MAGISTERIAL.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2246, 14 June 1881, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL.

CHBISTCHUBCH. Ttjbbday, Jtjhb 14. [Before J. E. Parker, Esq., J.P.I Dbtjnkbnnbsb. James Topp, for this offence, was fined 10s or forty-eight hours' imprisonment. For a first offence a man was fined 5s and cab-hire 2s. Labcbht. Biohard Medex and Mary Bobinson were brought up charged with having stolen, in April last, 12s in money and sundry household goods, the property of W. Howell, of Port Chalmers. The polioe produced the "Police Gazette," in which the offence and warrant for prisoners was advertised. They were remanded toPort Chalmers to be brought up there on arrival. Wot Dbsbbtion.—Richard Medex, the male prisoner in the former case, was charged with this offence, and on this charge also was remanded to Port Chalmers. Lunacy tbom Dbikk.—H. P. Allen, who had been sent to Lyttelton Gaol for medical treatment, was reported as being still unfit to appear, and was further remanded for seven days. LYTTELTON. Monday, Junb 13. [Before Joseph Beswick, Esq., B.M.] Embezzling Oaego.—John Jones, Hiram Miller, Thos. McCord, Albert Nelson, Peter Ohlson, Edward Hill, William McGregor, James Grey, Charles Bayford, seamen belonging to the barque Remington, from London, were charged with embezzling four oases preserved milk, value £7, part of the cargo of the vessel, also four cases of brandy, value £ll 4s, eight bottles of stout and one case of schnapps, value £3. The police withdrew the charge against Bayford, as they wished to use him for a witness. Mr Nalder appeared for the proseoution, and the prisoners, who were undefended, pleaded "Not guilty." Edward Oarr, the master of the Remington, said that during the voyage of the vessel his suspicions that the cargo was being broaohed were aroused, and he took such precautions to prevent it as he considered sufficient. On Saturday last, the vessel being then discharging alongside the Gladstone wharf,, he went forward into the forecastle, and found, there a part of a case of brandy. He had it removed aft. There was, another empty oase, which was subsequently taken away. The witness gave evidence as to a quantity of cargo similar to that charged in the plaint being missing. Charles Bayford was called, and described how that after the vessel crossed the Equator Hill and Ohlson went down the hold in the 'tween decks. They got down by the fore hatch. It had been open to get up hay, corn, &c, for the horse on board. Ohlson brought up a oase of milk. McCord took it from him, and passed it to witness, who conveyed it to the forecastle. It was afterwards broken open and found to contain four dozen tins of milk, whioh were shared by all of the crew forward, and the case put over the side. A case of milk per week was afterwards taken up for three weeks. Some toy tools were also brought up. When the ship was running down the easting Gray, Hill, McCord and Ohlson went down the ventilator, which is in the forecastle, and brought up a case of brandy. It was broken open, the bottles taken out and' put under Ohlson's bunk. One bottle was opened and passed round by Ohlson, who remarked that he would be storekeeper. That was the only lot of brandy taken during the passage, but the witness had seen two other cases in the forecastle since the ship arrived. In order to get at the brandy below a naked candle was taken down. The witness then described how that on Saturday MoCord called him into the forecastle and handed him a glass of brandy. There was a part of a oase there, lying close against the bowsprit. The witness was not aware how it came there. The oase was produced in Court, and contained eight bottles, branded " Associated Vineyard Cultivators," with oonsignees' marks, " B.S. A Co., Canterbury, No. 590." The witness remarked that during the voyage he helped to get up a oase of Geneva, bottle by bottle. Before that four bottles of whisky were brought up and eight bottles of stout. Witness was certain that everyone in the forecastle partook of the grog, and knew it to be ship's oargo. Witness said that he would have told the captain before but he was " chums" with the crew until Saturday sight, when they all said that he was creating a row and they would be down on him. Upon hearing this he replied he would tell the whole game to the mate, and he did so. Several of the prisoners examined the witness, and Gray asked the Bench to adjourn the case to allow him to employ counsel. It appeared he had previously, while in the lock-up, asked the polioe to get him a lawyer, and expected he would have been represented, but had since been given to understand that the only lawyer in the town was employed for the ship. The Bench said the application could not be entertained at this stage of the case. The police had sent word to Mr Nalder's house, but he was away, and did not return until night. The Bench thought the matter should have been mentioned before. Further evidence for the prosecution was called, a witness testifying that on the night the porter was taken up through the ventilator in the forecastle, he heard a voice resembling that of the prisoner Gray. The steward of the ship testified that not more than one, or at most two bottles of stout, were served out to the passengers. The first and second officers were called, and gave evidence that the whole of the prisoners were well behaved during the voyage, performing their duty well, and in so instance but one, in Hill's case, had any of them been seen under the influence of liquor. The Benoh sentenoed McCord, Hill, Gray, and Ohlson to nine months' imprisonment, the others to three months each. Dbttnk and Dibobdbbly.—Edward Bowley, for being drunk and disorderly, and for creating a disturbance on Saturday night in the Canterbury Hotel, was sent to prison for forty-eight hours. William McOaver, who had interfered with the police in a drunken and profane manner, was fined 40s, or four days' imprisonment.