HAWERA R.M. COURT.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 515, 4 May 1880, Page 3

HAWERA R.M. COURT.

Friday, before Mr Livingstone and Captain Wilson. Alleged Theft of Kings, &c. Win. Cole was charged, on the information of Joseph Wilson, with stealing two rings and a red blanket, on the 28th April, from the Koiemaiae Hotel. Joseph Wilson, hotel keeper, Ketemarao, deposed—He knew the prisoner. On Wednesday, the 28tli, he missed two diamond rings. They were ladies rings. One was hoop pattern, the Other horse shoe pattern with diamond, pearls, and emerald. His wife missed the rings about 10 o’clock that night and called witnesses attention to their absence. Witness saw them in the room about ! o’clock that day. I searched for the rings, but could not find them. Witness suspected the prisoner, who was a boarder at the hotel. He was in bed, and witness, in presenceof a constable, searched accused clothes. Witness then came to Hawora and reportncHlie case to the police. The sergeant came in the morning and entering the room of accused and other lodgers made a search, but did not find the missing property. On the following morning (241h instant), witness missed a red blanket from one of the bedrooms. Did not see the rings again until this morning, when I saw them in the hands of the police. I identify the rings (produced) as mine, and to the best of my belief the blanket is mine. Our bedroom whore the rings were, was usually uid oeked. Accused usually slept down stairs, but he slept up stairs on the night of the 28th by permission of witness’s wife. The accused left witness’s house on the morning of the 28th, between 8 and 9 o’clock. He said he was going to Wanganui. By tbld.yon I - did not wish you to stay any longer. Win. Creighton, laborer, deposed—ReWas last employed on the survey. Had been cooking at the' hotel, but not lately. Was there at the hotel on the 28th. Heard that Wilson had lost two’ rings bn the night of the 28th. Witnosajsuspected the accused, and on the 29th fbUowed him down" and saw him at Normanby. Witness told • accused he was going to Wanganui, and •went in his company on to Had some beer at various places there, and went on to Manutahi. As witness and accused were going on the road, bad a conversation about the rings. Accused’ pulled of£ one boot and polled out-one ring. Put it back again and put his boot on. He said he knew nothing about the other. The ring, produced, is the one he showed me. At Manutahi Hotel at witness’s suggestion, took off his boots' and ; lay down. Witness took up one of his boots, fouad the other ring, and shewed it to accused, who said he would dispose, of the rings at Wanganui. Witness asked him not to dispose of one of them, as it* was. a. keepsake; of Mrs;'Wilson’s. Witness sent ‘telegrams to police •at Hawera, and Sergeant Cahill came next morning. On seeing the first ring, the reason witness did not return to Hawera to give information was that he wanted to find out about the other ring. Accused, after my finding the ring, put on his boots, as he said the police might search them again; Witness followed accused on pappose to try and findljf he had them. Told them so at the hotel, Ketemarae. Accused was the worse for ‘ liquour at Manutahi, He was apparently sober on the 28th, between 8 and 9 p.ni. The rings were found inside the lining of accused’s hoots, . ; By prisoner—l did not say I was sorry I did .. not iknow'i the! room - was open, - as I would have .taken the ticker, i I admit trying to gain your confidence; 1-tojd you at Manutahi that if I had those two rings,l could get £lO for them. ‘ . j Constable,Shieh gave; evidence of finding the rings in prisoner’s possession. * ; Sergeant Cahill deposed—On the information of-Mr ; j. ’Wilson-I" went to his

hotel on the morning of thfe29th. Searched ► prisoner’s clothes and the! bed clothes; ( Prisoner said—“ Why do you-search me in particular ?” I said, “ Because 1 first saw you in : a bed other than that.you usually occupy.” Witness again searched prisoner on the road between Ketemarao and Normanby, but found nothing. ’ 1 The court then adjourned to Saturday morning. ’ Saturday, before Mr Livingstone and Sergeant Cahill continued his evidence from previous dayi lie said—From information received by telegram from Win. Crightbn, 1 1 proceeded to Mamitahi. Crigbton stated prisoner had the stolen rings in ; Ins boots. I was at the hotel about half-past 5 in the afternoon, in company, with Constable Shells, and saw prisoner asleep on the sofa in tbe tap room. Woke him up and asked if he had the rings stolen from Mr Wilson. ~ He denied having the rings. I then searched accused, ami found the rings in the lining of his boots. I charged prisoner with stealing the rings. These produced are the rings taken from Ids hoots. Prisoner said he : did not put the rings in the boots t and had no knowledge of how they got there. Hie afterwarda said the previous witness, Mr Creighton, must have put them there. On the 30th, changed witness with stealing a blanket Irom Mr Wilson. He said ho had purchased this blanket about a fortnight ago; from a man who bad stopped at the Ketemarae Hotel for a night, and had paid; him two shillings for it. Prisoner stated he did not know the man’s name, but that he was a swagrnan going to Stratford. Prisoner—Would it be possible for me to walk all day with the rings in my boots?' • Sergeant Cahill—l believe it to be possible, the rings are small. I had a difficulty in.finding them, as I felt the boots a good while before I could find tbe rings. You offered no resistance to my taking off your boots. You also said you had no InowIcdge of the rings being there.

Prisoner,; who reserved his defen te, was mniitted to take his trial at the next sit!ng of the Supreme .Court, to he held ; at .New Ptymouth. , The court then adjourned. Monday, before Captain Wilson '’•id' Mr ■ F. McGuire. .. ASSAULTING.A CHILD. , A man named Neale was charged with assaulting a child of Mr Isaac Olsen, by striking it on the head with an axe. on the 2nd instant. Isaac Olson deposed—The defendant came to my house yesterday afternoon, and spoke to me. He afterwards went to my wife and shook his hand in her face. I order id him olf the premises, but bo refused to leave, and bit me with his fist. I then tried to turn defendant out, but he got my thumb in his mouth and tried to bite,, it. In the struggle my clothes were torn. I struck defendant several times to get rid of him. He said if I let him get iip lie would go, I did so. Defendant then picked up an axo and came after mo. He began chopping at the door to get at me. He hit my child on the head with an axe. I could not say if it was done purposely, as he was swinging the axe about. After the child was hit, defendant continued to chop at the door. When defendant noticed the child bleeding he went aAvay, but threatened me, saying, “ You will have to look out in the mo ning.” I heard him saj' this twice, Anna Catherine Hunger gave corroborative evidence. The prisoner, in his defence, said—l went to the house of plaintiff because of reports that he and Ins wife had been spreading about mo and my wife, I felt annoyed, and went to remonstrate. I was put out of the house. Plaintiff bad a spade, and I took up an axo. . I struck the child by accident. The bench fined him £2 aiid costs, or one mouth’s imprisonment with hard labour;