POLICE COURT, QUEENSTOWN.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 102, 20 April 1864, Page 5

POLICE COURT, QUEENSTOWN.

(Before Richmond Beetham, Esq., R.M.) Monday, 18th April. Drunk.—Charles Austin was discharged in consequence of being locked up since Saturday night • Horse-Stealing.—Joseph Stancliffe, on bail, appeared to answer the charge of having stolen a horse, the property of James Watson, a miner. Mr Inspector Percy prosecuted; Mr Campbell appeared for the pnsoner. J. M'Cloughlan, a miner, was called, and proved that his mate, M'Quilken, purchased the horse now produced, and that upon a division of the property belonging to the mining firm, the horse fell to his lot. Afterwards gave the horse and receipt to another mate of his named Watson. Identified the horse by his color and general appearance, aud his four white feet. When in his possession he had no brands ; there seemed to be one now. M'Quilken was a mate of his, but hedissolved partnership with him at the time the horse was given to Watson, and he knew the horse was Watson's. Jas. J. Wells, a publican living near Arthur's Point, had known the prisoner for several months aud had seen the horse produced in the possession of the prisoner some time before the races. Asked the prisoner if he was going to enter the horse for the races : the prisoner said no, the horse did not belong to him. Saw the horse again in the possession of Mr Bond. Cross-examined—Believe the prisoner makes it a matter of business to search for strayed horses. He said he had got the horse in for some one, but do not remember his saying anything about a reward. Constable Lawlor sworn, said that his attention was called to a crowd of people at Arthur's Point, as the prosecutor was demanding a horse in the possession of Mr Bond. Made inquiries cf Bond how h/Lhad obtnin?d po.*sesai'V, when Went vviih Borni to the prisoner's residence, and he said, in reply to my inquiries, that he had got it two days ago at the Point. Believing this statement to be false, I arrested the prisoner: on the way to the camp he said he had found it three days ago on the Big Beach, and made several other contradictory statements. When brought to the camp he produced a document which he stated was the authority by which he brought in the horse. He said the man M'Kinnon, who gave him the order, lived at Shellback Beach. Made careful inquiry there, and could find no traces of such a person. Cross-examined—Cannot swear whether Mr Bond was with us all the time the inquiry was being made. Believe Mr Bond w«s one of the parties who accompanied us to the camp. Do not recollect the prisoner saying the horse was not his. Mr Campbell submitted that the case was full of contradictions—that the receipts describing the horse did not agree—and further, that no evidence had been produced to show that the prisoner was in possession of the horse with a criminal intent. The prisoner had received an order from a man named M'Kilton, whom they could not find. The prisoner had no intention of using the horse. Mr Inspector Percy—The prisoner is a character well known to the police, and really, if men like these are allowed to hunt up horses— Mr Campbell—l object— Mr Beetham—l must dismiss the case, though I do not think the receipt from M'Kilton is at all satisfactorily accounted for. Nicholas Trethowan—charged with embezziiug £75, value of goods entrusted to his care for sale by Hare and Bull, merchants, Invercargill—was committed for trial to Dunedin, his worship remarking that sufficient prima facie evidence had been elicited in the prisoner changing his name, and taking out under the false name a ticket in Cobb's office at the Dunstan, and in the confession made to the detective that he had spent a part of the money, to justify him in sending the case to trial. We observe that that long-closed place of amusement—the Theatre Royal—is about to be again opened ; and though only for two nights, yet there is scarcely a person in Queenstown but will be glad of even this short respite from monotony. Mr Bob Dale, the talented comedian, has announced his farewell, and has organised a corps of amateurs to assist him in giving two dramatic representations on that occasion. We trQSt that a good house will reward that gentleman's efforts to amuse them On Saturday, on Arthur's Point Racecourse, a match for £IOO is to be run between Mr Sear's Scrubber and Mr Bracken's Harkaway, catch weights, for three miles. Several other mtches are also to be run.