MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 57, 18 March 1881, Page 4

MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

A very curious cas- of this hind occuned in Christchurch a few days ago. A man named in the chargesheet as Robeit Littlecott, alias Alfred Jones, was brought up in custody at the Christchurch Police Court, charged with stealing a gold mourning ring, the property of a Wellington cabman namedßobert Palmer. The evidence ofthe prosecutor was to the effect that whilst stopping at a boardinghouse in Christchurch in June, 1879, he left a ring— tho one produced — in his trousers pocket, in a bedroom occupied by him. The prosecutor also swore that the prisoner slopt in the same bedroom with him on the night before the ring was mi?sed, and that he met the prisoner in Wellington, at the R. M. Court, where the latter received a sentence of six months impr sonment. The prosecutor was quite sure that the prisoner was the same man who occupied the room at the boarding-house in t hriscchurch. A former pawnbioker in Christchurch, named Louis Herman, also deposed to the best of his belief, that the prisoner was the man who pledged the ring produced for 6s with him, on June 4th, giving his name at the time as Charles Clark Ihis witness had not scon tho prisoner until Friday last, when ho picked him out of three men as heing the person who pawned the riog. For tha defence the pri-. soner, called the steward ofthe Ak»roa Cottage Hospital, who swore that the prisoner was an inmate of thit insii tution from Apri 7th to June 30th, 1879, and during that time h id never been absent for twenty-four houts. Tbis witness produced entries in the Hospital register wbich fully cono* borated his statement. Tho Rev MiAnderson, of Akaroa, also identified the accused as having been an innia^ ©f the Akaroa Hospital. In tho face of thiif evidence the magistrates dismissed the case, remarking that they BBught Mr Littlecot very hardly treated, and that his tare and' expenses should be gaid back to Wellington, from whence he had been brought ou warrant by {he polioe Mr Littlecott was very indignant, and said it was his intention to lay an informa tUtt Bfittinat Puller for perjury.