MAGISTERIAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2238, 20 May 1880, Page 2

MAGISTERIAL.

;i TLMARU— I THIS HAY. ■ (Before B. Woollcombe, Esq., J.P.) ALLEGED VAGRANCY. John Patrick was charged with vagrancy and with soliciting alms. The accused pleaded drunkenness as his excuse. Constable Simpson said that about 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon he saw the accused going from house to house in the Main South Eoad. Also saw,him accost several people in the street. From what he heard the witness then arrested the accused for begging. B. E. Hibbard, of the Main South Road, stated that the accused came into Hibbard’s store, yesterday afternoon, and asked witness to give him a clay pipe. He was given the pipe and he then asked for some tobacco to put in it. This was refused, and the constable coming in at that moment the accused was arrested. Ho made no false pretence when asking for the pipe and tobacco.

His Worship said that the section under which the charge was laid necessitated proof of false pretences* in order to ensure a conviction. Ho such false pretences had been shown, and the accused must therefore be discharged, but he must be very cautious for the future, as if it had been proved that he had been begging, he would mbst certainly have been punished. ■

DRUNKENNESS AND USING OBSCENE LANGUAGE.

James McCarthy was charged with being drunk and disorderly, at Albury, yesterday, and also with using obscene languagej and the charge having been proved, the accused, who pleaded,guilty to being drunk, but stated that he did not remember anything about the using of the obscene language, was fined os on the first and £1 on the second offence, being at the same time severely reprimanded by His Worship. TEMUKA—YESTERDAY. (Before F. Guinness Esq., E.M. DRUNKENNESS. Throe residents for this offence were fined 20s each. SUNDAY TRADING. M. Quinn, of the Star Hotel, was charged with allowing one glass of ale to be supplied to W. Lucas on Sunday last. The offence was admitted, but it was pleaded that the ale was supplied by a servant witnout defendant’s knowledge. The police acknowledged ' that Qiiinn’s house was woll-conductcd, and the Bench, taking the whole of the facts into consideration, inflicted a nominal penalty of ss. LARCENY OF A HORSE. ‘ James Millar, arrested at Oamam, was charged with the larceny as a bailee of a horse. Inspector Pender prosecuted, and Mr Reid defended. James Roddick, a carrier at Teranka, deposed that Millar borrowed a bay filly from him about the 10th February. About the end of March he wished the filly to be returned, and accused replied that he had been thrashing up the Waitohi Flat, and asked leave to keep the filly for another day, so that he might bring his swag back. Witness consented, but saw no more of tlio accused until he was arrested. He subsequently saw the filly together with a saddle and bridle which he had lent to Millar’s father in the possession of a man named Stack, and thereupon communicated with the police. J. W. Stack, contractor from the Mackenzie Country proved having purchased the horse, saddle,. and bridle from Millar, in Timaru, on March 30, for £8 10s. The receipt was signed in Driscoll’s Hotel. The accused reserved his defence,and was committed to take his trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court, at Timaru, bail being allowed in two sureties of £IOO each and accused in £2OO.