POLICE COURT.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2235, 1 June 1881, Page 3

POLICE COURT.

OHBISTOHTJBOH. Wbusbsdat, Jtob 1. [Before J. Ollivier, B. Westenra, and J. B Parker, Esqrs., J.P.'sl DSUVKSKSSBB. —Thomas Tipton, who had been arrested for being drunk, pleading that he was ponnileos, was reprimanded and discharged. Wm. Warner, whose case for being drunk and disorderly had been adjourned from May 25th, was now discharged, the police stating that the accused was too unwell to appear. liAßOßßT.—Albert Pinkstone was oharged with stealing a diamond horse shoe pin. Michael Sandstein, son of Marcus Sandstein, eweller, of Oashel street, deposed that on February 27th, 1879, accused came into the shop and solicited a subscription for the chess olub. Witness went into the back room to ask bis father about it. Witness was told to give acoused half a guinea, which he did, and acoused went away. A short time afterwards witness missed the pin produced, "which, before prisoner came in, had been lying in a tray on the oounter. To prisoner—Had no doubt of the identity of the pin, knew it by some marks whioh were on it. His father sometimes exchanged goods with Mr Nathan. Witness told his father he thought prisoner had. taken the pin, but his. father said no—prisoner seemed to be too respectable for that. Information had not been given to the police until prisoner had been arrested on another charge. To the Benoh—The pin had never been out of the shop after it bad been taken into stock. Solomaa David Nathan, pawnbroker, of Colombo street, deposed that on May 15th, 1879, the wife of accused Sawned with him for £2 10s the pin proceed. To prisoner—Mrs Pinkstone had pledged with him a number of things, dresses, jewellery, Ac, whether with prisoner's sanction or not witness could not say. Prisoner made a statement in whioh he first disclaimed all knowledge of the pin, stating that he did not know how she became possessed of it, but ended by saying that if they thought there was any case he would plead guilty. His Worship said he thought the conduot of the prisoner in regard to this case was very bad indeed. He had endeavoured to exouße himself by casting suspicion on his wife, who was absent. He had the appearance of a respectable man, but was a mere fraud on society. He would be sentenced to ail months' imprisonment with hard labour. Prisoner was then removed. LABOKHy bboh thb Pisbson. —Mary Ann Ford, out on bail from May 28th, appeared to answer a oharge of having stolen three ten peund notes from Wm. Young. Mr Joyce appeared for the defence. Prosecutor deposed that on the afternoon of May 27th he and a mate named Peterson went to the bouse of Mrs Boyd in Madras street. He had then in his pooket three £lO 8.N./, notes. He saw accused there. 'He remained with her till late at night. He missed his money before he left. He had got drunk in the house. Cross-examined—He had come up from Lyttelton. Had been drinking all day. Did not knowwhere he had been before he went to Mrs Boyd's. He was the worse of drink before he went there. Could not say what he drank there, Hod oonsted bis money at Lyttelton.

