MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 241, 30 January 1877, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

THIS DAY. [Before T. W. Parker, Esq., J.P.] DRUNK AN'D DISORDERLY. Robert Whitmyer, was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Thamesstreet last night. Constable Stuart gave evidence of the unruly and violent con. duct of prisoner when arrested, and the Bench inflicted a fine of £l, or six days' i mprisonm -nt. Prisoner was commencing a rambling statement in broken English about •'Yankee grab " when he was immediately grabbed himself, and quickly removed from the dock. STEALING A WATCH. Walter Umer, on remand, charged with stealing a silver lever watc i, valued at £9, the property of James Boyle, w; s again .ironglit iip. 'ihe prosec itor d. pus d that, on the 24 li of December, l.e went to sleep on a s >fa at the Queen's Hote', having on l.iui .i silver watch. When he awoke he found t ie chain hanging to his waistcoat, U t f e watch was missing. He was positive He had t: ; e watch on his pi-rson when he iay down, and that he had not given it to anyone.

E. Harding, watchmaker, Tees-street, deposed, that on the 24th February, 1876, i.e sold prosecutor a silver lever watch (No. 73,122), and on the 2.th inst. pris- ner came to his s'.iop and i.fftred the same watch for sale. Knowing, or suspecting, that it was not his property, he gave information to the police. Constable Donovan gave evidence that he met the prisoner in Wansbeck-street, and asked him where he had got the watc'i he had been trying to sell to Mr. Harding. Prisoner replied that he had bought it, and on witness asking for it, the accused took the watch out of his pocket and handed it to him. In defence, prisoner informed the Bench that on the 28th of December he was walking down the street, whsn a man came up to him and offered to sell linn a watch. He wanted £5 for it, but after some bargaining he gave him £4 103. for it. The man said his name was John Jones, but though he had since described him to several persons, no one seemed to know him.

Tae magistrate said the watch having been found in possession of prisoner, and lie not being able to properly account for it, a prima facie case had been made out, and he should, therefore, send the case to the Criminal Sittings of the Supreme Court at Dunedin.

CIVIL CASE. PJIATT AND CO., V. PHILIP WEBBER. This was an action to recover £2l lGs. lid., the amount of a judgment summons made on the 4th November, 1876. Mr. Balmer appeared for the plaintiffs, and having put the defendant into the box, examined him as to his meana of liquidating the debt. Ultimately, at the request of counsel, the case was adjourned for a week to allow of the summons being amended by the insertion of the words that defendant " contracted tie debt by fraud."