POLICE OFFICE, June 6, 1846. Before H. St Hill, Esq., P.M.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 90, 10 June 1846, Page 3

POLICE OFFICE, June 6, 1846. Before H. St Hill, Esq., P.M.

The examination of T. O'Loughlau, C. O'Loughlnn, and G. Ovingdon on the charge of being concerned in the robbery of Mr. Waitt's warehouse in January last, was resumed this day at eleven o'clock, before H. St. Hill, Esq., the Police Magistrate. The Police Office was attended during the day by a number of persons, who appeared to take an interest in the investigation of the case. Mr. Ross conducted the case for the prosecutors ; Mr. D. Wakefield appeared for T. O'Louphhn, Mr. King for C. O'Loughlan, and Mr. Gator for G. Ovingdon. George Pairson. a constable in the Wellington police fore* 1 , deposed — he had been that morning to the house of T. O'Loughlan, at Oiienia Bay, accompanied by T. O'Lougblan's wife; she told him that "the things" meaning a pair of trowsers and a piece of cloth, were not in the house, but in the bush ; he proceeded to the spot, acoompanied by O' Loughlati's wife, and after some search found ti;e bag now produced concealed in the centre of a large flax bush ; on examining the bag he found in it a package containing the pair ot irowsers and the piece of cloth now produced ; the prisoner T. O'Loughlan, of his own accord, this morning told him he had a pair of trowsers and a piece ol cloth which he wished to give up,- and in consequence lof this information, by Serjeant Swallow's diiectioo, he went, accompanied by prisoner's wife, to his house ; the prisoner T. O'Loughlan stated he was clear of the theft, and was willing to give up the articles now produced. F. F. O'Reilly, tailor, deposed that about a mo'tth ago he was employed by T. O'Loughlau to make some trowsers fo r him ; he was directed to go to T. O'Loughlau's house to get t'le stuff; he obtained a piece of duck and made it up into two pair of trowsers ; he also made for the prisoner C. O'Loughlan two pair of trowsers and a jacket of the same material ; he afterwards made a cloth jacket for each of the prisoners, a pair of trowsers and waistCuat of plaid stuff for C. O'Loughlan, and a plaid waistcoat lor T. O'Longhlan : On Sa- | turday last witness received about a yard and ] a quarter of blue cloth from T. O'Loughlan to make a pair of trowsers of ; the trowsers now produced were made by witness from the piece of cloth given to him by the prisoner ; witness tore off the piece of cloth from a piece of about three yards and three quarters ; he had no scissors, and was obliged to nick it with his teeth ; the duck was given to witness by the prisoners, C and T. O'Loughlan separately, to make their own garments ; the duck was in pieces varying in s ze from three to six yards each ; to the best of witness' knowledge the piece of cloth marked No. 1, now produced, is the remainder of the piece

