SUPREME COURT. — CRIMINAL SESSION.
STEALING MEERSCHAUM PIPES.
Henry Pearce (41) was indicted for stealing a quantity of meerschaum pipes.
The warehouse of Messrs Kohn and Co. in High street, was, like almost every other in the city, not opened for business purposes on New Year's Day. On the morning of the 2nd January, Edward Walsh, the storekeeper, found that a window in the side of the building (there being a right-of-way) had been broken with a stone, and that a number of meerschaum billiard pipes, chiefly No. 3, had been stolen from shelves which ran across the window, and which could easily be reached through the broken window. Mr Wm. Schwabacher, a member of the firm, who sleeps on the premises, was not disturbed on either of the nights. There were stolen something like 15 or 16 dozen pipes, averaging in value, wholesale, from 8s to 9s. A day or two after the robbery the prisoner met Mr R. Blake, commission agent, to whom he had before spoken on trivial matters, and said that he had some billiard pipes which he had "got on the cross," and would sell very cheap, adding that it would be all right, as he always "worked alone." After a good deal of pressing, Mr Blake consented to look at some of the pipes, if they were brought next day to a cafe in the Arcade kept by his son. The prisoner appeared there, with just four dozen No. 3 billiard pipes, in a carpet bag. Mr Blake not being a judge of their value, took one to his son to look at; but from what his son told him, he desired the prisoner to call again in an hour for an answer. Meanwhile, the detectives were communicated with, and the pipes given to Detective Farrell, who remained on the watch. The prisoner came at the appointed time, was pointed out by Blake, and was collared by Farrell.
The prisoner complained that Robert Blake, whom he did not know, and who was not a witness before the Magistrate, should be called now, instead of the son, W. J. Blake. It was explained that the last witness had failed to appear, although bound over, and that the prosecution did not desire to prove by the father anything not in the deposition of the son.
The Judge had the deposition of William John Blake to be read. In it, there was no reference to his father as connected with the matter — the pipes being spoken of as offered to the son for sale. The prisoner (it was said) "wanted L2 10s for the lot."
The prisoner was found Guilty, and was sentenced to 18 months' hard labor. -Otago Daily Times, 10/3/1864.
KEEPING A DISORDERLY HOUSE.
Harry Pearce alias the Meerschaum was charged with this offence. According to the evidence of Sergeant Anderson and Constable Turnbull, the prisoner in May last kept a house in Stafford street, in which were found one morning in that month, the notorious Ann and Peter Sherry, Margaret Robinson and Mary Rudens, notoriously bad characters, whom the Sergeant characterised as “the worst characters in Dunedin.” A summons was issued against the prisoner at the time, but he evaded service until yesterday, when be was arrested for contempt of Court. It transpired that he had been to Canterbury, but had been ordered away from that Province on short notice, and had since been living up country. As he expressed an intention of leaving the town, and as the police had no desire to press the charge if he would betake himself to honest employment, his Worship discharged the prisoner with a caution, reminding him that if he came before him again he would be severely punished. -Evening Star, 6/3/1872.
A man named Lewis and another named Pearce were arrested on Saturday on a charge of robbery from the Criterion Hotel. Pearce is a notorious character here, and was let off with a warning by his Worship the Mayor on the day previous to the one on which the alleged offence was committed, on condition that he would leave the town at once, and betake himself to honest industry. Lewis, it is said, is a man who was discharged from the Lyttelton gaol oqnthe 12th of last month, after having served a sentence of two years for a series of petty larcenies from hotels, and who has travelled overland to Dunedin. In addition to the articles both are charged with stealing, we are informed that the following articles have been traced to and recovered from Lewis, and that the Police want an owner for them — A pair of colonial drop earrings, bell pattern; a morocco leather case, marked on the back, "C - A. 134, £2 : 17 : 6;" and a valuable meerschaum pipe, the stem being a hand holding a pistol, with an amber mouthpiece, and the rim of the bowl mounted heavily with colonial gold. -Otago Witness, 16/3/1872.
THEFT.
