RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT
(Before Harry Kenrick, Esq., R.M.) Alfred Linden was charged with stealing two gallons of whisky at Paeroa. Mr Miller appeared for the defendant, and pleaded not guilty. Constable Joyce said he remembered seeing the prisoner in some titree scrub at the back of Mr Wilson's house about 10 a.m. He was there with some others,, and they had a small keg. He said it was whiskey, and told witness he had found it. He said he saw the keg planted, there, and, when witness asked prisoner who planted it, be said he would not inform him.
Examined by Mr Miller: I had received no information that the keg had been lost or stolen. I arrested him on the supposition that he stole it. I saw Mr Wilson previous to arresting prisoner, and he said the keg was his own. I made no enquiries as to whether any whiskey had been planted. Wilson said that the bailiffs were in the house, and there was a great crowd in the house, and' it was in the crush that the keg had been taken, but he could not say by whom. The defendant had always borne a good character.
Mr Wilson", being sworn, said he missed the keg on the 22nd inst. It was taken from behind the bar. The prisoner had no right to take it. The value is about £2 ss. Examined by Mr Miller : I gave no authority to arrest the man. It is a frequent thing to spring plants among the bushmen for a " lark.' I hare known the defendant for some time, and have always found him honest. Ido not believe that the defendant stole it, because he would not be likely to steal a keg of whisky from my house, and then proceed to drink it within twenty yards of the hotel. This was the case for the prosecution. Mr Miller addressed the Bench on behalf of the defendant. I
The defendant made a statement, in which he said that he saw some men in the Borub,on the night before his arrest, and that, thinking he should find bottles, he went to the spot and found the keg. Constable Joyce asked him who the men were, but he did not know. The Constable then took him ifito custody*
The R.M. dismissed the charge, but ' deprecated the system of planting pursued by the Tairua public.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THS18801224.2.15
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3744, 24 December 1880, Page 2
Word count
Tapeke kupu
400RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3744, 24 December 1880, Page 2
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in