RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 626, 6 May 1878, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

THIS DAY. (Before J. Udall and A. H. Maude, Esq.'s, J.IVs) A COUPLE OF BAD CHARACTERS.

Maggie Parker and Mary Barker, two had characters, were oharged under the Vagrant Act with behaving in a riotous manner last night in Thames-street. From the evidence of Constable Johnston it appeared that the two women were quarrelling, shouting, and making use of very bad language outside a house of ill-fame kept by the prisoner Mary Barker, in Tliames-streetj near- the Town Boundary, The constable also stated that Mary Barker was a known prostitute, and the other prisoner also frequented brothels, and had been before the, Court for drunkenness,

Sergeant Beattie also gave evidence to .the eiPect that he knew the prisoner Barker as a bad character, and that her neighbors had frequently made complaints of being annoyed by her. The prisoner Mary Barker, amidst tears and sobs, said she had never been before a court before this time.

The other prisoner (Maggie Parker) repeated the assurance she had given when previously before the Court, that although she had lived in a bad house, she had never done anything wrong. She had conic to Oani:U'u with a young man who had promised to marry her, and had gone to live with " Alary" until the young man made a little money. She belonged to a respectable family She had had a few words with " IM'arv," and ran out of the house in her night-dress ; but she had not made use of any bad bad language- oh. dear no ! The 'Bench said they thought they should be chiding very leniently with the. prisoners if they sent them to gaol for one month.

DUT'NK AND DISORDERLY. Robert Tliompsoii pleads! uuilty to -aving been drunk and disorderly in Thames-street yesterday afternoon, and was fined l."is., with the opiiun of going lo gaol for 22 days. LARCENY,

Thomas Griffin, aiiaa Griffin Green, was charged with liavin«, on Saturday evening, stolen a suit of clothes of the value of L 3 7s. Gd., the property of Mr. Robert Gabites, of the London House. Prisoner pleaded not guilty. Sub-Inspector Smith prosecuted. The facts as elicited by the evidence were as follow :—On Saturday evening, about 4 o'clock, the prisoner was seen to fake up a suit of clothes outside of the prosecutor's shop, and as Sub-Inspector Smith facetiously remarked, being satisfied either with the quality or that they would fit him, put them under his coat, and walked off down the right-of-way between Mr. Gabities' shop and the Imperial Hotel. The theft was noticed by a lad named Allan Ward, a lad of 14 years of age, who cried " Stop thief," and gave information to Mr. Gabites. The prisoner made off, leaving the things on the fence of Messrs. Reid and Gray's, but was overtaken by the boy and Mr, Welch, one of the shopmen, after a alight chase, and brought back to the shop. The hoy Ward, who gave his evidence in a clear, straightforward manner, was positive as to the identity of the prisoner. Mr. Gabites identified the suit of clothes as his property, The prisoner, in his defence, said that he was not the man. Th e boy was mistaken, and everyone else was mistaken. The boy had been tampered with. He (prisoner) would not rob a fellow-man. The Bench said they were perfectly convinced of the guilt of Ihe prisoner. They were satisfied that the boy Ward had given his evidence in a clear manner, and was deserving of every credit for the manner in which he had acted. They thought this was a case in which the full penalty of the law should be inflicted, and sentened prisoner to six months' imprisonment, with hard labour. Prisoner : How am I to act as an honest man in the future. I shall appeal.

LUNACY. Henry Lyon, brought up, on remand, on suspicion of being of unsound mind, wa3 remanded until to-morrow.