RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2334, 24 March 1892, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Geraldine—Tuesday, March 22nd. [Before G. A. Wray, Esq., R.M., and H. W. Moore, Esq., J.R] CIVIL CASES. F. Wilson Smith v. John Bull—Claim £1 18s 2d, for professional services.— Judgment for plaintiff for amount claimed with costs. BURGLARY.

William Coombs was charged with, on the 12th March, at Geraldine, feloniously and burglariously breaking into the dwelling house of James Riordan, and maliciously stealing and carrying away articles to the value of £5 Bs, the property of John Mcllroy. Accused was undefended, and the prosecution was conducted by Sergeant McDonald, of Timaru, who called Edwin Robson, watchmaker, in the employ »f J. Mcllroy, Geraldine, who deposed : I work in the shop at Geraldine. Do not sleep on the premises, but a lad in the employ of Mr Riordan, baker, always sleeps there. On the night of the 12th March left the shop about 10 o'clock. In the window were left two cases of jewellery. To the Bench: The doors and windows were left properly secured, the doors being locked. There were no shutters to the windows, the good 3 being exposed to view. On Sunday, the following morning, at 8.30 a.m., I went with Constable Willoughby to the shop, and on arrival found that a window-pane had been broken, and a number of articles had been taken out. The articles missing were three gold safety pin brooches, two silver gilt arrow brooches, 1 pair of gold earrings with a brilliant, four imitation diamond brooches, one butterfly brooch with stones on the wings, gilt. The articles were all on separate cards in a show case, which opened towards the window, and could be opened by a person putting his hand in at the broken window. The articles were the property of Mr John Mcllroy, and were those produced in Court. The selling value of them was £5 Bs, according to Mr Mcllroy, and that is what I believed to be the value. The window-panes were three feet by two feet, and six in number, of 21oz glass, not ordinary window glass, nor yet plate glass. The pane broken was

the right-hand lower one. Did not see the accused the night before the robbery. John Rowe, laborer, Geraldine, deposed : I know the prisoner. On Sunday, the 13th March, I saw him at my place. In the afternoon he gave my daughter a small arrow brooch. The one produced in Court is the one. Jane Coombs, sister of accused, and daughter of Mark Coombs, Geraldine, deposed : On Friday, the 18th, prisoner gave me a brooch and earrings, same as produced in Court. I eventually gave them to John Sutherland. Peter Billings, laborer, Geraldine, deposed : On Saturday, the 19th March, saw prisoner. Had a conversation with him. He said " D it, I broke the window and did the robbery." He gave me one brooch after the conversation; the one produced is the one he.gave me. I went with him down home to his father's house, and he handed some more jewellery to me similar to those in Court. I went with him to the Btable and saw him put his hand under the thatch, and take them out. I went with him to the Police Station. John Sutherland was present. Prisoner said he did the robbery, and was drunk when he did it. He said that he had burned the cards the things were on. He said that he had left Farrell's and went down to the road to John Sutherland's shop, took a file, and came up and broke into the shop. To the Bench : It was on my challenging him that he first admitted having committed the robbery. I suspected him, because he had given my daughterjewellery.

John Matheson Sutherland,-blacksmith, Geraldine, deposed: On Saturday tlu 19th inst., I saw prisoner. I was present with Mr Billings when accused confessed having committed the robbery. I got horse-shoe brooch and a pair of earrings from Jane Coombs at her father's house. Accused went to the stable, and got some jewellery out of the thatch. I identify the same in Court. He said he committed the robbery while under the influence of drink. He said at the t'olice Station that he had left.Mi- Farrell's hotel and went down the road, and when opposite Mr Mcllroy's shop tha moon shone on the window and he saw jewellery therein. The idea struck him then that he would commit the robbery; he went down to my shop, got a file, and came back and broke the window. Ho said he broke the file and. threw it away. Constable VV. Willoughby, Geraldine, deposed : On the morning of I.3th March I saw that a pane of glass in Mr Mcllroy's, shop window in Talbot street had been broken. The glass had been scratched across the centre, and down the sides, and there were signs of it having been forced out with some instrument. I brought Mr Robson, who described the articles missj ing. On the 19th inst., in the afternoon, ! I arrested the prisoner for the oilence. In the Police Office he confessed, in the presence of Sutherland and Biliings, to having committed the robbery and burnt the cards, and made the statements as"V shown by previous witnesses. I received/"

the jewellery marked A from John [ Sutherland, and brooch marked B I obtained from John Rowo. This ended the case for the prosecution. - Accused said he had no defence to make, and that it was through drink that ho did the robbery. He was thereupon committed for trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court, Timarn, on the 21st Juno next. Bail was applied for and allowed, in accused's own recognisance £IOO and two aurieti&s of £SO each. A prohibition order was also applied for by his friends and granted by the Bench. The Court then rose.