EXTRAORDINARY CHARGES OF ROBBERY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 298, 7 April 1877, Page 4

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGES OF ROBBERY.

At tK« Worship-strip t Potto Court, Urrerpool, Frederick William Jennn.cs, 29, was brottguts up on remand, charged witft having *' o r en a gold watc •, the property of Lctnsa Collins. The pros-cutrix, a weß-dresaed gift of atwat 2>, i» <de the acquaintance of the prisoner in the street, accepted his escort home, allowed litm to call on many anbaecjnent occasions, anil walked out with fiim, although, as she ■aid, not awar» that there was any ** sweethearting ' r about it. On one occasion,, when bidding; her good night at th» street door, he took her watch "' as if in fan,"' and although she repeatedly tried to get it back, he pot her ©tf from time to time ttotil ahout three week* had passed, and then she found that it had been Sawned. The prosecutrix gave her evidence in a very straiglitforwai d and selfcontained manner, and now, on the case being called on, said that she wis it d to withdraw from the prosecution. The mother©f the prisoner had written to her asking her to- withdraw. Mr. flannay, having been informed by the gaoler that there were other charges against the prisoner,, said that, taking the circumstances into consideration, he cotttd not allow her to withdraw. Prisoner then said he wished tw crosa-ex,amine the prosecutrix, and he did so, reading his questions from a written paper. In reply, the prostcutris admitted having told a Miss Major that she had given the prisoner her watch to have "a glass pnt in it. Tuat, however, she said, was a ** tie," and a le totd it to **cover" him (the prisoner). She had totd a ** thousand lies " to screen the prisoner. She also admitted having said that if she prosecuted, it would by "' f>r revenge." That was for thy falsehoods be had told her. fie had told her his mother was dead, hat since she (pros etitrrc) had charged t ;e prison -r, the mothtr bad written ap> a ing le. to tier, and she had proms <t to get cop .s.>u;r od', but was : "* afVai t it did net hv in her power." The watch having tvnn produced in Court, and it'e it died by the prosecutrix, prison*--, who. said lie s oidd call a witness, was ordered to be committed for trial in this case. A second e:.arj;e of » similar character was then into. 'Jho prosecutrix was Emily El-msdctu, the daughter of a tin-plate worker. Ste said that having made the prisoner's ae-piaint. he rtpresenting his father as a genshe "krpt company " wit i hum On the 2Sth September last tney were bidding "good-bye" at the street door, and took JM>s. b\l. out of htr pocket as if *'in fun." He had taken several small things from, her in the same way btfuv, and l.ad tried to get In r watch, but s ie had always prevent, d him. Wneu Le took the 165.. 6d. she asked l,im for it back, and he laughed and said s;.e was afraid to trust him. She let him go until the mxt night, when they met, and then he said tie had forgotten it. Afterwards hj- made repeated "exens-s—one, hs in is it* last eis ', that he had had his pocket-hook stol.-n from him. She saw him four or live times between the iT'th and 2.>Jt September, but after the 29; h he never came Mr. Banna** asked her how she earn.; to know that "the prisoner was m custody. Prosecutrix replied ttat slur rta l it in the papers, and came forward in justice to others. She lad no doubt that soon afcer the prisoner hit, lu r he made theaeipiatiitanceof the other young woman, and made the same offer to her. Mr. itanuay remarked ti at in this ease the pros, eutrix seemed to have t tated tie matter as a debt, and there might be some trouble •bout it. He remanded the- case for another week.