Monday, October 14.

Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 274, 15 October 1867, Page 2

Monday, October 14.

(Before M, Price, Esq,, R-AJV WMM George Thomas Osbaldiston mm rffcmW brought up, charged with af/f m? mU watch and chain, * [ JW I 0: ' mm\ Sergeant James Clements, »|P< . *^p fl^H was in plain clothes when I arres^ VflH prisoner. I did not tell hin^'KlilSEir^j^S constable ; I had not time. M Mr Perkins addressed the bench, sub- | mitting that no case of larceny had been m made out against the prisoner. He ao w counted for the possession of the watch a by the- prisoner by stating that it waa 1 given to him by the man Hart, "who waa ] discharged on Saturday, who asked him 3 to keep it for him until the ball was over, 1 He called ' ■ ;' Sarah Ann Jones, who said she was a, married woman, residing in Greymouth. She was present at a ball at Rutherglen on the night of Friday, the llth instant, and saw the prisoner- there. She jgaa taking to him, when a man, w »° Jliijfebeen a cook at Johnston's, cameupjiurarap shook the prisoner rather roughly by||raP|P shoulder, saying, " Come out ; I Bs|ii? j you." They retired from £he baU-rooißf§L^| and I did not see anything 'handed ttipMw| prisoner. I did. not gee anything VM \wm- mhand afterwards. iaßßHwi Cross-examined by Mr James : I*^^Hh| about half-past two o'clock in the mol^^B^ when the man I have referred to spoj^^^Hra the prisoner. Other men spoke' to^^^B| prisoner ; it was nothing unusual M^^^Hl Some conversation took place as tc^^^Hi production of George Hart as a. witi^^^TCr but it was stated that he had gone toj^^^Hf; The prisoner having- been caution^^^Hra the usual manner, said : It was exa^^^Hg half-past two o'clock in the morningj^^^^Hf 1 was talking to Mr and Mrs Jones^^^H»| James Hart, the cook, came and tappecWH| me on the shoulder. He said to me injhk^ rough manner, " I want you." I replij^^B| " I don't want any drink." JETe said,j^^Sj| want t© see you privately," and I f oUd^Bßpfe him to the door. He wanted me JHj^K^ outside the door, but I would no|^jg^||p He put his hand in his coat poc^^Jhß^ : produced me a watch first ; in thif||lijjnpßPf pocket there' was a chain not a tl»|j|||jaßp; the watch. He asked me to taJ«|||ij|^Hp<' this for him. I looked at m \W' my hand, and he said, "It friend,-" I put the. watch at| d g|^^H&: ?ny left pocket. In ten niinutes^^^^Rv returned to the dancing-room, wn e^^^K| • followed me, and asked me i£J||A^^Hp' : ' . money. I said all I had l^ff|i|||^^^Bi '* reign , and 3s in silver. I IPljf^^^HL sovereign, and he said 1 must raHH^H^U up the watch to any person but m!^Hl went to the bar and had a drink, afj^^B which he asked me to go into the kitcM^LJ with him to have a cup of coffee . Wr^^^ went, when a man said; " Thisos private **&& property," and I walked dutatthj^roov- •>' again. As I was going, the maw said, "Some property has been stolenfout. of the kitchen." Hart followed me. I took out the watch and said to him, : " I hopa this is : not .the watch that has been '' stolen ;" when he said, " No ; that watch, belongs to a friend." He took away the watch from me about twenty minutes past four o'clock, saying he was' going to' look for the owner of it to give it up. I f ok lowed him to see who was the owner of. the watch, but 1 did not see him;: and Hart came back to me, asking me tojtake care of it for him again. I did not want • to^take it a second time, for I thought, there was a doubt about it ; but -I took it* put it in my~ pocket, and commenced * dancing, tUI five minutes past five o'clock. 1 then went outside, when, : I saw- the, and he^came in a jnolent man-, ncr, laid hold of m.c % •*s& -l^^bt the.

neck, and without giving mo limp to any anything, ho snatched my own watch out of my pocket. I aslcod him what was tho matter, whon ho said, "Havo you got another , watch ?" I replied, " I havo got ono of my own, because I do not travel with tw«» watches." He did not JJ" Bdy "Havo yon got a stolon watch," or I O'-' would havo produced the one I had got to ■take Ciiro of. I said I had no more watches, only ono I had got to take care of. He ordered mo to take my hands out of my pockets, and I took' my right hand out but kept my left hand in. I then took my loft hand out, with the watch in it, and held it behind my back. I would have given the-wstch up, but the constable illused me so tlic^jl would not give it up. He took the watch, and [said " don't you take me, for I'll produce the man who gave me the watch]to take care of." I then produced James Hart. I was not guilty of stealing the watch, but it was found in my possession. The prisoner was committed to take his trial at the Criminal Session of the District Court to be held at Hokitika tliis day. ,•