LAW AND POLICE.

Southland Times, 23 December 1868, Page 5

LAW AND POLICE.

I At the Eesident Magistrate's Court on '[.Monday last, the 21st inst, Eudolph ' f M'Kinnon was brought up charged with cutting and stabbing one J. K. Ferguson. From the evidence it appeared that nt- about 12 o'clock the previous Saturday night, Ferguson and four others were proceeding home to their lodgings in Kelvin-street, when they heard such screams and sounds of blows issuing from a house of notorious ill fame as they considered justified their interference. On entering the house they found it occupied by four persons. Mrs Storie, the keeper of the house, a girl named Malone, and two men, one of them helplessly drunk. Three of the young J men seeing things quiet, immediately left, I Ferguson and .another having remained • talking tojthe partly sober man, M'Kinnon who claimed acquaintanceship on the ground of being from the same town. After some further stay, two of the parties left, and a struggle ensued out side the house between Ferguson and M'Kinnon, the latter inflicting wounds with a knife on the person of Ferguson. Henderson who at this time was inside the house hearing his comrade call foi assistance, rushed out, and seeing the position of affairs dimly in the darkness, tried to end what he considered a scuffle by separating the men. He saw the knife, but from the manner in which the combatants arms were interlaced could not say in whose hand it was. Henderson, having caught Ferguson, and pull ed him off M'Kinnon, who was down, the latter made his escape. Ferguson then informed Henderson of the facts of the assault, and the two proceeded to the Police Station and laid an information. Sergeant O'Keefe immediately proceeded to the honse and captured M'Kinnon, who made a rambling statement about h aving been first attacked, and called the girl Malone as a witness. She, however, could say little about it, having been considerably intoxicated at the time of the disturbance. The prisoner was committed for trial at next sitting of tbe Supreme Court. The other man who was found drunk in the house was also brought up, charged with assaulting the police, to ?which he pled guilty, but excused himself on the ground of having had too much to drink:. The Magistrate gave him a severe reprimand, and inflicted a fine of £2. He was also further charged with having broken out of the lock-up. To this also he pled guilty, his excuse being the very reverse this time, viz., that he had nothing to drink, and broke out to get a mouthful of water. This appeared true enough, as he had made no attempt to run away, but was found walking about quietly in the vicinity of the locfc-up. He was fined £1 for damages. Mrs Storie was placed at the bar, charged with being the occupier of a house the haunt of bad characters. The offence being undeniable, she was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. In connection with this case we are glad to observe that the police are becoming alive to the necessity of ridding the town of several dens of infamy which are known to exist, and which are a perpetual pest and disgrace to their respective neighborhoods, and to the town at large. - Having taken the matter up, the authorities will no doubt soon succeed in rooting out the whole fraternity. A rather extraordinary case of horse stealing was tried at the Eesident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, the 22nd inst. From the evidence it appears that a few days ago Mr Galbraith, of the Noah's Ark stables, had occasion to be up at the Mataura, where he fell m with a man named M'lntyre, and that the two ultimately concluded a " swap " or exchange of horses. On Mr Galbraith returning to town the horse he had thus acquired was claimed by Mr Nye, as one lost by him some three years ago, and his claim to the animal was so clearly established thatthe police were informed of the matter. Constable Hawkshaw accordingly started for the Mataura, arrested M'lntyre there, and brought him into town on Friday last. The story told by the prisoner — that he had obtained the horse from Messrs Chalmerß, of Moa Flat, in part payment of wages — appeared so feasible, and he being. known to the prosecutor, bail was taken for his appearance next morning, Galbraith himself being surety. No sooner, however, had the fellow regained his liberty than he repaid the kindness shown to hi/n, by Mr Galbraith, by appropriating one of his horses on which to make his escape. He was, however, soon missed, and followed. Hawkshaw again started on his tracks and succeeded in re-capturing him at 6 o'clock the following morning, at an out-hut on Capt. Boyd's run, on the Otago side oi the Mataura. He was, as stated, brought up on Tuesday morning, on two charges, — first, with having stolen the horse he exchanged with Galbraith, and secondly, with having stolen the horse on which he made his escape. On the first charge,

he was remanded for a week. On the second he was convicted — not of stealing — but of " using without the consent of the owner," for which he was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment with hard labor.

