RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 69, 16 June 1877, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

FOXTOKV TfIUBSDAY, JtTNE 14 . (Before E. S. Thynne, Esq., J.P., and Dr. Kockstrotr.) Charles Moore was brought up, charged with having stolen a coat of ■ the value of 30s from -the store of Solo-' mon Abrahams, of Palmersfon. Prisoner pleaded not guiltySolomon Abrahams, being sworn, said : I know the prisoner by sight, having seen him in my store." "Yesterday I missed the coat from the store, and shortly afterwards saw it in posses-

sion of the prisoner; > TJie coat now piv s duced is my. property. tliad : put tlie coat, trousers,, and waistcoat on one side for/a party who said they, would come . in later for theni^r have not sold a coat pi this description to anyone. I was in the yard at the time the prisoner toot the coat. I.had a suspicion Gfitj as the prisoner came into the store without a coat; and when h3 went out Had a coat under his arm. I followed him and took him over to Constable Donnelly^S house. -'"■ ■ ■•• ■ The prisoned declined Jb cross-ex-amine the witness. • :.• ■' ~ - : James Donnelly, being sworn, said : I am a member of the Armed Constabulary; stationed dt Palmerston. Abou fc nine o'clock yesterday morning' the prisoner was-' brought : to my residence, charged with stealing a coat. I arrested himi and locked himup; he told me that he hadbought the coat from McDonald at the Gorge. ~ I know nothing against the prisoner ; he has. been in Palmer stoiv .; . the last two days^^uid from^ihie' to-time' been backwards; and lorwards. :He has : evidently been drinking very heavily lately. - .. - ; ".: ;;■•-■ ;■ - -\ ' Prisoner did rioF question iliis witness. . ■/,,.'•" '.'.-■ *■ .',- ;'/-':''.","- /" . Prisoiler said he. had! bougnt a coat like the. one -he r. '■:■■ was v.^acoased..- . of* stealingV from Mr McDonald at thd" Gorge; 'and.iflt/'was-not^eone^^yifiast'. -hlwelefthisin: &<^;s^ this frbnouv / ■ ; v;y i "' | ; :/^f^.^ ;,' The Bench said it was eiea'r^^irbved that he had stoien' the coat/ that there 1 ;\ was a great deal of pej^h^e&ny going on in the district, .and It wis q"uite time" a stop was put' to it. : They would s"6fitenee'liini to;two: months.' /iniprisbSmSn* with; hard labor in the Wellington gaol; George Groll wa? charg^ed^on an iiiformation .jvith Having thrown; stones. inV thepublic streets; and" thereby; causing damage to a dwelling. , . Prisoner 1 pleaded guil^i ;-_- Pktrick O'BrienV being sworn; .said* lam a laborer liyirig M Foxtdiii I wasl injiny house on^ the;^ night tif^l2fch; ber tWeen 8 and 10 o'clbck^H stones were" thrown^through invr ; wmdpW ; .- -Th^, stone now' "produced is-on^^f them.[The stone ptfoduceiwas about tlie; r sii6' of a man's fistQiXweiit outside anil saw the;pepple there [the prisoner^as one of them. This is -not the ; first time stores have ;been N ihf6Wn atiny whare. jlbout tem days ago the same thing hap-* j3ened.' ; '- : . Z-r^y-'!:^^ '■■:. -■-'-■ :','"-\;// .'" Constable Prirdeiljasked the Bench to make; an example 6i the prisoner as he" was the captain of a i gang '6f larrakins.Several, complaints 'had been made to* him rof their v doings Hlates A little" while age?, a child /was nearly killed by a : stbhe which had been thrown, and the; sooner the gang 4 - was' .brbk.en up s -the better. -The stones which -he' produced mt(st;liave been carried from some" distance| ; ;;as i iihere; were ; none pfl' ' that size near." tltecbmplainaht's wtiare. ' The Bencli in addr'essing^the prisoner' said; that undet the Vagrant A«t they' I had the power to imprison him .[ for sis "tnonths. It wfis'not Isaife .nibw to walk; about Foxton after/dark on .account .of the larrikins/ ' and this' sort of thing ; must be put a stop to. Eespectable inhabitants were not to be annoyed rby su lot of larrikins who ought, to know -better. As v^s : .was tn^i&st case that had been brought up the Bench would, r.brily > sentence him to_ twenty-four hours' • imprisonmerit- and: they; trusted thiaf .would nqt oiilj vbe a cauti&n tb;him but to^the rest 'of iiis^ iand jttie youths in Eoxton generally^ ;'■; ; if . any mote cases were brought : before them-_ they, would- deaßl. /much, more withtheinv .' ' " Constable Purcell. said as the Benchhad dealt so leniently with the;;prisoner^ .;'. he would request the Bench- to bind him dver to keep i; the p^eacie^as unless^,, this was done he was afifaid r that the);' same thing might happe,n>gain. The Bench said 'they did not think it' requisite to do this as they; deemed!the,imprisonttTen't would be a'sufficieni? . 'caution to^;the prisbnerV '. > ; ..