RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1129, 1 December 1879, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

i 4, THIS DAY. (Before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M., and W. H. S. Roberts, Esq., J.P.) ! DRUNK AND DISORD KELT. Thomas Thompson, alias Hampsen, was charged with having been drunk and disorderly on the railway platform on Saturday, and was fined 20s, with the alternative of three days' imprisonment. 'Michael Morgan, for having been drunk and disorderly in Thames-street 011 Saturday, was fined 10s, with the option of gding to gaol for 48 hours. , LUNACY. . James Gavin was charged with being a lunatic and not under proper control, and was sent to the Duncdin Lunatic Asylum. STRAY HORSE. ■James Spence, for allowing a hor3e to wander in the streets, was fined ss. LARCENY John Kavanagh was charged with stealing a canvas tent, of the value of L2, the property of Menzies Brothers, drapers, Thames-street. Inspector Thompson prosecuted. Prisoner was undefended, and pleaded not guilty. Thomas Barrett, a painter, deposed that one day last month he had been engaged by Menzies Brothers to paint some names on calico. He noticed a tent there, which he supposed to belong to Menzies. Bros. The tent was lying in a store at the back of the premises, and witness' workshop was adjoining. He knew the prisoner, and had seen him on several occasions

about the premises. On one occasion prisoner asked witness the price of the tent, and, after consulting Mr. Menzies, he (witness) told him L2. Herbert Menzies identified the tent as belonging to the firm by a hole which was in it. He valued it at L3. The tent was in the back store. He had seen it last on the 9th or 10th of last month, when it had the name of the maker written on it in two places. It appeared to him that the name had been cut out. No person had been authorised to take the tent away. Constable Walsh deposed that in consequence of informafion he had received he visited the Kauroo Station yesterday and saw the prisoner there. He asked him if he had a tent, and he said he had one which he was living in. Witness went to the tent and walked round it, and saw " Green, Waimate," painted on it in two places. He arrested the prisoner, who said he would rather pay the price of the tent than leave his work. He said he had got the tent from a man named Lake, in lieu of one he had' lent him. Prisoner took the tent down while witness was catching a horse, and although he (witness) did not lose sight of him he could, not see what he was doing. When witness got back he found the tent rolled up. He examined, the tent this morning, and found the maker's name had been cut out of It. This was all the evidence. His Worship briefly reviewed the evidence, and said that there was not the slightest doubt of prisoner's guilt, but as the police had spoken favorably of his previous good behaviour, he would make the sentence two calendar months imprisonment.