixon she handed witness three £l- - [produced], which she said prisoner had given to her that evening. Prisoner, later on, was arrested at the White Hart. He did not say anything to the charge. _ dross examined by Prisoner—Prosecutrix had net yet seen the notes produced. was here shown the notes, but co '“ < * only say that one of them resembled a £1 note she bad in the bag.] Theresa Dixon sworn, said she lived in New street. Prisoner came to her place late on Saturday night last, the sth. He staid there till next morning, when he gave her 16s. Ho went away. She saw him on Monday, when he asked to purchase some things for him, as he was going to Oamaru. Ho handed her a note, which on examination she found to bo a £5 note. After buying the things she handed him the change, when he gave her £3, asking her to take |care of it for him. She objected at first, but finally took it and gave it up to the police when applied to by Sergeant Pratt. George Olewortb, shopman to Mr Shannon, bookseller, deposed to prisoner being at his place for papers about dinner time on Saturday last. He pm chased 4s 6i worth of papers, saying at the time that was all the money he had. Ihe prisoner hawked papers, pamphlets, &C-, and the purchase last spoken of was a large one for him. At this stage the police applied for a remand, on account of the absence through illness of a necessary witness. Prisoner was then remanded till the 18th inst.