A full report of the proceedings of the late session of the Provmcial Council will be found in 1 our other columns. The business, which has been 1 transacted, is important, and no doubt will be read with interest by our home readers. A meeting, it will be observed, of those inter- , ested in tho forthcoming regatta is to be held this evening at 8 o'clock, at the Clarendon Hotel. We understand there is likely to be a good turn out of boats. It is more than probable thafc one or two boats will be sent from the Bluff, which will add materially to the iuterest of the occasion . A meeting of the Wardens of the Invercargill . Hundreds, will be held at the Farmers' Arms Hotel, on Saturday the 26th December. The 'Hawkes Bay Herald,' December Ist, says : — " Captain Tanner and his troop, in so cheerfully leaving harvesting and shearing operations, closing business premisi_s, and making other heavy sacrifices for the purpose of proceeding to the front to serve the colony in a time of unexampled difficulty — have shewn a chivalrous feeling which will long be remembered by the colonists, and which will ever be a source of proud satisfaction to themselves. We heartily wish Captain Tanner and his troop God speed." The * Timaru Herald,' was published for the first time since the fire, on Saturday the 12th inst. In writing upon the recent calamity, it says : — "Amidst all the gloom that the late disaster has cast upon the town and neighbourhood, there is one bright spot, and that is the ardent. and heartfelt sympathy which is felt by all classes towards those burnt out of house and home ; some of whom, being uniusured, have literally been ruined. A public meeting was held, even when the ruins were still flaring, and energetic steps were at once taken to relieve the most necessitous. Other meetings have been held since then, and committees formed, who have substantial money grants to the sufferers. Nbt only locally have expressions of sympathy been evinced, but from the Tetnuka, from Christchurch, and from Dunedin there have been received sympathetic letters and offers of assistance. We must not forget to note also the letter of His Sonor the Superintendent ; it wll be seen from it that the Government are fully alive to the rreac calamity that ha 3 overtaken Timaru, and we are given to understand that if requisite thoy inteud to supplement the aid already offered to the sufferers." The cold and stormy weath j,* »•• ':• 'tn,^ in Southland during the fi<*st mouths >.- •>.... -it, does not appear to have been experienced far North. The following extract is from an article in the ' Nelson Examiner ' : — " At no previous time do we remember seeing all kinds of crops showing greater promise of repaying the labor bestowed on them. The wh«at is remarkably healthy and strong, with that dark tinge which tells of ample nourishment at the roots, causing it to stole out in a manner promising a manyfold return. The later sown grain, barley and oats, are ilso looking well ; the bean and pea fields wear an aspect of luxuriance ; and the pastures give iiopes of abundant crops of hay. We remember twenty years ago, that a great luxuriance of vegetation followed the earthquake shocks which occurred at the same period of the year as those recently experienced, and in so marked a degree as to give rize to conjectures whether, from some electric cause consequent upon the phenomenon, vegetation had not received an unusual stimulus. The present appearance of the country almost warrants such a supposition, nnd with favorable weather at harvest farmers may be assured of good returns, which will go some way, we hope, to compensate for the disasters of the last three seasons." In consequence of a resolution passed by the Wellington Presbyterian Assembly, the 27th of the present month will be observed as a day of humiliation and prayer, on account of the recent calamities which have befallen certain districts of this colony, through the unhappy native war at present raging. The Wakatip Mail gives the following information regarding agricultural and pastoral matters in the Lake District : — The wheat crop, though fully three weeks backward, looks very healthy, and is luxuriant in the extreme — even more so than last year. This may be attributed chiefly to the heavy rainfalls of late. The sudden return oi wintry weather at the close of last, and commencement of this week haa interfered with shearing operations, and the clip is behind time this year. With abundant facilities for washing, the wool is being shorn in the grease. The ' New Zealand Sun,' says: — "The special jury cause, Bank of Australasia v. Cargill and Oihers, which occupied the Supreme Conrt throughout a long sitting yesterday, involves a question of ioiportence to bankers and merchants throughout the Colony. Briefly stated, that question is, whether or not there is a custom of trade in Dunedin, by which the delivery ol endorsed bond warrants is held as equivalent to the delivery of the goods specified in such 1 warrants. As the question is one of custom, it is to be decided by weight of evidence, and we have reported with tolerable fulness the very lengthy evidence given yesterday. This has compelled a more thau usually condensed report of the speeches of Counsel, and the summing up of the Judge. That summing ap was not completed until half- j -ast seven o'clock; and at midnight, under circumstances which will be found stated in the report — the jury were lockep up for the night, the Court being adjourned until eleven o'clock this forenoon. The 'Evening Star,' of the 15th December, Ba y S : — » By the arrival yesterday of the brigantine Emulous from New Brunswick, the population of this Province has received an accession of upwards of 50 souls. The undertaking — for the passengers by the Emulous are in the position of a Joint Stock Company, owning and freighting the vessel they sail in — was intended, we believe, in the first instance, for settlement at Wanganui, but on reaching Wellington and learning that that unfortunate district had been plunged into the horrors of war in the interval of their embarkation aud arrival off the Coast, they wisely determined on shaping their course for more peaceful shores, and so havo landed here. The immigrants cannot fail to prove a valuable addition to Otago, as they are composed for the most part of practical agriculturists, artificers, and tradesmen."

(Continued from page 8).