Untitled

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 122, 29 February 1872, Page 3

i A Calcforuian editor lias bought a mule, and a brother editor chronicles it as a reI markable instance of self-possession,

POLICE COURT.— Wednesday.

Before W. FIIASKH, Esq., R.M. Obscene Land cage.— Joseph Sullivari for this offence was sent to gaol for 7 clays. Assault. Matthew Bradley was brought up on warrant charged with assaulting Mary Bradley his wife. —Mrs Bradley did not appear, arid the accused I was discharged.—At a. subsequent stage ! of the proceedings Mrs Bradley came into 'Court and said she was not aware of the | time, and had been detained by her child being ill.—The R.M. told her the ends of ! justice, had been defeated by bet not j baing present. She caused great trouble to the* police by bringing complaints ! against her husband and then withdrawing them. Breach of Licf.nsing. Act.— Adam On I was charged with permitting disorderly | conduct in his licensed house—the Excelsior Hotel —on the 24th insf., and I pleaded not guilty.—Constabl* Furlong ! stated that he was on duty on the morni ing of the day in question, and heard j fighting going on in the bar as be stood | i,rthe street. It was 20 minutes past 1 I o’clock. Witness went in-and. met a man ! named Johnson who was coming out. j The man, who bad a black eye, said lie ! bad been beaten in the bouse. Three or I four men came out of the house at the j same time.—Peter Norbury, grocer residing near the Excelsior Hotel, stated that i his attention was called to a disturbance at j the hotel. There was some quarreling and ; fighting going on inside, and some men I outside were using bad language. There was a disturbance after the police had been I there and gone away, which lasted until about three o’clock in the morning.—Tlic ! defendant said be bad occasion to turn out ! man named Johnson, who bad been j insulting everybody in the place, and j then be came back again with sonic other I men and created a disturbance. 1 etei Stewart deposed that be was at the hotel on the evening of the 23rd, and until after one the next morning, llie man Johnson “ stuck up” three shillings for drinks whil.it Mr Orr was out, and used very insulting language towards Mrs. Orr. When Mr Orr came in lie ordered Johnson to go out, but the latter would not go. Eventually be was turned out. and thru came back ag'Ain with some 11101 c men and some bad language was used, but tlieie was no fighting that witness saw. Did not see that Johnson had a black eye. Johnson was married on Monday.— Thomas Robinson gave a similar version of what took place. —The R.M. said it was proved that defendant bad permitted disorderly conduct in 1 iis house, for which he was liable to a penalty of £lO, and to imprisonment with bard labour also, but as this was a first offence lie should inflict a penalty of 40s. and costs. Theft— Edward Williams was charged with stealing from the Golden Age > Hotel, on or about the 3rd inst. ; the sum j of £O6, in bank notes, the property of j Simon Combe.—Simon Combe deposed : I j am a miner, living at the Golden Age i Hotel, Graliamstown, and know- the prisoner, who used to lodge tlieie usually on Saturday nights. He slept in the same room as I did. There was a portmanteau in the room, containing clothes belonging to me. It was kept locked and strapped. He had seen me frequently take things out of it. About 5 o'clock in the afternoon of the 3rd inst., I put £OO in notes J into the nortmantcau, which I placed j under the'bcd, and locked it. T then had j tea, and went, out for a walk round the ] tow’n afterwards. Went to bed about 11 ; o’clock. John Martin, a friend of mine. ; slept in the same room. Got up next ■ morning at < o’clock, llic prisonci was dressing in the next room at the same time. After breakfast, I went to get out. £2 to pay for my board, and saw that the lock was broken oil - , and the money all ! gone. I gave information to Mr Phillips, the landlord. In consequence of what i w-as said, Martin and I went oil' in search j of the prisoner. We went to l’unga Flat, j to the Multum-iu-Parvo claim, and there found him lying on his bed in the but. I accused him of robbing me of £f>l>. He denied having taken it. Martin and I searched him, and alse his hut, but we did not find anything. We remained for two hours. I kept on accusing him of the robbery, and lie said : “ So help me, God, I’ve not taken it.” Wc compelled him to come with us down the tramway, so as to give him into custody. On the way down he said “ Don’t take me down to the police for Bullcn and Murphy know J’vc been convicted, and had 0 months’ before.” In consequence of something more that he said, I left him in custody of Martin, and went on to Graliamstown. Went to the Hotel, and there saw Mr Phillips, and asked him to go with me into the yard at the rear of the premises. He did so, and 1 put my hand under the big water-barrel, and pulled £OO in bank notes, wrapped up in a piece of papci there were six LlO notes, and six LI notes. Don’t know the numbers, but they were the same in number and value as I bad lost. It was counted over in presence of Mr Phillips and Detective Murphy. I then went back to the Moamitaiari, and told Martin it was all right, and we let the prisoner go. lie bad no authority to touch this money in any way. 1 have since lodged it in the Union Bank.—Prisoner declined to ask any questions.— John Martin corroborated the testimony of last witness. —Henry Phillips, landlord of the Golden Age Hotel, stated that about 7 o’clock on the morning of the 4th lie saw the prisoner in the back yard of the hotel. He slioitly afterwards went away. Uoombe shortly afterwards complained of having been robbed of £OO. From inquiries made my suspicions pointed to the prisoner, and I gave information to Uic police, and also to Coombe, and be and Martin went to Punga Hat to search for the prisoner, and j a policeman and myself went in another direction to look for him, but not finding him returned. Was present when the money was found in the back yard as described by Coombe.—Constable McCaiferty stationed at Coromandel deposed to arresting j the prisoner there cm the morning of the i 20th inst. in consequence of information I received from the Lliames. I told him ■ the charge, and cautioned him in the usual manner. He made no statement j then, hut on the way to the lock-up lie said “I am the man. I acknowledge I ' took the money, but I did not take it with anv intent to keep it, and gave it back to i him.” lie also said that on the Saturday lie kicked the box and it Hew open. The money was staring him in the face, and ' lie took it out and put it under a water- j barrel. —Prisoner declined (o cross-ex-amine any of the witnesses. Being asked j in the usual way if lie bad anything to say in answer to the charge, he declined to make any statement—He was then fullv committed for trial.

