Javes Williams, a native of tlie Celestial Em pire, was charged with stealing a gold -watch and money to the total value of about £75, the property of Nathaniel Keid, landlord of the Eoyal Hotel, Onehunga Beach, from a box in the dining-room of the hotel. Mr. Brookfield appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Wynn for the defence. Nathaniel Reid deposed : lam a publican, residing at Onehunga. I keep the Eoyal Hotel there. I know the prisoner. He was in my employ as cook. He entered my service on the 6th of January last. At the end of the first week he said he wanted to go to town, and asked me for some money. I asked him whether 10s. would do or not. He said he would be obliged if I would let him have £1, as his brother and brother's wife were both ill, and he had no money. At the end of the following week he again asked me for money and I gave him another pound. His wages were £1 per week. The following Sunday, January 25th, t shut up the house and went to bed about half-past ten in the evening. There was then about £70 in a chest. The prisoner was in the house at the time I went to bed. The chest was in the dining-room. There is a sliding wicket in the back of the bar by which a person coming out of the kitchen through the passage may get into the bar and nnbolt the door leading to the din ing-room. The chest was locked and all safe when I went to bed. On Monday morning, about 5 o'clock, a lodger named Edward Tolley, whowassick,foundmycashboxinthewatercloset. It was the box that was in the chest the night previously. I examined the chest soon after and tound the top part of it, where the staple went through, burnt out. There was no money in the cash box ; and a chamois leather bag was goii" n 1 '•!> contained about £60, in cheques, note», «iii _;old was gone ; the silver had been in the cash box ; there was from £7 to £8 in silver in the cash box ; also a gold watch worth about £8. The watch and silver were stolen. 