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West Coast Times, Issue 261, 25 July 1866, Page 5 (Supplement)

Tlow they G-T Warning op Earth.quvkks in Japan — The cone pon l< nt oi ue " Englishman " wiitis as follows: — "Enthquikes have been so prevail nt of bite in imiia thai ihe\ are now a popnl.n top c of cony rsation. Many of mn read, rs are, doubt e>s, unaware of a fac that the .Jsipuiese have, for c ntnries past, been coyniz^tit of a veiy simp'e mode oi warning ajainst th se .sudden, often d.in^eroiH phenomena. Tiiey long ago discovered ihit the magnet loses its at- ■ ractive power a shoit time previous to » -hock, and have, in c\erv house, a verj -imple apparatus, con i-ting of a> magnet impended by us own force to an iion Itar, over a disc or hemisphere of bell - metal, on which it falls accordingly, and n'aniH the inmates, who have time t«' leave the walls before they are shaken! This plan could be easily adopted :o a public alarum, I think, the weight of the fallen magnet being adequate to ignite »• percussion fuse of a loaded cannon. 1 wonder it ha* never been tued in civilised countries, where eari (uptakes have of late years been so p evalent. l Magnetic storms' have recently been observed by medical practitioners in Europe to be the forerunners of epidemics, cholera e-pecially, and I, too, have frequently noticed that continued earthquakes are the harbingers aud attendants of epizootic pests.

LIESIDIiNT MAGISTRATE'S COURT. GK G. Fitzgerald, Esq., R.M.)

Monday, July 23, 1866.

Drunk and Incapable. — Denis Mnvphv nnd Thomas Brown were both fined ss, oi in default, 24 hours' imprisonment with hard labor.

Stabbing and Wounding with Intent to do Grevious Bodily Harm.— -Charles Kensli, on remand from the 18th instant, was charge d by Henry Harris with assaulting and wounding him on the ni'iming of the 17th inst. by stabbing him in several places with a knife and with a fork. Mr Oakes appeared for the prisoner. Henry Harris, being sworn deposed that he ami the prisom r were in the employ of Messrs Mace and Dixon, and that as he w.is goimto ned on the morning of the seventeenth between one and two o'clock the prisoner was siting in the dining-room cu'tin^ up tobacco, and making a noise Ivy kicking some things under the tab c. The witness called out to him to be quiet anl threatened to &trilu> him if he persisted in makingthat neiise. Prisoner then went into the hidronm where the prisoner anu another man of the name of Bryning were -leeping, whe>n some words passed by the twe) which ended in prisoner taking hoi of the prnsecnior by the rijiht shoulder, pul.ing him through the dining-room into the ,\ anl. The prisoner at this time had a table knife iv his hand with which he b u 1 heen cutting up tobacco . Deiring the •truggle the liyht went out, and it waonly on Mr Mace lighting the candle a few minutes afterwards that witness found he was cut in several places. Witness further srated that as prismier was dragging him threuigh the diniu<»-room into the yard h» called e»ut to Brynimr, who was in the', bedroom, " Tom, Te>m," he has a knife in hihand, and that when he fell in the yard he felt a sharp sensation, aa if he was cut with a knife. Both the witness anrl prisoner fell several times in the yard, thp witness being sometimes uppermost at other times the prise ncr was. Cross-exa-mined by Mr Oake3 — The witness was not «ober when he wßnt to bed that night. Tnere was a great quantity of glars in ti«e 3*ard where witne-s fell, aud he could noi say whether the wounds were inflicted by iilass or not. A man of the name of Brvning and Mr Mace were called and stateo that they had seen prisoner and witness scuffling in the yard, hut neither" of them had' seen a knife used, and both deposed to the fact that the place where the prisoner and witness were wrestling was full of glass. The police declined to proceed with the case, and the prisoner was discharged, the Magistrate cautioning the pro-eeutor, who had distinctly sworn in hii information that the prisoner had stabbed him both with a knife and with a fork, and in his cross -examination had admitted that he was unable to say whethei the wounds were inflicted by glass or not.

