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Southland Times, Issue 682, 12 June 1867, Page 2

We remind out readers of the performances at the Theatre Royal to-niglit^Tjy" Professor Parker and Miss Annie Beaumont. The published programme affords promise of an evening's amusement sufficiently' diversified to' render it thoroughly^enj6yab~le." Tho usual monthly meeting of the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce takes place this day, at 3 p.m. During the last four days the business in the Kefcident Magistrate's Court has much increased. On Monday a man named James McLean, who has been frequently before the Court, on charges of . drunkenness and disorderly conduct, was charged with stealing a cheque from John Cr^wley. Owing to the bank being closed the cheque could not be produced, and after' some evidence had been taken, the case was remanded to the 11th inst. — James' Patterson was convicted of provoking. a breach of the peace arising but of a quarrel with hia wife, and was fined 20s or three, day's imprisonment with hard labor. — Carl Smith was brought up and remanded to Dunedin on | a charge against "him there for refusing to maintain his wife.— Yesterday James McLean was brought up on remand," and" numerous witnesses were examined on behalf of the prosecu-tion-as well as for the defence. From the evidence it appeared that on Sunday, the 2nd June,' prosecutor, and prisoner slept together in the s house, of prosecutor, who being; somewhat intoxicated, went to bed in his clothes,- haying a cheque for £3 4s in his vest-pocket. On the following morning he missed the cheque, and %c---caiecl prisoner with having,' stolen it, which, he denied. Payment of the cheque was Btopped at the' Bank of New Zealand, and prisoner presented it there for payment, telling the cashier it was Crawley's cheque. -On subsequently arrfested by Sergeant O'Keefe on a- charge of stealing the cheque/he strongly -denied all knowledge of it, and said he had- not. -been to the Bank at all. The prisoner -in his defence, stated that he found the cheque in Tay -Sweety and that whVn he took it to the Bank -he did nof; ask for payment but stated it was not his' own. He also affirmed that he did not slaep with prosecutor on the Sunday night; and had a witness to prove it, who it appeared could riot attend the Court through illness. The Magistrate stated, on the prisoner applying for a remand to enable him to produce this witness, that such evidence would have no weight, as the circumstances of the case as disclosed by the evidence, rendered it beyond a doubt that the prisoner stole the cheque, and attempted to get the, money for it, and having failed to do so denied all knowledge of it when arrested. He was a man who had been repeatedly before the Court for drunkenness which had at last led him to the commission of a serious crime. He was sentenced to 4 months imprisonment with hard abor. — Philip Hill was charged with creating a

disturbance in the slibpiof Mr Gellatly,- in Deeetreet, and assaulting. tne coinplainant. He was fined 20s and costs.- 1 — Tliere | also a civil case of Ross and versus M'Lean, in whic|i a claim "was made^on defendenf for £60''fot-.coja.>' veying 36,000 bricks on ijthe Orefci Line^of which the plaintiffs were the lessees. The defence was that the : " amount should only be £0^ aijcording to agreement. There' waa~ VeryTiard swear-" ing on both sides, and the Magistrate adjourned the case in order tcf a^ow "of arbit/ataon iffo'asible. '.■■■■■■-