The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 29 Jan 1878 1
CENTRAL POLICE COURT.
MONDAY.
BEFORE the Police Magistrate, with Messrs Hunt, Davies, Pearce, Harris, Palmer, Smith, and Smart.
Fifty-three persons were fined for drunkenness. Among these Catherine Madwell and John Moss were charged with having, while in custody for drunkenness, made use of obscene language; and Thomas Chim and James Osborne were charged with having assaulted the constables who apprehended them. They each declared that they had no recollection of the matter charged, but, on being pressed, said that they might as well plead guilty. They were severally fined in respect of these charges, in sums of from 5s to 20s.
Thomas McNulty was committed to take his trial at the Central Criminal Court, charged with having on the 26th January assaulted with intent, &c, one Adelaide Emily Hinds. Prosecutrix deposed that about 2 o’clock in the morning of the day named she was awoke in her bed by someone handling her, and saw the prisoner partly undressed; she screamed for help, and held the prisoner until a constable came to her assistance; she did not know how or when the prisoner came into the house; her husband was lying drunk on the floor. In reply to Mr Carroll, who appeared for the prisoner, prosecutrix said that prisoner told her that he had made a mistake and came into the wrong house. Bail allowed in £80, and two sureties in £40 each. The same prisoner was then charged with stealing from the person. Richard Hinds, husband of the prosecutrix in the last case, deposed that on Saturday morning last he went to sleep, having in one pocket one £1, and in another 1s; he was awoke by his wife, and in consequence of what she said, he asked prisoner to give him up the note he had taken from his pocket; he denied having a note. Adelaide E Hinds, prosecutor’s wife, deposed that she saw prisoner put his hand into her husband’s pocket as he lay asleep on the floor of her bedroom; she saw prisoner by the light of the moon. Constable Tilson deposed that on searching prisoner at the station-house a £1-note was found upon him. Committed for trial at the next gaol delivery.
George William Vaudlear was called upon to account for his possession of a carriage lamp, suspected to have been stolen, and failing to give a satisfactory account—he said that he could not tell where he got it—was sentenced to be imprisoned seven days.
…
Patrick Hall was sentenced to pay 60s, or to be imprisoned one month, for indecent behaviour, and to pay 40s, or to be imprisoned fourteen days for using bad language.
Thomas Johnson was sentenced to be imprisoned seven days for offending against decency in a public place; and William Williamson, convicted of wilfully indecent behaviour before girls in Prince Alfred Park —having been previously convicted of like misconduct—was sentenced to be imprisoned six months.
Catherine Young was committed to take her trial at the Quarter Sessions, on a charge of stealing a half-sovereign from the person of Henry Griffin Merritt, and was allowed bail for her appearance.
Annie Rowley was summarily convicted of having stolen tarts, of the value of 8d, from the basket of Robert Davis, an itinerant pastrycook and confectioner, and was sentenced to pay a penalty of 1s, or to be detained in custody until the rising of the Court.
1 The Sydney Morning Herald, Tue 29 Jan 1878, p. 7. Emphasis added.