MAGISTERIAL.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1055, 4 July 1883, Page 2

MAGISTERIAL.

PATEA.—YESTERDAY. (Before Dr Croft and R. C. Tencent, Esq., J.P.s.) ■ UTTERING VALUELESS. CHEQUE. John William Gardom was charged with obtaining money from Mr W Odgers by means of a valueless cheque. Prisoner pleaded guilty. Sergeant Donovan prosecuted. William Odgers : I am a publican, residing in Patea. 1 recollect prisoner coming to my house. He gave me a cheque for £2 on the Bank of Australasia, Wanganui. I gave him cash for the v cheque. He led me to believe he had money in the bank at Wanganui, and that he was a surveyor, I telegraphed to Wanganui to see if the cheque was right, and received an answer. “ Don’t know name.” Those (produced) are cheque and telegram respectively. By the Court: The cheque has not been sent to Wanganui. Sergeant 'Donovan said the cheque would have been sent down if the prisoner had not pleaded guilty to the charge. By the Court ; I did not see prisoner attach the signature to the cheque. Another charge of a similar naturejUr"also brought against prisoner, and the Bench decided to hear both before passing sentence. . Sergeant Donovan therefore called Samuel William Nicholls who said, I am a publican residing at Waitotara. I recollect prisoner calling at my house on June 23. He remained till the 26th. He asked me to cash a cheque for him ; he told me his account was in Wanganui. He gave mo to understand he was a Government surveyor; he also gave me to understand he had money in the bank at Masterton, which he had transferred to Wanganui. On, the strength of what he told Tne I cashed the cheque; that (produced)is the cheque. By the Court : I filled in ; the cheque, but he signed it. The Bench sentenced prisoner to a month’s imprisonment on each charge, DRUNKENNESS. - ' A further charge of drunkenness was preferred against prisoner, to which he pleaded not guilty. Constable Crozier gave-evidencej o the . effect that he arrested prisoner and put him-in the lock-up. He searched him and found £1 7s in money. The following day prisoner was suffering from shakes” and a doctor had to be called in.. He had also.to be watched day and night from the time he was arrested till now. He was suffering from the effects of drink ; last bight be was delirious. That morning about 6 he was quite mad. Sergeant Donovan drew the attention of the Bench to a section of the Licensing Act, which stated that a person in the lock-up was liable for his maintenance while there. . Fined 5s or 24 hours’ imprisonment, with £1 5s costs.