COUNTY COURT.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 8, 26 August 1842, Page 3

COUNTY COURT.

Tuesday, August IGth, Before His Honor E. S. Halswell, Esquire, Judge of the County Court, for the Southern District. (Concluded from our last.J Thomas Simpson was indicted for stealing certain monies, being the current coin of the Colony, the property of one Robert Jenkins. Edward Jones sworn—l am bar-keeper to Mr. Jenkins, of the New Zealander, situate in Manner’s-street; I saw the prisoner at the bar, for the first time, on Friday last; I had occasion to leave the bar, on account of my master’s business; I had left in the till a great many half-crowns, shillings, and fourpenny-pieces ; when I looked in the till, on my return, I found all the halfcrowns gone, and some silver was left, in amount about a pound ; I was not absent more than two or three minutes, certainly under five; in consequence of information 1 received, I laid hold of the prisoner, and desired him to return with me; John Williams took hold of him, and lie walked quietly back ; I took him inside the bar; he came in quietly ; I accused him of robbing the till; lie said lie had not; I said, you must have robbed the till, for a person had seen him put his hand in the till, and heard money rattle, and saw him draw his hand out; he said, So help me God, he had done nothing of the kind ; John Williams said, if I would let him go, lie would not; the prisoner asked me what money we had in the till, and 1 told him ; he asked me what kind of money, and I told him there were twelve or fourteen half-crowns ; he then put his hand in the right hand coat pocket, and then on the counter, nine half-crowns, some shillings, and four penny pieces, to the amount of 295. 4d. ; he said he would give every thing belonging to him, rather than go to prison ; one night I waited till Mr. Jenkins came home, who sent for a constable ; and he was taken in charge, to the best of my belief; no one went into the public house during my temporary absence. John Williams—l am one of the crew of the Custom House boat; I saw the prisoner for the first time on Friday last; I was in Jenkins’ public house ; I was sitting on a form at the end of the bar ; I saw the prisoner enter behind the bar, and open the drawer ; I saw liim P u t his hand into the till; I heard the money rattle from the movement of his arm ; he was putting his hand into his pocket; lie shut the drawer, and walked out of the house; it was quite light, about three o’clock in the afternoon ; I followed him out; I never lost sight of him; in consequence of what I said to the bar-man, the prisoner was brought back by him and me; he took out some silver, some half-crowns, and other silver to the amount ot about 29s.—that, he said, was all the money he had; lie was afterwards given in charge; he was never, until then, out of my sight; lie did not appear to have been drinking.

Cross-examined by the prisoner—l did not see you drinking, nor did I see some tumblers of brandy and milk ; 1 did not drink with you ; I did not speak to you ; I did not ask you what ship you belonged to. Thomas Floyd—l am gaoler at Wellington ; I know the prisoner at the bar ; he was given into my custody on Friday evening ; he pulled out a sixpence, a penny, and a fourpenny piece ; after I had searched his clothes, I could find nothing; I afterwards found one pound, eleven shillings, and sixpence—there were nine halfcrowns, ten shillings, and five sixpences ; I found this in his shoe ; my opinion is that he was in liquor. Burgess Sayer—l am chief constable ; I saw the prisoner change a note the day before he was brought to the police office; I think there was some half-crowns, and a five shillings piece. John Williams, recalled by the prisoner—He was in such a position that he might have put money into his shoe without my observing it. Depositions put in, and proved by the clerk of the police magistrate. Floyd’s evidence that he searched the prisoner, and took off a Blucher boot or shoe ; when one shoe was examined, and nothing found, he hesitated in allowing the other to be pulled off. Susan Cawdry—l am servant to Mr. Brown, Commercial Inn ; I remember seeing the prisoner at the bar; I have served him with spirits, but cannot say when ; I have served him often; I cannot say if he has spent much money in our house; he has always paid for what he has had ; but I have no recollection distinctly of any money in regard to him ; I have not taken any particular notice of his money; I cannot remember changing notes for him ; I do recollect giving change for a note ; it was one five-shilling piece, two dollars, and some shillings; there might have been some half-crowns. Guilty—Twelve months’ imprisonment, and hard labour ; one month solitary, one week at the end of each quarter.