Below also see: Matthew Furney, 1878
The Goulburn Herald and Chronicle, Wed 27 Oct 1875 1
GOULBURN POLICE COURT.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23.
BEFORE the police-magistrate and Mr Sheppard.
…
————
MONDAY, OCTOBER 25.
Before the police-magistrate and Mr Sheppard.
Matthew Furney, a lad fourteen years of age, was brought up under the Industrial Schools Act charged with absenting himself from his home.
From the evidence of the boy’s mother, the boy had run away from home, and had been brought back from Cooma. She further stated that it was her intention to put him apprentice at once.
By consent of the bench, the information was withdrawn.
Matthew Furney, 1878
The Goulburn Herald and Chronicle, Sat 15 Jun 1878 2
GOULBURN POLICE COURT.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12.
BEFORE the police-magistrate.
Matthew Furney, aged seventeen, was charged with stealing money from the shop of Messrs Cox, wheelwrights.
Mr Betts for defence.
Senior-sergeant Fenton deposed: Prisoner was given into my custody this morning by Frederick Cox on a charge of stealing two threepenny pieces and three pennies out of a tin pot in his shop; before I arrested prisoner I told him Mr Cox had missed some money; he said he knew nothing about it; asked him if he had any money; he said he had and put his hand in his pocket and gave me a sixpence and three penny-pieces; I examined the coin and found that one penny-piece was marked; I produce the coin; I showed it to Mr Cox and he re-recognised it as one of the coins he had missed; I took prisoner to his father’s residence and his mother afforded me every facility; I searched his clothes, having previously got her permission to do so; I did not find anything; brought prisoner to the lock-up and I there told him that Mr Cox had informed me that prisoner had been betting in the shop, and that twopence which Mr Cox handed to me had been won from the prisoner; I told him that the mark on these pennies corresponded with the mark on the one found on him; I showed him the punch produced, and told him it was that with which Mr Cox said he made the marks.
Frederick Cox deposed: Prisoner was at one time an apprentice of ours, and is now working by the week; on Monday evening about a quarter past six o’clock I missed two threepenny pieces and three pennies from a pint pot on a bench close to where prisoner was working; I saw the money about half-past five; the money was marked; John Radnor was working in the shop and said something to me; I afterwards reported the loss of the money to the police; I gave Senior-sergeant Fenton the two pennies and the punch now produced; I got the pennies from John Radnor this morning; they are marked with the punch; I marked them because I had missed money before; I afterwards saw prisoner hand sixpence and some coppers to Sergeant Fenton; I recognised one of them as one I had marked; prisoner made no remark; I have no doubt the coppers are those I marked.
To Mr Betts: There was another boy working in the shop; he had the same opportunity as prisoner of taking the money; there were customers in and out of the shop all day; anyone near the bench could see the money; prisoner has been working with us about five weeks; I missed another parcel about Monday, which was left against a post in the shop.
To Senior-sergeant Fenton: I left the shop at half-past five, leaving the man and the boy in the shop.
John Radnor deposed: I am a blacksmith employed by Mr Cox; I was working in the shop in Clinton-street on Monday last and prisoner was working with me; I know that money was kept in a tin pot; I know some money was marked and I saw it in the tin pot; Mr Cox left the shop about half-past five; I left about six o’clock, but went back, and I then missed the money; all the money was gone out of the tin pot; from half-past five o’clock till closing at six there was no one in the shop but prisoner and myself; I saw prisoner as I was going and I asked him if he was coming home; this morning prisoner and an other boy were making a bet and I held the money; I kept the money the prisoner gave me in my right hand, and I saw that it was marked; the money produced has the same mark.
To Mr Betts: I have been working with Mr Cox for two years; I have had barneys with the prisoner; I did not complain to Mr Cox about him; we had a barney lately; the other boy was not there at half-past five o’clock; I don’t remember seeing the other boy during the evening; prisoner was at work at the bench where the money was; Mr Cox asked me to notice if any one took the money; it was ten minutes after I left with prisoner that I went back, struck a match, and went into the shop to look if the money was gone; it was about half-past seven o’clock when the betting took place; the money did not change hands several times; I gave it at once to Mr Cox, who was in the shop; I saw the mark at once; prisoner asked me what I was looking at the money so much for; I saw the money marked; I never marked or saw any marked before.
Henry Harris deposed: I am employed by Mr Cox; I was working at the cottage on Monday, and was not in the shop after eight o’clock that morning. Witness here corroborated the evidence of the former witness as to the betting and seeing the marked money.
To Mr Betts: I did not go into the shop at all on Monday evening; the doors and windows were shut, and I heard them working inside; I have not heard Radnor and prisoner have any rows; we got up the bet between ourselves, that is I and Furney; I did not know the money was put there.
Mr Betts agreed to the case being dealt summarily with.
Mr Betts then addressed his worship.
Prisoner was convicted of larceny and fined 20/, in default of immediate payment seven days in jail.
The fine was paid.
1 The Goulburn Herald and Chronicle, Wed 27 Oct 1875, p. 2.
2 The Goulburn Herald and Chronicle, Sat 15 Jun 1878, p. 3. Emphasis added.