RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1973, 1 May 1875, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

THIS DAY,

(Before W. Fbaseb, Esq., TL.il.) DRUNKENNESS. Benjamm Bennett was charged with having been drunk and incapable in' Owen street, Grahamstown, on the 30th instant. He-.pleaded-guilty,-and wasfined 10s and costs, or 24 hours' imprisonment. INTOXICATION AND VIOLENCE John Kerr was charged with having been drunk and disorderly last night in Pollen street. He pleaded.guilty, and was fined 20s. \

Defendant was 'Kalso charged with: having assaulted a constable when in the execution of;his duty.,; He |said he supposed he was. ;

Mr Bullen said he was present when the man was apprehended, v His language was something fearful. ; ■ ' 3JS Defendant said le was working on board the Prince, Rupert. Before that he had been on the Bella Mary, trading to Hobart Towrr. •?• ; < ;

Mr Bullen said it took four constables to take, defendant to the station.

His, ; Worship was given a statement of the language used, which was -very hor[rible.; if c sentenced him to 7 days' imprisonment with hard labor. ■. ..',.' . HOUSE AT LARGE. \ William Baker was charged with, allowing a horse to wander in Pollen street, Shortland. (Impounded). . Fined 2s 9d and costs. UNrOUNDED CHARGE.

Walter Williamson was charged with that he did felonously steal, take and carry away from ' the person of one Thomas Grieves at Thames, one pocketbook of the value of ss, the property of the said Thomas Grieves.

Mr Macdonald for defendant, who pleaded rot guilty. Prosecutor did not put in an appearance. Mr Bulkn said he was under the impression that prosecutor had employed counsel; that being not so, the prosecu-tion-devolved upon him, and he had no evidence whatever to offer. He told Grieves so when he < came to the Police Station yesterday. Before and after the laying of the. information, he.Jhad. come to the station twenty or thirty" times, and gave such widely different versions of the circumstances of. tho loss, that he (Mr Bullen) was deterred from 1 laying an information against anybody. So far therefore, as prosecutor was concerned, and from his. (Mr Bullen's) knowledge of Mr Williamson, he...had no evidence to offer. Grieves came to the station last night, and wished to know-if" he could withdraw the charge. He- appeared to be far from right in his mind, and could give no collected statement as to the loss of his pocket-book. <.*,.. His Worship—lt seems monstrous that a, man should be able- Xq lay an information against another, and then' not to make his appearance. It is calculated to cast a slur on the defendant's character.

.:; Mr Bullen—rshould'have'been glad to proceed, if there had been any ground _uponjwiichJ:bJbaie_ti^chiU!ffe.__L: _ _!_v "Mr Macdonald—ln jlmy case "thY defendant will of course be, left "in 'a "very unsatisfactory position. If the .Court will adjourn the case I will-take-some steps to see what the action means. r" Ulis Worship —People are always ready to put the worse construction on affairs of the kind, and people will, very; likely say that Grieves was squared to keep ou^ of the way. j.;- ;.u. ■ * ■ ", j • Mr Tyler stated it was by his advice that the prosecutor had not appeared. Having been asked for advice, he (Mr Tyler) told him he had no evidence, and would render himself liable to a .charge of malicious prosecution. , Grieves came ,to,him again" this morning, when lie told him to withdraw the case, as he had nothing but his imagination to trust to. His Worship said it was dntT of those cases' where a man might go and take '-out a summons* against any body in Court for himself in the same manner. It would go forth to the public'that a.respectablo' man was .charged with; stealing a pocket -book', and there it would- rest, becausepeople would net trouble to enquire into the merits of the case. Mr Bullen said Greaves was evidently demented; his mysterious and peculiar conduct was a' proof of it.' .Mr Bullen then showed His Worship some littlo*slips of paper which had at different times and at unexpected moments been thrust' inta the hands of Detective Brennan. One, run thus:—" Mr Detective Brennan, —Do your duty,—Thomas Grieves;" another (and equally strange)—" Dear Sir,— Twenty if you can put ipe in possession of facts to prove the case.- 1-Yours, etc." It will' be * perfectly evident that the man is made and that, as-His Worship said, he requires to be taken'care of by Mr Brennan himself. '

In discharging Mr Williamson, His Worship said: lam 'sorry *to see you in youiypresent position. , I do ( nqt knowwhether"there is any use,in,my you are innocent. We all know that./ I myself have known you for the last seven and thirty years. * , .~ $ • Mr WiHiamson then retired from the Court. ■ . : M