MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 846, 10 March 1877, Page 2

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

CHRISTCHURCH.

Saturday, March 10. (Before G. L. Hellish, Esq., R.M., and Hon Ernest Gray, J.P.)

Drunk and Disorderly. —John Cunningham, against whom there was a long list, was fined 40s and cautioned. Mary Edwards and Martin Warren were each fined 20s. John McEvoy and John Gardiner were fined 10s each, and Janette McKinlay ss. Two inebriates, who appeared for the first time were each fined 10s.

Assault. —Richard Ansley was charged on summons with having assaulted his wife Ann Ansley on Sth hist. Defendant did not appear when called, and his Worship ordered a warrant to be issued for his arrest.

Protection of Earnings. —An application by Mrs Rebecca Hamman was withdrawn by leave of the Court. Forgery and Uttering. —Frederick G. Oakland, with twp aliases, was charged op | remand with having forged the name of the Hon Ernest Gray to a cheque for £ll, drawn the on Bank of New Zealand, and also with having uttered the same on James Major, storekeeper, at Springston. When arrested by Sergeant Wallace, at Lincoln, accused said he had received the cheque from a mate of his named Frank Drover. On arriving at Christchurch the following morning accused told the sergeant that it was no use hiding it any longer, that he had forged the cheque, and was sorry for Major, as he was a very decent man. He also said he got the blank cheque from the landlady of the Selwyn Bridge Hotel, among some paper she had given him at his request to write a letter. The cheque had been present d at; all the Banks in Christchurch, and the signature not known. Mr Major gave evidence of accused having been at his store on the 28th of last month. He purchased goods to the amount of £4 14s, and gave the cheque produced in payment for them. Before witness cashed the cheque accused endorsed it,' signing the name of George Brown. Witness' gave accused a cheque of liis own for 4>2 and the rest in cash, after deducting the amount of the goods. Witness paid the cheque into the bank on the Ist of March, and afterwards received a reply, “Signature unlike.” The bank refused fo pay it. Ernest Grey called, stated that he' had not signed the cheque, nor hqc| hp authorised accused qi anybody else tp sign if for him. Did not know of any other person of the earns name in the district. William James, landlord of the Selwyn Hotel, stated that accused had been about his hotel for about a fortnight. Produced his chequebook, the number on the block (31160) corresponding with the cheque produced. Witness believed that he had torn out this cheque by mistake and afterwards placed it in an unlocked box in the bar parlour. Accused, while at the house, might have had access to this box. James Macfarlane, clerk

in the Bank of New Zealand, Christchurch, stated that the cheque produced had been paid into the bank by Mr Mopr, and returned “signature nnlike.’’ Tl >f P .oue^w3S book bearing the number OD L^ O This issued to William James, of This concluded the evidence, and bavin? been read over to accused, he reserved his defence and was committed for trial at the next criminal session of the Supreme Court,

LYTTELTON. Saturday, March 10. (Before H. B. Webb, J- T - Jouse, and H. Allwright. Esqs, J.P s.) Drunkenness —John Wilson, A. Steel, John Hollands, and John Watson, were each fined 10s for the above offence, or in default 48 hours’ hard labor. , _ . Absent without Leave —John Hunter, a seaman on board the Kate McGiegor schooner, was charged by Captain Matheson with this offence. The Bench sentenced accused to four weeks’ hard labor, and ordered him to forfeit two days’ pay. LARCENY.— James Crane alias McGee was charged with stealing a half sovereign from the Canterbury Hotel. Mr George Pierce, barman of the hotel, sworn, said that on Friday morning he left a half sovereign on the bar counter while turning round to serve some drinks. He saw prisoner take up the money and put it in his pocket. Prisoner denied having the money, so witness gave him in charge. Another witness, named Hutchinson, gave evidence in support of the case, and the Bench sentenced accused to six months’ imprisonment with hard labor. James Crane, the prisoner in the former case, was then charged with stealing a meerschaum pip®, the property of UniusFellendorf. The evidence went -to show that prosecutor and accused had been occupying the same room at the Victorian dining rooms in Lyttelton for some few days Prosecutor missed the pipe, which he had left on the table, and asked accused if he had seen it. Accused said he had not. Next day prosecutor saw the pipe in the possession of a man named O’Neill, and when asking him whom he got the pipe from, O’Neill told him that prisoner had sold it to him for Is ; the pipe was worth 7s 6d. James O’Neill being called, stated that the prisoner had offered him the pipe for Is, and that he purchased it for that sum. Prisoner told him the pipe was his- In answer to the charge, prisoner said he did not remember the pipe, and had never seen the witness O’Neill. Former convictions having be*n proved against the prisoner, the Bench sentence'" him to six months’ imprisonment with b 1 labor, to commence at the expiration of .Js former sentence.