Obtaining Money nr False Pretences.—J. M. Warden on remand from the 20th, was charged with this offence. Mr Harvey appeared for the prisoner. Samuel Blacker Colls, being duly sworn, deposed that he was the landlord of Tattersall's Hotel, Revell-street. On Wednesday, the 18th instant, the prisoner went to his house and had his dinner and tea. Shortly after tea prisoner called fur a blank Bank of New Zealand cheque, wh-ch he filled up for Ll, and handed over to witness, requesting him to cash it, deducting the amount he was indebted to him. and return the balance, 155., which the witness accordingly did. The cheque bor< ♦be endorsement " Payable at 10.30." .Witness kept the cheque until the next morning, when he handed it o^er to a constable, not having presented it at the Bank. F. N. Biuc, sworn, stated that he was 'edirer-keeper at the B.ink eif New Zealand. Witness was not aware whether the civ que had been presented at the B.mk, but wa? e-ctain there was no account in the Ba'iV in the name of Warden. Seigiant White proved the arrest of the prisoner, and ■fated that ho had presentf d the cheque it the Bank, when it was r turned to him marked "No account." Constable Treloar stated 'that the prisoner went to the Camp on the 18th instant, and gave himself up, statin-.' th it he bad heen civi'.g cheques about the town ard hael no funds to meet them, and that as lie was hard-up he would g'» to <raol. Mr llnvev, for the defenco. then c II y d John Holloway who dppo ed thnt he wiis coriesp'inde'nt to theßink of New Zealand, Ilokitika ; and that he had sony ••■irretvonilencc with the Christchii'-cl '•ranch lelative to the prisoner's affairs. \ letter of endit had been i-sned Ivy t 1 c Oriental Corporation Bai'k, Madrn"«» ii> avor of the prisoner. The proceeds of SO rnj'ees per month wne yiaynh'e to tin prisoner at the option of the Hank of New 7e>»l:irid. This let'er of credit had beei forwar el to thp different branchis as th' on oner Ind moved from place tn pi ice The instalment for thin month :>f June ha' 1 ii t been paid, but it win necess-iry th> he prisoner appeared personally at the bank to receive ihe money. The witne»<was of opinion that hael tbo priso-ier up neared at the bink person-ally hi'forv Inlfni\<t ten on 'I'liur-d iv morninjj, the 19th. '■c iniiiht have m ide arrangements to fhe cheque cn«heel. The Majiistrate, nfio •learii'jj Mr Hollo way I.*1 .* evidence, saiel ihat • c diel not think any jury woiiLl convict Hie prisoner, mid con«pquentlv dischiried him wilh a caution. T»vo other chrt'<re.s of i similar characier weie bn-n^'it airains' rhe pri-=uner. one nf which wis witlidia.Mi '■iv the police. In the other, the pol cc failing to establish thechaige, the prisonei Was elischnrgeel. Tne Con l was ac'journeJ until eleven o'clock ibis day.

Tuesday, July 24. Smuggling (th,d — Thomas K^liv wao c'larared l>y W'lliam Pitti-n, the Collectot .»f Customs, under " clau-e 170 of -2\ and 22 Victoria," wi I h exporting two ounces, ■seven- pennyweights, three grains of gold without paying duty thereon. Mr Oukes appeared for the prisoner.- Arthur T. Harris deposed that he was gol 1 searcher, and that on the afternoon of yesterday the 23rd instatit witness met the prisoner <m hoard the Yarra and asked him if lie had any gold in his p 'sse^sion on which he li.id notp.iid duty. Kelly replied that he had a small quantity, and produced a chamois leather bag containing two ounces *even pennyweights 3 grains, which he (witness) seized on behalf of the Customs. Uy Mr Oakes— Kelly did not deny having the gold upon him.but gave it up nt once, and at the same time slated he was not an are that he ou»ht to have paid duty on the gold, as he was not going to leave