, of cloth from which he tore off the yard and a quarter ; the piece of cloth s No. 1 has been torn, not nicked. Cross-examined by Mr. D. Wakefield. — Witness nicked the cloth with his teeth j does not know the Value of the cloth wholesale ; witness never bought any in Wellington. By Mr. Catok. — Thinks it was some time in April witness had the first job from T. O'Loughlan, who told him he got the duck from the man-of-war ; witness never asked prisoner where he got them. By Mr. Ross. — Both pieces of cloth marked No. 1 and 2 have been torn and not cut. Thomas Floyd, gaoler, deposed that the prisoner G. Ovingdon was in his custody from 11th of April to 3d of June last, during which period he was visited three or four times by the prisoner C. O'Loughlan ; his visits did not extend longer than from a quarter to half an houi ; witness was present at each of these visits, and did not hear any conversation about cloth ; overheard a conversation about' employing counsel to defend Ovingdon: , " /' Cross-examined by Mr. Cator. — Witness had a key belonging to Ovingdon, which l.c wanted to give to C. O'Loughlan ; Ovingdon wished O'Loughlan to get his box from some person whose name witness does not remember ; witness gave the key to Ovirgdon who gave it to C. O'Loughian ; on another occasion witness heard the box had been broken open ; did not hear if any cloth was found in it. By the Court. — Has left the prisoners C. O'Loughlan and G. Ovingdon alone for about five minutes ; my wife was always present. By Mr. Ross.-— Does not mean to say he hears all the conversation that takes place between prisoners and their friends. William Gill, seaman, deposed he was in Wellington gaol last May, for a breach of the ,- Raupo Ordinance ; during that time C. O' l Loughlan paid a visit to Ovingdon who was 5 also in gaol, when witness overheard a conversation between them ; witness was walking to and fro in the gaol yard, and the prisoners were in the gaoler's room, when he overheard Ovingdon tell O'Loughlan to take a piece of cloth out of his chest to pay the lawyer. By Mr. Ross. — This conversation took' place in the gaoler's room. By Mr. Cator. — Witness heard Ovingdon speak about the cloth to pay the lawyer ; knew it was Ovingdon's voice ; after witness came out of gaol, the prisoner Ovingdon's wife, told witness all about Mr Waitt's robbery and where the things were planted ; witness told Kennedy, who was in Mr. Waht's employ, what he had heard ; two months before he went to gaol witness was accused of the robbery, and was anxious to find out who the thieves were ; knew nothing about the robbery until he came out of gaol ; Ovingdon's wife did live in his house, but is no} there now ; had no other information about the robbery except what Ovingdon's wife told him. By the Court. — Mrs. Ovingdon did not tell witness there were other things besides* ' those now produced in Court ; she said thtiy were planted at T. O'Loughlan's ; when witness overheard the conversation between the prisoners about the cloth, he had no suspicion the cloth had been stolen from Mr. Waitt's store ; when the conversation took place, witness saw Floyd the gaoler: go into the insane yard, he (Floyd) was not present when the ' conversation took place. Edward Swallow, sergeant of the Police I *' Force, deposed to having made a further search that morning at T. O'Loughlan's house,' when he found the black cloth waistcoat and pair ofblankets now produced ; Mrs. O'Loughlan' said she could account for the blankets ; believes she said that prisoner had the waistcoat some considerable time. ' •' ' JR. Waitt, merchant, deposed to the goods stolen ftom his premises as stated in his pre- ' vious examination. The blankets now produced are similar in every respect to those stolen in January last ; cannot swear to the blankets now produced as being part of the blankets stolen from him in January last,' b'iu to the best of his belief they are the same. By Mr. Wakefield. — Believes the . same \ pattern and the same size blankets may have | been sold here before. The prisoners were then remanded to Tuesday, the 9th inst. Yesterday the examination of the prisoners was resumed, but the only material additional lact elicited was, that a box belonging to the wile of Ovingdon, which had been left at Mr. Mounsher's the tailor, where she had for some time been staying as servant, had been searched by the Police, and it was found to contain, articles similar in every respect to those stolen" from Mr. Waitt's warehouse. The prisoners . were then fully committed by the Police Magistrate to take their trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court. T. &C. O'Loughlan were admitted to bail ; themselves in £100 each, and two sureties of £50 each. Ovingdon not being provided with bail was committed to prison.

Mauritius. — It appears that the Mauritians have been thrown into a state of great excitement in consequence of a despatch from Lord Stanley containing an Order in Council, by which it is directed that wherever the French language was formerly used, as in the public Ordonnances, in Courts of Law, &c, the English language shall be henceforth substituted. The Mauricien, of 13th January, has the following, amongst other remarks : — * " It must therefore be apparent to every one who looks on the order in Council with impartiality, chat it is most injudicious and arbitrary. Lord Stanley, in his government of the colonies, has been accused of sacrificing the interests of the colonists to the convenience of the Home Government. The present order in Council is an instance, and the general discontent which prevails in almost all the colonies is a proof of thi3 allegation. "Iv this impolitic Order in Council, as we have before remarked, we cannot say whether the idea emanates from Lord Stanley, or whether lie has been instigated to it, which we strongly suspect, from advices which he may have received on the subject from hence. Be that as it may, we must continually expect these despotic decisions as long as the system of Colonial Government remains as it is ; for as long as the colonies have no one to -defend their interests and to represent their grievances in the House of Commons, so long will the minister be ignorant of the measures best adapted for their welfare, and so long will the colonists be deprived of that liberal government, or anything approaching to it, which rules over their fellow-country-men in Great Britain."

The Presse relates a strange farce of private life. A young Paris banker was very jealous of a pretty wife ; and one morning lately he actually encountered a man stealing out of he: bedroom. The banker challenged the stranger on the spot, appointing time 'and place for the duel, an hour thence. The other appeared to be much alarmed, but promised to be punctual and disappeared. The banker wrote a few lines, took his pistols and sallied forth. He met his wife accompanied by her maid; and burst out on the subject of his wrongs ; the lady was amazed at his agitation, declared that she knew nothing of the matter, and explained that she was just returning from a bath. They went home, and the Lothario proved to be a thief; the husband, in his solicitude about his wife's honour, having suffered the man to carry off all hu-r jewels.