RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S'COURT.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 48, 26 February 1864, Page 5

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S 'COURT.

Wednesday, February 21, tit, 18G1. (Before M. Price, Esq., R.M.) Drunkenness. — Two persons were fined for drunkenness. The Late Case of Stabbing at Benmore. — William M'Pherson was brought up on remand, charged with stabbing Daniel Morrison, the landlord of the Accommodation House, Benmore. Mr. Button appeared for the prisoner. The case which had been partially heard on a previous day, had been remanded for the evidence of prosecutor's wife. She gave evidence from which it was very apparent that the affair had arisen in a brawl between the landlord and his lodger (the prisoner). Mr. Weldon, who was prosecuting, applied for a further remand, to produce a witness who had been summoned, but did not appear. The Bench granted a further remand to Saturday, the 27th inst., although, as the magistrate said, it was apparent, the disinclination of the prosecutor and his witnesses to go on with the case. Suspicion of Horse Stealing. — Andrew Todd was charged on suspicion of horse stealing. The circumstances under which the prisoner was arrested by Detective Thomson were stated to the Bench. The officer was in a place, where the prisoner was concluding a bargain for the sale of the liorse, whon Iris attention was drawn to the fact of no brand being specified in the receipt given by the prisoner to the man buying the horse. The receipt which he signed was in the name of Richard Pitt, whereas he gave the name of Andrew Todd subsequently. The prisoner, who stated he had purchased the horse along with others from Messrs. Wright, Robertson and Co. in Dunedin, was remanded on his own recognisances to the amount of £50, to the 2nd March, to enable the police to make further inquiries. The police retained the liorse, saddle and bridle. Thursday, February 25th, 1864 Drunkenness. — One person was fined 10s., or forty-eight hour's imprisonment, for being drunk in the street. Stealing an Opossuji Rug. — Benjamin Dance, ah elderly man, was charged with stealing an opossum rug from the' premises of Donald Potter, in Dee-street. On the previous day, about the dinner-hour, the prosecutor was in a back room, attached to the bakery, at which time the opossum rug and other portions of a swag were lying in another part of the premises. On going out of the room ho found tho prisoner, who had his boots off, in the act of walking away with the rug on liis arm. Sergeant Pardy, who was called to take the prisoner into custody, gave evidence of finding hhn without his boots ; the prisoner afterwards putting theni on and acknowledging thera as his. The Bench committed him for trial. Town Inspector's Charges. — John Wild was summoned by the Town Inspector for allowing his horse to stray in the street. Tho defendant pleaded that the horse broke his halter and got out of the stable. He was fined ss*. Donald M'Bain was similarly complained against, and fined ss. and costs.