MAGISTERIAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2535, 6 May 1881, Page 2

MAGISTERIAL.

TIMARU—THIS DAS’. (Before R. Beel'iam Esq., R.M.} . A WAEM EECEBTION. Charles Hart, a laboring man, who appeared with his head enveloped in a handkerchief and looked very seedy, was charged with being drank and disorderly, and also with committing a breach of the peace. The defendant pleaded not guilty. He said he went to a hoarding house to get some dinner yesterday, and on asking the landlady for some she fetched out a dipper of scalding water and flung it over him, remarking, That’s how I’ll give you your dinner.” Defendant could stand a good many things, but he drew the line at boiling water. That was how the row commenced. Inspector Pender explained that he thought the defendant had not been quite sober when he visited the boarding house. His Worship discharged the defendant, remarking that he had received punishment enough. the eailway embezzlement case. J. J. Farrell was charged on remand with embezzling the monies of the railway department. Mr White appeared to prosecute ; Mr Hamersley defended the accused, Mr White in reply to His Worship said that the charges could not be taken together ; he proposed to deal first with the charge against accused of embezzling £5 7s 10 d. Mr White then briefly stated the facts of the case which were that the accused had been employed for a number of years in the railway department. His duties were to invoice goods, make out way-bills and in the absence of Mr Holgate, delivery clerk, receive cash and enter the same, afterwards accounting to Mr Holgate for it. It would be shown that on the day mentioned in the information the accused had received a cheque for £5 7s lOd from Messrs Miles, Archer and Co ; that he had effected two loans from the cashier of the department of 30s and 50s respectively, making a total of £4, and that he had given what is called a W.Gr.S. (tantamount in the department to an 1.0. H.) for the amount, and that he had paid to the cashier Miles, Archer and Co.’s cheque for £5 7s lOd in satisfaction of the borrowed money, receiving the balance in exchange. At the time of giving this cheque the accused asked that it might not be paid into the Bank for a few days, and it was not paid in until it became necessary to do so. Joseph Jones, station master, denied that he had ever sanctioned any loan to the accused. Harry Turner, clerk and cashier in the railway department, explained that he had been induced to advance the sum of £4 to the accused on his giving security for the money, and on the strength of his representation that he had obtained Mr Jones’ sanction to the loan.

The witness gave his evidence in a very confused way, so that it became almost impossible to follow him after a time. In his first examination he said that the cheque for £5 7s lOd, which the accused gave him, and asked him not to pay into the Bank for a few days, he had kept by him for fourteen days. On being recalled and questioned by the magistrate, he said that he did not keep the cheque for 14 days, but might have kept it only one day, or even for a few hours merely. A second charge against accused of embezzling a further sum of £1 2s 8d was then heard. Robert Jones, farmer, Pareora, said that on Jan. 24, he sent some wool by rail from Timaru to Pleasant Point and paid accused the sum of £1 2s 8d freightage. The accused was then further charged with embezzling a third sum of £2 2s Bd, The accused, who had nothing to say, was then committed to take his trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court, bail being fixed for his appearance, himself in £IOO and two sureties of £75 each. The Court then adjourned.