The Wagga Wagga Express and Murrumbidgee District Advertise, Sat 12 May 1866 ¹

POLICE COURT.
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MONDAY, MAY 7.
(Before the Police Magistrate.)

    FURIOUS RIDING AND ILL-USING A HORSE.—Arthur Dillon was brought before the Court, and charged by the police with the above offence. P Ryan stated that on the previous day he had seen defendant riding furiously down Fitzmaurice-street, and that when the horse was pulled up at the Commercial Hotel door, it was so weak it could hardly stand, and it was in a perfect lather from overriding. As it appeared that no person’s life had been endangered by the furious riding of the defendant, that case against him was dismissed but for the cruelty to his horse he was fined two pounds, and in default one month’s imprisonment.

    OBSCENE LANGUAGE.—John Harris pleaded guilty to the above charge, and was cautioned and discharged. John O’Neill was similarly charged, and was fined two pounds or one month’s imprisonment.

    MALICIOUSLY DAMAGING PROPERTY.—John O’Neill was charged by Constable John Hoy with wilfully and maliciously destroying sundry articles of convenience in the lockup, the property of the Government. The prisoner was ordered to refund to the sergeant of police the value of the property destroyed, and in default to be imprisoned for 14 days, with hard labour.

TUESDAY, MAY 8.
(Before the Police Magistrate.)

    EXPOSING THE PERSON.—Thomas McGrath was charged with indecently exposing his person near the Australian Hotel on the previous day, and was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment.

    BREACH OF MASTERS AND SERVANTS ACT.—Reardon v. Brown.—Mr Gibbes appeared for the complainant, and Mr Williams for the defendant. The defendant in this case, it appeared, had been hired by the complainant, as a shepherd, and had left his service, as the complainant alleged, before the expiration of his term of service. Upon the production of the agreements, it appeared that, by the one held by the complainant, Brown was hired for a term of six months; the agreement held by Brown himself was differently worded, and by it he was only bound for a weekly term. The Bench dismissed the case.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9.
(Before the Police Magistrate.)

    DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.—James Kelley was charged with the above offences, and, having pleaded guilty, was cautioned and discharged.

THURSDAY, MAY 10.
(Before the Police Magistrate.)

    ASSAULT.—Mary Ann Knowle was charged with assaulting Ann Wilson on the 9th instant. Constable Leeman stated that the prisoner, on being brought to the lock-up, on the previous day, with Ann Wilson, had raised her hand and struck her (Wilson) in the face. Convicted, and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment.

    DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.—Ann Wilson was charged with the above offences, and, having pleaded guilty, was cautioned and discharged.

FRIDAY, MAY 11.
(Before the Police Magistrate.)

    STEALING BOOTS.—Ann O’Neill was brought up and charged with stealing, on Thursday last, one pair of boots, the property of James Purse. Sergeant Carroll deposed that, having received information of the robbery, he proceeded to the prisoner’s residence and told her she was accused of stealing the boots; she said Mrs Sully owed her some money for mangling, and she went to the house of Mrs Purse, where she said she lived, and took the boots, thinking they belonged to Mrs Sully, and wanting to secure something for the money that was owed to her; Mrs Purse came up and identified the boots, and gave prisoner into custody. Ann Purse said that, on Wednesday last, she went out washing to the hospital, leaving her children at home; when she returned, her girl told her that a dark woman had been into her bed-room, and had stolen her boots; on the Thursday, she did not go out washing, and her children told he that the dark woman had been there again; the dark woman was the prisoner, and she blustered out something about Mrs Sully; Mrs Sully did not live with witness; she had been there one night, and she (witness) turned her away; she said nothing to prisoner about the boots, but, when she left, she (witness) informed the sergeant of the robbery. Selina Sully said she went to live with prisoner, as a lodger, on Wednesday last, and paid her one week in advance, and half-a-crown she owed her for some mangling; when she paid the half-crown, prisoner did not say she had taken a pair of boots as security. Sentenced to three month’s imprisonment in Wagga Wagga gaol, with hard labour.

¹  The Wagga Wagga Express and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser, Sat 12 May 1866, p. 2. Emphasis added.