RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Kumara Times, Issue 282, 30 August 1877, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Thursday. August 30. (Before M. Price, Esq., R.M.) DRUNKENNESS.

George Cross and Daniel Courtney were fined 10s each, for being drunk. William Bracken and Charles Harrington did not answer when called upon. ASSAULM. John Walsh pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting Alexander M'lJeil on the 23rd inst. Alexander M'Neil, whose head was plastered, deposed to a quarrel having taken place between himself and the defendant about a woman, which ended in a series of violent blows with a knobbed stick, and deprived witness of his senses. When he recovered his senses he found himself in the hospital. He had been drinking, but was not drunk. Wilham Mathie was ca’led for'the prosecution, but did not. appear. A warrant for his arre-t was issued.

Sub-Inspector O’Donnell gave evidence as to the injures which hal been inflicted. They were not verv serious.

T ie case was adjourned til! to-morrow, but bed ore the n a xi case could be entered upon Maihie apoeared. William Mathie deposed that defen-

dant gave M'Neil, who was on the ground, two or three “licks” with a stick. M'Neil fell over a large stone. Witness could not swear who the man was that struck the blow.

Detective Brown deposed that the defendant had informed him that the cause of the quarrel was M'Neil’a calling him (defendant) an “ old trap.” Defendant said that he had been challenged by M'Neil, who had armed himself with stones, .

Michael Moloney confirmed defendant’s version of the origin of the quarrel! He had not seen the blows struck. ■/*' His Worship sentenced defendant to one month’s imprisonment! with hard labor. / BANS ROBBERY. ’ Robert' M. Hogg was charged that he did, on the 10th day 6f August, 1877. at Eumara, then being employed in the capacity of clerk to the Corporation known as the Bank of New South W.ft feloniously steal, take and carry away tSe sum of £499 in bank notes, £36 10s in gold coin, and bank cheque for the sum of £5, one bag of gold dust of the value of £1,597 15s 6d, one bundle of unsigned, bank notes, 400 in. number, and one revolver of the value of £6 the moneys goods and chattels of, and belonging to the said corporation, his employers &o. Messrs Perkins and Reid appeared for the prisoner. Mr Hawkins said he wished to appear for the prisoner but had been unable to see him. Mts O’Donnell said that the prisoner had reused to see Mr Hawkins until the evening, Mr Hawkins said he had been unable to ace prisoner in the evening. The following'evidence was taken William Dowling Kerr deposed : I am manager of the Bank of ?few South Wales, Hokitika, and reside at Hokitika. I know the prisoner, who was actingagent of the bank at Kumara foirabout twelve months, up to Monday, thh lSth August. The Branch was and launder my control. The prisoner was in the capacity of clerk for the bank. Mr Lanauzb was clerk with prisoner. He was clerk and teller for over twelve months, npto the 25th Inst. I remember the 10th August. I bad visited the bank previous to then on the 20th July. On that occasion I examined the bank accounts. They were correct as far as the books showed. It'was quite possible that a deficiency might exist, which the books would not show; My examination would not disclose it. It might be done by the holding back of deposit credit slips. Money might have been brought to the bank by customers and not have been credited to them. On the morning of Friday, the 10th August, I visited the bank, a little after II o’clock. I saw both Mr Hogg and Mr Lanauze in the bank I came in the usual way, and had heard nothing which caused me to come. Mr Hogg reported that the bank had been robbed that morning by one or two people—two men he supposed. They had got the revolver from under his head while he was asleep, and *he keys from under Mr Lanauze while he was asleep. They had opened the,safe and taken away the whole of the teller’s cash and the bas? of gold-dust. He told me that the bag of gold had been picked up outside the’bank and 400 unsigned one p-mnd notes at the back of the section. He went on to explain how he supposed the robbery had occurred. All the teller’s cash he said had been recovered except £lO worth of silver. Some of the money he said had b«en picked up on the floor of the office. On the previous evening he had been sitting with a friend (Mr Wylde) in the back room Mr Lananz being away at tea—when he thought he beard footsteps in the front office. He asked Mr Wylde if he heard anything, Mr Wylde said he did not. Prisoner went ont to the office and saw nobody. He went to bed a little after 12 O clock. He was disturbed during the night by something moving his pillow. He thought it was a rat, as rats were in the habit of running over his bed. Shortly afterwards he felt something touching his face. This also he thought was a rat, A ; little while after he heard a noise, as he supposed, at the safe in the office. He put his hand,under the pillow for his revolver and called Mr Lanauze. He found his revolver gone. He went into the office to get another revolver hanging behind the counter in the office. As he did so he saw a man disappearing at the front door, which was partially open. He fired at the man, and then heard the noise of the tray, in which the teller’s coin was kept, falling on the floor. He followed the man, who retreated by the side of the bank, and who stumbled over a cask there. Prisoner fired another shot at the retreating man, and tried to fire the other barrels of the revolver, but they missed. The man then turned on him, and prisoner threw the revolver away and ran back to the office, where he had left Mr Lanauze in charge. He said Mr Lanauze woke up as he fired the revolver. He pointed out where the bullet had gone through the door into the door-jamb. He also showed me the bag of gold and the unsigned notes, which he said had marks of blood on them, He subsequently informed me that he had that morning received an anomynous letter through the post office. He said he liad left it in the custody of . Mr Birch, clerk of the Court. {Left sitting.]