He then had £34 in notes in his purse. Could not say how much he had spent from that to bis arrival at the house. He mast have ohanged some of the £1 notes, but he did not know when or where. Must have given accused money for drink, but did not know how much, or what was its description. When he same to himself about midnight his purse was gone. Had taken a detective to the house shortly afterwards. Somebody in the house handed him £B, saying that was the ohange of a £lO note which had been put away for him. Charles Petersen said he was mate of the prosecutor; had gone to the house of Airs Boyd with him at the time already stated; saw prisoner and four J other girls there. Both men " shouted " several times. After a while, about 4 p.m., witness left the bouse. Prosecutor was then in bed asleep. Witness, after the theatre was over, went to look for prosecutor, whom he met in the street. To tho Bench—Prosecutor was "jolly enough " when he arrived at the house. They went to the house of their own accord. They had been drinking during the day, but they had only two drinks in Chris tohuroh before going to the house. He thought his mate had about £4O on him. Could not say how prosecutor paid for the drink. Witness and prosecutor had asked a cabman on their arrival to drive them to a " shop," and he had taken them to Boyd's, of which, however, they had heard at Kaikoura, whence they came. Hose McOluskie, a single woman, living at Mrs Boyd's house, deposed to prisoner handing her a £lO note, which, at her request, witness got changed at the Star and Garter, getting two bottles of lemonade. Prisoner handed her £8 to keep for prosecutor, retaining the balance. Prisoner told her proseoutor was too drunk to take the money. Witness afterwards handed the £8 to the detective. She had before brought drink in, about £1 worth, to the order of the men; that had been paid in silver. Prisoner gave witness the money to keep because she had no place to keep it. Detective Neil deposed that he went to the house named on the night of May 27th, after midnight. Young was with him and identified the prisoner as a girl he had had some conversation with. Prisoner denied at first, but afterwards admitted it. He received £B, which previous witness told him was the change of a £lO note received by prisoner from proseoutor. The money was given from a drawer where there were four other cotes and some silver, which witness took possession of, and which MoCluskie said had been taken for drii.k supplied. Some of it was beer at 5s per bottle. Cross-examined —He arrested prisoner ! immediately after going to the house. She was drunk. Prosecutor had no difficulty in identifying prisoner. Mr Joyce addressed the Bench, urging that there was no evidence to oonneot the prisoner with the loss of the money. The Benoh thought no case had been made out. Prom the evidence it appeared prosecutor was quite ignorant of what he had been doing. If men would be so reokless as to go to houses of that kind with large sums of money on them, they must put up with the consequences, and if they suffered it really served them right. The case had not been proved, and accused must be dismissed. The £8 was ordered to be given, and the rest of the money to Young. Gammihg in a Licensed House.— Chan. Lewis, licensee of the Biccarton Hotel, was charged with having permitted gambling in the form of shaking with dice to take place in his licensed house. The action arose out of certain evidence given in a case in which a few days ago a man named Hulston was committed for trial for horse stealing. It was then shown that a son of the present aocused " shook" Hulston whether in the purchase of the stolen horse the price paid should be £ls or £3O. Lewis had won the throw, and got the horse, its harness and a dray for the smaller sum. The attention of the police had been drawn by the Benoh to this evidence, and the present proceedings were the result. Walter Lewis, son of defendant, aged nineteen, deposed that on May 21st, some time about noon, during the absence of his father, and while ■ his brother Alfred had charge of the bar, but who was outside the door at the moment, he , bad taken the dice from behind the bar, and thrown with them as before stated with Hulston, who had been at the house since early that morning. His brother came in, and seeing what was going on took away the dice. That was too late, however, to prevent Hulston from losing the game. He was often left in charge of the bar, but had not been bo left at that time. His brother was absent about five minutes, but the horse transaction, including the dicing, oooupied about half an hour. Hulston was not drunk as early as shortly after 8 a.m. Witness paid for the horse, &c, out of his own money by notes and four pounds in silver. It was nothing unusual for witness to have a large quantity of silver. Had an aoconnt at a bank, but Hulston declined to take a cheque. Hugh Donelly, a laborer, was present at the time the game was played. He described Hulston as being drunk ; he was " wrestling with grog," could not stand, and could only speak a little. He heard Hulston say that " that throw settled the horse and dray." One of the sons of the licensee had been in the game with him. Thos. Patten was at the hotel about midday. He saw either Walter or Alfred Lewis, he could not tell which, throwing dice with one Carlton for a re-sale of the horno, &o. ; they were throwing whether the price should be £l7 10s or £lB. [The witness and Donelly, who said he had "about four pints of beer in him" at the time of the gambling, were unable to say whioh of the brothers had been throwing the dioe with Hulston or Carlton, although both were made to stand up in Court.] Alfred Lewis and Ohas. Lewis, the licensee of the hotel, corroborated the evidence of Walter Lewis as to the throwing being carried on without their knowledge and permission. In answer to the benoh the latter said he did not keep dioe box and dioe in his house as ornaments. They were used oooasionally for throwing for drinks, but until the present case had never been used in gambling for money. Mr Thomas admitted the gambling as far as Walter Lewis was conoerned, but submitted it had been fully proved that it had been done without tho knowledge of, [or possibility of prevention by defendant. He called the attention of the Benoh to the fact that the house so far bore a first-rate reputation, no complaint of any kind having previously been made as to its management. The Magistrates retired, and on resuming the president said the evidence disclosed the fact that the house in whioh this disgraceful transaction had taken place, had been conducted in a very reprehensible manner. The Bench thought they were unable in face of the positive evidence that had been given to convict on the oharge brought, but it was a very narrow esoape for the licensee, who had better acoept the warning. If there was any further reports of such bad practices as supplying drink to drunken men, &c, he would stand a chanoe of losing his license. The case was dismissed