RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5292, 12 March 1878, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Monday, March 11. (Before J. O. Crawford, Esq,, E.M.) VAGRANTS. Eliza Lenny was charged with drunkenness, and also with vagnyicy. Prisoner, an elderly woman, admitted the drunkenness, but -informed the Court tbat she had only been discharged from gaol on Saturday last, and had therefore not been allowed any opportunity of getting lawful means of support. The Magistrate dismissed the charge of vagrancy, and on the'other one inflicted a fine of 205., or in default forty-eight hours’ imprisonment. Sarah James was also charged with drunkenness. S, Accused : I have only just come out of gabl. His Worship : You will be fined 205., in default forty-eight hours' imprisonment. AN INEBRIATE. ; John McAlister, who appeared to be suffering from a heavy debauch, was charged with being drunk and disorderly, and also with using obscene language. . Prisoner pleaded guilty, and numerous previous convictions were proved against him. Mr. Crawford : The police had better bring huh up for vagrancy next time. If he drinks much more he will be driven to the Lunatic Asylum. A fine of 205., with the alternative of forty-eight hours’ imprisonment, will be inflicted. MAN AND WIVE. W. H. Parnell, a shoemaker, was charged on the information of Sarah Parneli, his wife, with assaulting her. ' Prosecutrix, whose head was bound up with sticking plaster, stated that her husband had threatened to murder her, and on Saturday he sharpened his shoe-knife and swore he would kill her- with it. ■ He cut her very severely, and she, in resisting his attempts to wound her, turned the weapon on him-and cut bis arm. She did not wish to have accused punished if she could get a married woman’s protection order. ' ; - a On the suggestion of the Magistrate an ap. plication for a protection order was then made on the ground of cruelty and drunkenness. Mr. Fitz Gerald appeared in support of the order, to the granting of which accused expressed his concurrence. Prosecutrix stated that she had two children, and defendant was a pensioner of the Royal Artillery, in receipt of lid. day. The Magistrate granted the order, defendant to pay £1 a week and costs. The assault case was withdrawn. FALSE PRETENCES. Robert Jacobsen, alias Count Audrd Mouravieff, was charged, on remand, with having, on the sth -March, at Pahautanui, obtained, by means of a valueless cheque, from Henry Hillen, a pony and .mare, and also £5 Is., with intent to defraud. 1 Prisoner was undefended. Mrs. Louisa Caroline Hillen, wife of the prosecutor, said her husband kept the Pahautauui Hotel. At the beginning of the present month accused came to stop at the hotel, and represented himself as belonging to the Russian Embassy, and stated that one object of his mission was to gather information and write a book on New Zealand. He lived in high style at the hotel, always having extra dinners, 1 with'poultry and champagne. He also received a great many visitors during his stay, and took a fancy to 'a mare belonging to witness, which he purchased. He gave witness two cheques, each for the sum of £5, in payment of his account, but’on the cheques being presented at the bank for payment, they were dishonored. He had also given a cheque for £2O, and received £5 Ik balance In cash.'- i.’ It was on his representation she took th%;k " cheques, as he informed her that he had £2OO in the bank to his credit. Alfred Godfrey Martelfi, ledger-keeper in the Union Bank, Wellington, deposed to the accused . having no account at tbat bank. Witness knew accused very well by sight. He formerly had an account at the bank in the name of Jacobsen. There would be £lO to his credit on the 23rd instant, of which they had been advised from their London office. 1 This concluded the case for the prosecution, and prisoner said he had nothing to say at the present stage of the proceedings.

Accused was then charged with having, on the 4th of March, at Pahautanui, obtained from Thomas Robinson, by means of a valueless cheque, an opera-glass, a watch and chain, a saddle bridle and horsecloth, a pair of spurs, a waterproof coat, a pair of leggings, two pairs of socks, and a woollen shirt. Prosecutor, a laborer, said he made the acquaintance of accused at the Pahautanui Hotel, and he took a fancy to an opera-glass belonging to witness, which the latter agreed to sell him for £5, and did so. Prisoner then said he wanted a watch, and described one which be had seen in Wellington, marked at-£l3, as having taken his fancy. Witness promised to purchase it for him when he went to Wellington, and on a subsequent date he went to town and bought it. He handed it to accused, and afterwards let him have several other things, including a waterproof cloak, saddle, bridle, stockings, and leggings. As payment for these articles, he gave witness a cheque on the ' *\ TJniou Bank for £3l 2s. 5d., and this on being duly presented was returned marked “no account.” He represented himself to be Count Mouravieff, of a Russian nobleman’s family, and he said he was reporting for the Government on the general aspect ,of the colony. He also showed witness a letter purporting to come from bankers in the Strand, Loudon, and stating that £2OO had been paid to his account at the Union Bank, Wellington. It was on these representations witness let him have the articles mentioned Prisoner was fully committed to take his trial on both charges at the next criminal sessions of the Supreme Court. : HORSE-STEALING. Richard Buckridge and William Neill were jointly charged with having, on the 20th February,. 1878, at Mauawatu, stolen two horses, the property of Alfred Edward Capper. Mr. Buckley defended accused., Prosecutor stated that he resided at Manawatu, in the province of Rangitikei. He had lost two horses, which he described, both bearing brands, and one having his tail docked. A description of the animals had been forwarded to the police. Cross-examined : The brand was that of a native, now dead/ : i ■ ■ Detective Farrell deposed to having been informed regarding the horse stealing, and on the Ist instant he saw some horses., answering the description being'shipped in a steamer at the Wellington wharf. ■ They were being shipped in the name of John Oswin, Christchurch. He seized one of the horses. John Osborne, horse-dealer, residing at Christchurch, said he came to Wellington and went to the Hutt on the 24th ult. for the purpose of buying horses, having heard.that there were some for sale there. He saw the prisoners, who showed him horses, which they said were for sale. ' There were fifteen or sixteen of them, and prisoners ashed £7 10s. each .for; them. Witness asked what-they would take for the pick of-six, and Buckridge replied that they wanted to sell the lot. 1 They then asked £6B for twelve- horses,' and early next morning, before going away,'witness told them he would toss them whether he'wouldgive .£66 - .or £6B. They tossed; witness won, and gave a

chMua.fm.£fiS to.Buckridge, and received 42; back. The cheque produced was the one given by witness. It had not been paid by the baotr Qn. the same day witness saw prisoner on the road to Wellington, and asked if they were in a hurry to see whether the cheque was right. He identified one of the horses in the Courtyard as part of his purchase. Its tail was different, having been bitten short by calves or foals. This concluded the evidence adduced by the police. Mr. Buckley submitted that there was nothing to warrant Jleill being sent to the Supreme Court. 'His Worship was of opinion that there was sufficient to commit both men for trial. After the usual caution had been administered, Buckridge said he had purchased the horses from a native named Tawhera, and Neill had nothing more to do with the horses than help to drive them down. Prisoners were then charged with having on the 20th February stolen a bay mare, the property of Bewi Pata Kakariki. .Prosecutor stated that he last saw the’ mare running at Kakariki in January. He missed it in February, but had authorised no one to take possession of it. Witness heard from the police that the mare was in Wellington. Prior to this the horse had been missing for some time. Prisoners were fully committed for trial on each charge. CIVIL CASE. O’Shea’s Estate v. C. E. Luxford.—Claim of £39. Judgment for the amount, with costs.