the. colony, hut was on his way to Wellington. The passage ticket by one of the Panama boats was produced by Mr Oakes. The Miigistiate having no option in the matter, ordered the g»ld to be foi felted, md fined Kelly tht value of, the gold, L 9 8s 6.1. Another case wa« brought against John M'lndoe. Tho gold-seircher (Ilarri-.) stated that M'lndou denied hau'ng any .cold on him, but on his srarchini; him found a piece the size of a pen. It appeared the man was veiydeaf, and did not hear the question put him by Harris Ihe small nugget he had had iv hid po*---*e>sion for the la^t nine m mtas. The Magistrate dismissed the ca^e.

Breach op the Auciioneeiis' Ordinance. — Ch irles Cullins was charged, on the in form utim of S.-rge.mt Blanc, with •ellinjr goods by public au tion. at the Commercial Ilote 1 , Kmieri, on the 14th uist., not having <i license for the same Collins admitte 1 the ohnrge, anl was fined LIO, the lowest sum the Magistrate could inflict, in accordance wifch tlie ordinance.

Assault. — Thomas Youig waschaiged by Clmrl s M F.»x, with a*Biuhin<r him vi the 15. h instant, by seizing" him by the hro t and throwin<; him on a bench in he London Hoti 1, nt Woodstock. It was oleariy proved that -abuMve languige Ind 'ieen used on either side, and ili.tt an issault had been conniitted. Young was lined s*, and ordered to pay L 2, the expenses of plaintiff's witnesses.

Assault.— Jo-eph Dyer, of the Otag» Hotel, lit veil street, was oh irjed by John I off ray, \vi ih assaulting and kicking him in *iis hotel, on the morning of the 15ih instant. Mr Oakes appeared for the >laintiff, and withdrew the charge, staling rhat it was hi> intention to proceed against the defendant by a civil action for damages.

civri, c\ses.

Wilson & Co. v. Enunerson & Co. — For timber. Judgment, by default, for Lo 2s 6d and costs

Clarku v Oshorn (Haptain of the schooner Isabella). — For four gallons of kerosene, short delivered, Judgment, >>y default, for Ll 10s and costs, 53 f Collins v. Williams. — For money lent. Judgment fur L 2 and c >stß.

Seqnestr.itor of A. G. Miller's Estate v. Wat«on. — For goods supplied. Judg •nent, by consent, for L 3 8s 9d and costs ; to he paid by weekly instalments of Ll each;

Same v: Reeves — For goods supplied. Plaintiff nonsuited.

Smie v. M'Quilkin. — For goods supplied Judgment for defendant.

Same v. Dunbar. — For goods suppled. Judgment by default, for L 3 19s. lOd. and costs.

Si me v. Marks and Fuerst. — For goods supplied. Plaintiff non-suited. Defendant allowed K>d

Same v. Solomon. — For goods supplied. Judgment by default, for Ll 18s. Bd. and co^ts. South v. Lyons and Prince. — For professional services. Judgment for Lll sa. and costs.

Morgan v. Ooiifrey. — For services as clerk. Judgment, by default, for L 4 and co-»ts.

L'ickhart v. Matthies. — Mr Oakes appeared for the defendant. For goods supplied. Judgment for L 3 14j 8d and costs.

Walter & Qraig v. Jones. —For goods supplied. The defendant had paid Ll US iv Court. Judgment was given fur that amount.

Morgan v. Clara Dumhcvin.r-For washinjj. Judgment for Ll 16s, aud the amount cl imed and costs.

Sqii'Strator of the Ebtate of A. G. Miller v. Goodn'ck. — For »oods supplied. Judgment for- 1,2 19-! 6 I and costs.

T)io Court w;is then adjourned until eleven o'clock this day.