RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, GREYMOUTH.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 142, 8 December 1866, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, GREYMOUTH.

TiII'IISUAV, DliOKMliKl: 0. (Beforo Justice A ylmer, Esq., 11. M.) LAIJCKNY. Robert' Crnikshank was charged with havin" stolen two Lit) notes, three L 5 note.-, and one half -sovereign, from thi Canadian Hotel, on the iith iusfc. . Elizabeth. Shilling, servant at the Can.-uUri 1 Hotel, deposed that on the previous day sin missed somo money from her trunk a'-on' two o'clock. Sho had last seou it at ni'ir o'clock on the. previous night. The money was wrapped .'"up in a piece of paper, Tin head dress . produced was also in the same trunk. Prisoner slept in witness's room where tli«- money \v:is kept !>« Tuesday night. He had not slept there before. Maw prisum r at her trunk on Wednesday morning, with the head dress iv his baud. Wiiyiess asked him wliat right he had there, and was goiiiLto take thu lfeaddress from him, hub he returned- it to the box before she could do so. Prisoner told Mr Paul that he had only one L 5 note on him. William Paul, proprietor of the Canadian Hotel, stated that he remembered the first witness reporting to him that she had some money stolon from her on the ">th inst anionntiug to I -So 10s. Prisoner had been flaying in the li -tel for two or three nivlit? previous to the. robbery. The room in which t'"e money was kept was not the room in which tlie'prisoner had slept the : night previ'jus to the ro')bery. No other person but the prisoner slept lii Miss Shilling's room the night of the robbery. On mentioning thr loss of the money to' the prisoner lie said he had not touched it, and that he had only onL 5 note on him. Saw the prisoner searched by the constable, and besides the L.I note Ik had given witness previously there Merc three^Ll notes, onje half-sovereign, and souk silver take.n from him. When he (witness '•; had asked prisoner how much he had, In gave him a L."} noto and said that was all lir had, and when the constable a9kcd him h<said lie had no money on him. Cross-examined by prisoner : A Mrs Han nah ami a little boy slept iv the room up tt Monday Jiigl.t, the 3rd inst, Police- ponstable M'Cormick stated thai the prisoner before he was arrested said he had two or three shiV.i.igs. < n icai-ehim him fouud the three LI notes produced and a half-sovereign and 10s in silver. Witness* Mhen arrestocVtlie prisoner. -•«P|ss?riso'uer stated that he meddled with - notfiing. He was a little groggy. He called.Tames MMdletim, who stated that-nrisoncr came into his house on the day iii -yiUestio! with a LlO note in his hand. "Witnesy changed it for him, and jpive him one L". note, four \A notes, and 4s in silver. It was between 12 and 1 o'clock when witnesschanged the note. C.'Vollans, clerk at tin Bank of New Zealand, stated that tho prisoner had somr money deposited in the Bank to the amount of LF4 or more. Prisonei lias had several . deposits at various times. James Howett, a miner, knew the prisoner. He was at the .Royal Hotel on Momlav mpraing, the 3rd inst. He had a good deal of money oil, him at tho time. Hud knowr the prisoner for 10 years, and had always >„ Uiown. him to bn a honest hard working -man. Witness did not believe prisoner capable of committing a robbery. William. Paul, recalled, said he had known tli6vp.i4soner.for 12 months ; he had stopped at witness's hotel frequently. Prisoner hail always paid his way, and was never short of 'money, and bore a good character. He had beeii spending money at the hotel prior to the robbery. v 'Other evidence in favor of the character of the prisoner was given, and the Magistrate dimi3sed the charge. . civil c asics. Lafravc* iii v.Halloran.— Claim, Ll9 14s Od. "Judgment for the plaintiff, by default. O. Button v. Ellis and Leathwood, — Claim, LlO 7s 6d. Judgment for plaintiff, by default. L Slaw' tch v Black.— Claim, L 4 Ss 6d. Judgment for plaintiff, by default. J. A. KeenaiL v. Albert (Maori).— Claim, LI 10s. Judgment for plaintiff, by default. Jas. Henry v. Rugg.— Claim, L2O, Judgment f i>r plaintiff for L 3 and casts.