Friday, 9th Marok.

West Coast Times, Issue 150, 12 March 1866, Page 2

Friday, 9th Marok.

Burglary— William Woods and Louisa Woods were brought up charged with this offence. Inspector Broham informed his Worship that' lie wished the charge against the female prisoner withdrawn. She was accordingly discharged. Mr O'Loughlin appeared for William Woods. Caroline Randall, a widow residing in Revell-street, deposed that about half-past one or a quarter to two on the morning of Wednes-, day, she went out with some friends for aboirt-Jialf-an-hour, previously locking the front door and pulling-to the back door, which could not be re-opened without a pair of scissors were used, because there bsing no handle outside rendered the use of scissors neceseary to force back the boft of the lock. When she returned she found the back door open, and missed a watch and chain from a drawer in her bedroom, and from another drawer, which she had locked on going out,, a box containing coins and a quantity of trinketß had been abstracted. Witness identified the cash box produced and its contents as being her property. Jhe value of what had been stolen from her house that morning was about £44. By Mr O'Loughlin— Did not know prisoner but had seen him with a man named Dyer. Sergeant Wilson deposed that he went to prisoner's house, at the rear of the Queenstown Hotel, at about 3 p.m. on Thursday. Searched the house with constable Carr. Found underneath it, about two feet inwards, the cash box produced. The prisoner was in the house at the time. There was a thoroughfare to prisoner's house but it was not much frequented. Constable Carr that he had searched prisoner's house •on Thursday afternoon. Was present when Sergeant Wilson found the cash box underneath about eighteen inches from the front. The prisoner had lived in the house for about 8 months. Mr O'Loughlin submitted that there was no case against prisoner. It was not likely that if he had committed the robbery he would have put the box under his house where it could be so easily discovered. There was nothing to show that prisoner bore a bad character, and it was most probable that some one had thrown the box in the place where it had been found to avoid detention. His Worship ordered the prisoner's discharge. The Court then adjourned till next day* at 11 o'clock.