RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1286, 6 January 1885, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Temuka—Monday, January, 5, 1884. [Before S. D. Barker, and D. Inwood, Esqs., J.r.’s. DRUNK AND DISORDERLY. Peter Horan pleaded guilty to having been drunk in a railway carriage on the 3rd of January last. Constable Morton said the man was helplessly drunk. Ho should have got out at the Hinds, but fell asleep and remained in the carriage (ill he was lifted out of it at Temuka. There was 3s Gd charged by the railway officials for his fare down, and 2s for express hire to take him to the lock-up. He was fined 20s, and costs ss. LARCENY. Daniel Spence was charged with having on the 26th day of December stolen one blanket and one towel from a man named Philps, at Winchester. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. He was further charged with having stolen a hat from one John Allwood, at Winchester, on the 26th of December last. John All wood : I am groom for Mrs Swinton, at Winchester. On the 26th of last month had a hat valued at 4s 6d stolen from me. It was in a room in the Winchester Hotel. The prisoner was about the place, but do not know that he went into my bedroom. On the 26th 1 missed the lu.t, and saw it on prisoner. I spoke to prisoner and he handed it to me back. He said be bought the hat in Geraldine, but when he brought a man to prove it the man said it was not the same hat. To the prisoner : The man from Geraldine said it was cot prisoners hat ; that prisoner’s was lined plain inside, but this hat is juilled. Ihomas Housely; lam a carpenter. P'isoner offered some clothes for sale and I bought some. In the same afternoon prisoner offered me the hat in question lor sale. Allwood came in and said “ That’s my Int.” Prisoner said “ If it is take it.” To the Bench : Accused was drunk. The prisoner said he had been working at Mr Tripp’s, and came down on the 24th, He slept at Swinton’s Hotel, and wben be got up in the morning bis hat was gone. He looked around and saw the hat produced, which w-s exactly like his, and he took it believing it to be his o/vn. The same prisoner was charged with having stolen a toiyel pf t|ie °f frctn one Robert Diipcan at Prar'i Gorge. Robert Duncan said he bad been wprking fit Mr Tripp’s station. Missed a towel about the 14th December and saw tlm prisoner using it. He kppt it pntil (be 37th December when fie saw it in hi? swag at Winchester. It was valued at §d. Never gave him the towel,

To the Buich ; I know the towel by the look i f it. 1 hove two or three of the same sort. I had it 12 months. To ihe prisoner : It is my towel. Did I not lend it to you frequently ? Prisoner : No. I lent it to you. Constable Casey : 1 arrested the prisoner at Winciiesfer on the 27th. Ho said he was innocent of stealing Duncan s towel, but that for the blanket hat he would not say so much. Duncan identified the towel as his property. On the way down he said he would not care, it it was after harvest, if he got three months. The prisoner said there were twenty towels like Duncan’s at the station. One thing was ; he had a hat like the hat ptodnced, and someone must have stolen it. “ As God was his Judge, he was innocent as regarded Duncan’s towel,” Constable Morton said that iu 1877 the prisoner was convicted for fourteen days in Milton, Otago ; in 1880 he uot two months in Papanuij iu 1881, under the name of George Clark, he got one month for larceny in Timarn; and ho was charged with stealing watches and other things in Dunedin, but before he was arrested the principal witness had died, and another had left the colony. The prisoner said he always worked hard, and did nothing wrong except when he was drunk. He was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, with hard labor. The Court then adjourned.