John Willis, alias Lewis, alias Lee, and Harry Pearce, alias “Meerschaum,” were charged with stealing a pair of boots from the Criterion Hotel. Willis’s excuse was that he had stayed at the Criterion Hotel on the night prior to the robbery, and in the morning he went into the next bedroom to get some matches; but he denied having stolen anything. — Pearce had nothing to say for himself. — The Bench thought the community should be rid of both men for some time, and sentenced each to six calendar months’ hard labor. The same prisoners were charged with stealing a pair of gold earrings, the property of Miss McLean. The prosecutrix, who is barmaid at the Imperial Hotel, said that on the morning of the 11th she missed the earrings, which she had placed on her dressingtable. On the Tuesday following Pearce went to the Queen’s Arms Hotel in company with Willis, and representing the earrings to be the property of the latter, obtained an advance of 12s upon them, dividing the money with Willis in the presence of the landlord. The Commissioner informed the Bench that Willis was released from Lyttelton Gaol on Feb. 12; after doing a two years sentence, and immediately came down here to carry on his old practices. Mr Ward said the prisoners would only have an opportunity of residing in one place in Dunedin for some time to come. Willis had been very foolish in coming to Dunedin because the police were smart enough to find him out. Both men would be sentenced to six mouths hard labor ; the sentences to he accumulative. -Evening Star, 19/3/1872.
MAYOR’S COURT.
This Day.
(Before E. ff. Ward and J, Brown, Esqs., J.IVs)
Vagrancy. John H. Harding, John Lewis, alias Willis, alias Lee; Kate Miller, alias Jessie Luson, alias Jessie Creighton; Henry Pearce, alias Meerschaum, and Margaret Cochrane, were charged with the above offence. The whole of the prisoners, who were not defended, pleaded not guilty. From the evidence given by the police, it appeared that Pearce was the occupier of a house frequented by persons having no lawful visible means of support, and that the others were found in his (Pearce’s) house, and in company with reputable thieves. It was also shown that there was a number of convictions recorded against them. The prisoner Cochrane was here taken with a fit of hysterics, and had to be removed for medical examination. The prisoners made statements with the view of showing that they had not gone to the house with any bad purpose; but Pearce, who seemed to know more about the case than the rest, said he could explain ail. He then said that Harding and the females were neighbors of his, and that Harding bought fish from him. On the day in question, however, he had borrowed a broom from him, and had come to get it back. He was always at work hawking fish, and as he earned his living he was not a vagrant. Sub-Inspector Mallard said he was charged with being the occupier of the house, and not with having no means of support. The Bench said they were sorry to see the prisoners again before them, but to act as a warning to them, they would be sentenced to the lightest term of imprisonment allowable, viz., ten days, Cochrane would be discharged. -Evening Star, 12/3/1873.
Larceny from Person. — Henry Pearce, alias Meerschaum, a well-known convicted thief, was charged with stealing from the person of one Peter Johnson, sawyer, a purse containing 20s in silver. — Prosecutor said that he was drinking with prisoner in an hotel on the previous day. While lying down he felt a hand in his pocket, and looking, saw prisoner at his side. Ordered him away, and went to sleep. When he awoke prisoner was gone, and so was his money. He could not say whether the money was abstracted when he saw prisoner at his aide. A remand till next day was applied for by the Police. — His Worship: Has the purse or money been recovered? — Sub inspector Mallard: No, characters like prisoner know too much to allow that. — His Worship: Then there cannot be sufficient evidence to allow a jury to convict. The case had better be dismissed, — Sub-Inspector Mallard: I trust your Worship sees the difficulty the police have in dealing with men of this class. — His Worship: The police did quite right in bringing the case before the Court. Had they not done so they would not have been acting properly. — Prisoner was then discharged, his Worship remarking that the police were open to bring up the charge again if they got further evidence. -Evening Star, 12/6/1874.
Henry Pearce, alias Meerschaum, was charged, on the information of John Quinn, miner, with having, on the 10th October, stolen one £10 bank note, one £1 note, two half-sovereigns, a pair of gold earrings, and five or six shillings in silver. — Prosecutor said he had just returned from the country, and on Saturday morning he fell in with a woman named Bridget Kane, whom he accompanied to her house in a right-of way off Stafford street. It was only a one roomed shanty, and two other men (one of them the prisoner) entered at the same time. They had some drink, witness paying for it, and he afterwards laid down and fell asleep. Between one and two o'clock he awoke, and saw prisoner running out of the door. At the same time he discovered that his waistcoat pocket, in which the valuables mentioned had been placed, was cut away; and he also found that a knife had been taken from his trousers pocket. He shortly afterwards gave information to the Police. — Accused asked a number of questions, but failed to elicit anything material to himself. — Bridget Kane, a married woman, residing in Stafford street, said prosecutor accompanied her home between seven and eight o'clock on Saturday morning, and prisoner, who was at the door, went in with them. After having some drink, she was aroused from a lethargic stupor, whilst lying in a corner of the building, by some violent shaking, and getting up she saw accused cutting a pocket from prosecutor's waistcoat with a knife. Quinn was lying on the bed, and he turned him over. Witness said "Harry, you should not do that, as the man has been a good friend to me, and given me 5s." Accused said if she spoke again he would strike her. He then ran away with the pocket. —Henry Heasman, bricklayer's labourer, residing in an alley off Stafford street, said he saw accused enter the house in question on Saturday morning, and shortly after he came out and asked witness to go to Martin's Hotel and have a drink, which he did. Prisoner returned to the shanty, where he remained about three-quarters of an hour, and going over to witness, he showed him one or two finger rings, a pair of earrings, and a pocket-knife. He remarked, "This is the knife what I have done it with," and gave it to witness. He asked him to plant the rings and earrings, which witness refused; and in the evening Pearce returned, and said he had planted them himself. Accused also had a small pocket in his possession. — Constable Bain stated that, in company with Constable Henderson, he made enquiries relative to the charge at issue, the result of which was the apprehension of accused. — When formally cautioned, prisoner replied that he was innocent of the charge. — The Court committed him for trial. The Magistrate asked if he would like bail. — Accused: Yes; but I would like to know who will bail me? -Otago Daily Times, 13/10/1874.