AUCKLAND DISTRICT COURT. Tuesday. [Before Thomn- Bcckhati), J>j., Di-trict Jmlgu.] The Court sat tliis morning at the usual hour. for settling schedules of contributories in gold-mining companies. Tile Moon G.M. Co.—Mr Rees appeared for the official agent. —Iu this

case, Mr Abbot had transferred his interest to a Mr Johnson. Mr Johnson had admitted to the official agent that lie was liable ; but Mr Abbot’s name remained upon the .register, j jT,he Wrngd; counsel said the" official agent ‘would consent to Mr Johnson’s name being substituted ..for Mr Abbott’s, of course with the per- • mission of the former. —His Honor was of .opinion that in cases of this kind the liability should be determined, and those who were found to be liable should pay their debts. There Vas a tendency to shirk debts of this kind. It was easy to go to the official agent and say, “ I can’t do this, or that, or the other, ’ hut such persons should be pressed. Each person who did not pay bis own liability threw part of his debt on the shoulders of others Why should that be so V —Mr Rees said that after the expression of opinion on the part of the Court, bo would ask that Mr Abbot’s name be retained.—Name retained accordingly, and schedule of contributories confirmed. Manukau Extended G.M.C. —This was a claim of £5 against the company for work and labour done by James Rattray. Mr Honiss, legal manager, said that lie never heard of the claim until after the winding-up order was granted. The witness said if the work was done, it must have been before the company was registered. The claimant did not appear, and Mr Bennett said that the position was analogous to a plaintiff not. appearing when called, and judgment should go by default. Claim disallowed. —'flic claim of John Gillou, also for £5, was disallowed, there being no appearance of 11 ic claimant. Mr lloniss, late manager, said be bad served the necessary notices upon the cbiimaint. The claim in thir case also was disallowed. —The claim, £l7 13s B<l, made by Thomas Watters, was reduced to £lO 13s Bd.—Mr Bennett said that Mr Hurst, who was an objector, bad discovered reason to believe that Mr Soutcr did act for him in a friendly way. He therefore withdrew his objection, and consented that bis name should remain upon the list of contributors. —Corlctt and Wilkinson put in a claim of £8 13s 4d.—Mr Bennett consented to allow £5, which was accepted. —John Clark and party put in a claim for £!)0, under an agreement for eight wee ks’ wages for Clark and five men.—Mr Bennett appeared for the objectors, Mr Beveridge for the claimants. The agreement was banded it), and the Court, in construing the agreement, thought the claimants had proved their ease. —Claim allowed with costs.

Proof Positive G.M. Co.—Mr MacCormick said it bad been arranged oil both sides that the bearing of this ease should be adjourned to next Court day. This concluded the business.— Herald.