RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, LAWRENCE,

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 325, 28 January 1874, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT, LAWRENCE,

(Before E. BL Carew, Esq., R.M.) Tuesday, 27th January. Police v. Lateioard. — Charge of being drunk and disorderly. Accused pleaded guilty. In consideration of the time he had been locked up he was discharged. Police v. John Wilson, alias Barney. — John Wilson, alias Barney, was charged with having stolen moneys to the amount of £10 from J. C. Roberts, of the Royal George Hotel, Ross Place. Sergeant Farrell conducted the case for the police; Mr. M'Coy appeared to watch the case for the prisoner, but said he did not know the facts. John Christopher Roberts, hotelkeeper, Lawrence, deposed in effect that he remembered Sunday, the 25th. The prisoner had been boarding and lodging at his hotel since last Friday. He did not settle his account on leaving, and borrowed a few shillings from Mr. Roberts. Prisoner did not wear boots, but was going about in his socks. He had a bedroom, the door of which was situated in the same passage as that of witness' bedroom. There was a tin. cashbox, containing about £10 in notes, silver, and gold, on the dressingtable in the bedroom of witness. " Went into bedroom about half-past twelve o'clock on Sunday. Saw the cashbox there. Could not identify any of the money in it, but there was, he knew, an American half-dollar in it, which he believed to be the same as that produced. Could not distinguish that half-dollar from any other American half-dollar* Valued it at two shillings. He then went to sleep on the bed, and was wakened about three o'clock by the servant, who had come for some change. She wakened him up and asked where the cashbox was. They both searched but could not find it. Had not seen it since. Thinks a person going into the room with boots on would waken him. A dog walking about would waken him. Prisoner was several times in the passage during the day. The door of witness' bedroom was not fastened. Prisoner, he believed, was an honest man, and could have got what he wanted in reason without money. Would have lent him as much as a £1. Did not suspect prisoner until he had seen the police. Prisoner went away and came back about 12 o'clock next day. He appeared to have plenty of money. Said he had been as far as Drysdale's, and. walked eight miles to come back and spend it with witness. He had no . swag when he left finally, and was not carrying anything. Might have had the 'cashbox concealed, as he wore a large shirt instead of a coat. Sergeant Farrell deposed, that from infor- < mation , received be called at Roberts' Hotel on Sunday night. Saw prisoner, who came into the bar from the passage. Returned on Monday with Sergeant Tichener. Searched accused, and found £1 14s. 6d. on him. Subsequently arrested prisoner at the Tuapeka Flat Hotel. At this stage a remand was asked for until Friday next, to enable the police to produce further evidence. This was granted. Police v. Geeves. — This was a case arising out of the last. The prisoner was charged with receiving £3 from Wilson, knowing the same to hate been stolen. Sergeant FarreU conducted the case for the prosecution ; Mr. M'Coy defended the prisoner. Sergeant Farrell proposed to prove the theft of the moaey from evidence some of which had been given in the last case. Mr. M'Coy objected, submitting that the putting in of a recoid of a conviction for the theft was the only way of proving that there had been one. His Worship decided to- hear the evidence which the police proposed to «ffer, and afterwards consider any objections, if necessary. John Christopher "Roberts -g«yye evidence substantially tne same as that wHisjh he had given in the previous case. . Janet Mitchell deposed-pi am a domestic servant at the Royal George HoteL I know John Wilson,, alias' Barney-. Remember Jaa,t Sunday. The cashbox was kept in Mrs. Roberts' bedroom. Had occasion to go there for change two or three ftimea on Sunday. Wilson twice followed me into the room. He saw me open the cashbox. I ordered him out. He was not quite sober. About 12 o'clock I saw the cashbox, and noticed the contents. There was an American half-dollar among the silver. One note, I observed, had .a tear in the lower right-band corner. The note produced I identify as the same. Its number is 307445. , Wilson was about the Jiotel all the morning. He was for some time in the passage. He had no boots on. aoou. 3 o'ctogfc i had occasion to go for some S^f^he cashbox was gone. Wakened i Mr. Rober^ We Bearclied f or but not find it. I aSt*-^^ dMOribed the note j

identified to Sergeants Titchener and Farrell. James Farrell deposed I am a sergeant of police, stationed at Lawrence. The evidence given in the previous ease r having been repeated, the witness went on to say — I went to Christian Long's Tuapeka Flat Hotel. Wilson and the prisoner were there. I asked the prisoner whether Wilson (or Barney) had given him any money. He said he had not. Neither Wilson nor Geeves were quite Bober. From something I heard, I asked prisoner if Wilson had not given him £3. He said "No." Christian Long then told him not to be a fool, but to give up • the money which had been given him in his (Mr. Long's) presence. Prisoner was very obstinate, and would not give up the money. I then told him that the money had been stolen, and I would not permit him to leave, nor would I leave him, until I got it. and that I would charge him with receiving if he would not give it up. He still refused. Mr. Long called Mr. Crawford in, and I called on him in the Queen's name to assist me in the matter. I was afraid the money would be done away with. I requested , Mr. Long to send for a policeman to the' Camp, which he did. I then arrested pjisoner. Before this I searched Wilson, who in undressing I observed endeavoured to conceal half a sovereign between his fingers. Prisoner this morning said that much of what he said yesterday was untrue, and that he was sorry for this. One of .the notes found on the prisoner by Sergeant Farrell was that which had been identified by Janet Mitchell as having been in the cashbox the last time 'she saw it on Sunday. Long offered to give prisoner £3 if he would give up the £3 Wilson had given him. Christian Long, landlord of the Tuapeka Flat Hotel, having corroborated the evidence of Farrell, deposed that shortly before the arrival of the police, Percy Geeves, the prisoner, and Wilson came to his hotel. Geeves was in charge of his team. Neither were quite sober. Wilson was swearing at prisoner j for his meanness in refusing to lend him two shillings. Shortly after, Wilson produced several pounds, and boasted that he had more money than any of them. After shouting once, he said to the prisoner, " Here is £2 ; take it to ' Fiji,' my mate. Don't give it to him if he is drinking." He added another pound at the request of prisoner. Froir. the demeanor of the two, I thought this was the first that Gecves knew about Wilson's having the money. I This concluded the case against the prisoner. Mr. M'Coy asked his Worship to dismiss the case, as the charge had not been proved. His Worship said that the prisoner had brought himself into this scrape through his own folly, which rendered the suspicions which were directed to him very naturq.l ; but as the charge of receiving the money, knowing it to have been stolen, had not been proved, he would discharge the prisoner.