Daring Till Robbery. — Harry Pearce, alias Meerschaum, a notorious thief, and Ellen Crawley, a dissipated woman, were jointly charged by Frederick Gustav Naumann, publican, with having, on the 25th inst., stolen from the Hillside Hotel, Caversham, a cashbox, containing L70 odd in moneys. — Prosecutor stated that between eleven and twelve o'clock on Saturday, prisoners entered his hotel and called for drinks with which they were served, and paid for. They afterwards left and no person being in the bar, witness went into a side room. While there, a man entered and informed him that his cash box had been taken. Witness went out and found the cash-box had been replaced on the counter. Witness followed accused to the Race-course, where he overtook them and gave both into custody. The woman then said it was the man Pearce who took the box and handed it to her over the counter. — Inspector Mallard: Your Worship understood the box was not in its place. — Male Prisoner: That was not said. — Inspector Millard: Then I will put the witness in the box again, I know the man I am dealing with. — Witness, recalled, said the cash box had been removed from the till. — Thomas Lambert said, that when entering the Hillside Hotel, on Saturday morning, he saw accused coming out of the door hurriedly, and heard Pearce say to the woman — ''Put your shawl over it;" but she re-entered the hotel and put a cash-box on the counter. — Inspector Mallard: You saw her place it on the counter? — Prisoner Pearce: I think you might ask questions, Mr Mallard, and not dictate words. — Inspector Mallard: I am only repeating them. — Mr Fish: You are going a little far, perhaps. — Inspector Mallard: I want to give prisoners fair play. — Prisoner Pearce: Oh, yes; I can see you do. — Witness continued that the male prisoner made away as hard as he could. — The female prisoner here murmured something, and Pearce struck her. — Inspector Mallard: Would your Worships take notice of the conduct of that man striking the woman. Pearce: It was only to keep her quiet. — Witness said he went in chase of accused, and came upon them on the Race course, where they were arrested. Pearce accused him of the theft. The female prisoner blamed it on Pearce. — SergeantMajor Bevan and Constable Conn deposed to prisoner being apprehended, the woman stating that it was Pearce who gave her the box, but she would not take it. — Both prisoners were committed for trial. -Otago Witness, 1/4/1876.
SUPREME COURT.
CRIMINAL SESSION
Tuesday, April 4. (Before His Honor Judge Williams:) His Honor took his seat on the Bench at 10 a.m.
SENTENCES. On William Rankin (33) being brought up for sentence, his Honor elicited from Mr Caldwell the fact that the prisoner was at present undergoing a sentence for larceny. His Honor sentenced. the prisoner to three years’ penal servitude. Henry Pearce, alias the Meerschaum, in answer to the customary question, said he did not consider the verdict according to evidence, but he hoped his Honor would be as lenient as possible. — His Honor: I have not the slightest doubt of the justice of the verdict of the jury. It appears that you are an old offender. You have been in custody a great many times for larceny, vagrancy, and offences of different kinds. There are no less than seventeen previous convictions in the Resident Magistrate’s and other courts against you, and the sentence of the Court is that you be kept at penal servitude for the term of seven years. -Evening Star, 4/4/1876.
Henry Pearce does not reliable return to the public record after his sentence. Perhaps he learned from seven years in prison and led a blameless life afterwards. Perhaps he left the country. Perhaps he assumed a new identity, which was easy enough in those days before the Police Gazette began to publish photos of those who were a threat to public order.
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