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Post Note: October 2007.
I was recentlygiven a web link to some of New Zealands
News Papers, I carried out a search for Robert Grimason
I found one entry.
"Daily Southern Cross 19 May 1876, Page 2:
Police Court.- Thursday 18 May 1876 [Before
Dr Horne, and G.S. Graham, Esquire., J.P.]
A Defaulting witness.- Robert Grimason, who was
prosecutor in a charge of larceny, was brought upon warrent,
and remanded."
I was intrigued and decided to investigate further when
next visiting the Auckland Public Labruary.
On searching the news papers on Micro film I found;
"The Evening Star Auckland 18 May 1876;
An Evasive Prosecutor.
Robert Grimmason was charged with failure to apear as a
witness in a case of larceny in which he had laid an information.
Mt Sub-Inspector Pardy said the prisoner was prosecutor
in the case refered to, and had tried to decamp. When the
case was called the other day he was not to be found.
He asked that he might be remanded untill to-morrow, when
the larceny case was to come on again.
Remanded accordingly."
"The Evening Star Auckland, Saturday 20 May 1876
A groundless charge.
John McMahon, a respectably dressed young man, was charged
on remand with stealing a meerchaum pipe, value 1 pound,
the property of Robert Grimmason.
Mr Joy appeared for the prisoner and pleaded not guilty.
Robert Grimmason, a labourer, said he recollected being
in Auckland on the 11th May and meeting the prisoner
at his fathers place.
He and the prisoner were drinking together on that day.
They went over to Edwards street together and went into
a house.
He could not say whose house it was.
He went to sleep, and on waking found himself outside the
house.
He went home and after havinfg a wash went to have a smoke
and could not find his pipe. During the day he went into
a public house at the foot of wakefield street, and saw
his pipe lying on the shelf in the bar.
He cliamed it as his and the landlord said it was not,
it had been left there by John McMahon.
He did not give McMahon the pipe.
They had been both smoking it during the day.
Mr Joy cross examined the witness very briefly.
Mary Anne Yoeman said it was to her house that the two
men had come on the afternoon of the 11th, Grimmason was
very tipsy and went to sleep on the sofa, she asked McMahon
to take him out, They got him out, and she thought they
had gone. McMahon afterwards came back and took away the
pipe which was lying on the sofa.
Evidence was also given by Mr Seeley, the landlord of the
public house in Wakefield street, and by detective Jeffrey,
but the testimony utterly failed to establish any criminal
intention on the part of the prisoner, Mr Joy said he thought
there was no need for him to say anything.
His worship said the evidence had failed to establish the
charge, and the prisoner must be discharged.
The witness Grimmason, who had been detained in custody
in consequence of neglecting to appear when the case was
first called on, was now formally released, his Worship
having first given him a severe admonition.
This was all the business."
Note: All words in Italics have been added to this article
as corrections to that originally published.
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