RESIDENT MAGISTRATES' COURT, HAMILTON. Friday.-(Before Mr. H. W. Northcroft, R.M.)

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1774, 17 November 1883, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATES' CO UR T, HAMILTON. Friday.-(Before Mr. H. W. North croft, R.M.)

Larceny, John Vir/CKisu.n wa«. chaigcd v.itli stealing £14 10-, tho moneys of one Adam Gall on board the steamer Delta on tlie !)fch in»t. tteigt. Mc(tovci - ii j)rosocuted, and the prisoner, who was nndofondod, applied to lia\o tho case dealt with sum manly. His Woi-lup said he could not accede to the ieque.it. Tho first witness called was Adam Uall, swoin, deposed: I am meman on boat d the steamer ])elt.u 1 know the accused, who was employed on the .steamer for .six or seven weeks.. J remember the Othiiiht. The steamer left Ngaiuaw ahia at 7.30 a.m. for Cambridge on that day. I had about £14 10s in my pocketbook in my pocket when 1 left. Theie was £"> 10s in «:old, 2so\ -„ and 7 half-.sovs, !) £1 Bank of New Zealand notes, and a ticket in tne Melbourne sweep, No. 214. It got hot firing, and I took my coat oft", and hung it against the boiler. An hour or so after prisoner said he would give me a spell until I tuned my fiddle. I agieed, and went away. In about half-an-hom I w ent back, and prisoner had left the engine, and was standing at the galley door drinking a gla.ss of beer. Theie weie some otheid with him. I asked him why he left the fire, but got no satisfactoiy reply. The steam had gone down to 2.")lbs. Onanival at Pukerinm I was the last to go ashoie. When I went for my coat I found that the pocket-book was gone. I went ashore and asked the piisoner, who was standing on the bank, if he had seen my packet- book, telling him I had lost it. Prisoner said I must be joking. The captain of the steamer recommended me to go up to the iacecour.se and see a policeman. Prisoner went with me, and told the policeman about the loss. I did not suspect the prisoner at this time. Two young men, passengeis fiom Hamilton, came to me when they heard of the lost,, to clear themselves. Their names are William Davis and James Aitken. Aitken said he had seen Vitzgeiaid with a lot of money. I asked him what sort of money, and Aitken said there weie some sovereigns, a lot of half-sovereigns, and a bundle of notes, and a ticket on a Melbourne sweep dr-oppod out from among->t the notes, The passengers about offeied to be searched, but prisoner said ha would not make a fool of him.self in front of the people. I told prisoner that I knew what money he had the night before, £4 11s odd, and that he had bought trousers, boots, etc., and paid his. bill at the hotel. I said he could not show many sovereigns and notes after doing that. Prisoner said, " Do you think I stole your' money?" I said "No." I went with Aitki'n to the constable, and he told him whu,t he. knew, and ,the wnstyblg WV^t^d

prisoner. Before the pay night on the Bth prisoner had no money. I lent him 3s. I asked him for the money on tho , 9th, and he said he had ho * money. Later in the day he paid me. James Aitken deposed that he was a passenger by the steamer Delta on the 9th. Win. Davis was with him. ' Saw the pi isoner pull a roll of notes from his pocket, letting a piece of paper' fall to the floor. Witness picked it up, and prisoner said it was ji ticket on the Melbourne Cup. It was much soiled. Afterwards witness saw accused in the foiccastle, pulling the roll of not'M from his pocket, also a number of sovereigns and half-sovereigns, mostly the Litter. Prisoner said he had more money •tlidii anyone on the boat ; said he got £25 from home every month, .and that the Engmail was in the day before. Prisoner askod them to have a drink, and gave witness half-.i-soveieign to pay for the drinks, saying there were reasons why he should not show he had money." 'When prisoner wa» afterwards taken into custody the constable found a sovereign, a half-sovereign, and 13s 3d in silver coin on him. Wm. Davis gave corroborative testimony. Constable Dillon deposed to' arresting the prisoner ou the racecourse on Friday, and to seai clung him, but only finding one or two pounds, on him lid released him. On Saturday, acting on information he.received, he te-arrested prisoner. Constable Alford deposed' that he saw the prisoner at Kirkwoods Hotel, Cambridge, on Frid ly night, flashing a'bundle of notes in his hand. Also saw him with several half sovereigns. In formed Constable Dillon of the circumstances. Mr Logic, postmaster, Hamilton, sworn, deposed that to the heat of luk knowledge no English letters were delivered in Waikato on Thursday, the Bth. ' ' This closed the case for the prosecution. Prisoner, who reserved his defence, was fully committed to take his trial at the next criminal sittings of the Supremo Court at Auckland,