SUPREME COURT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2199, 14 August 1889, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

[PBR PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Invbroargill, August 13 The jury ia the Supreme .Court oaee against John Willis, charged with arson, came into Court after foar hours' dUoaseion, and the foreman said that there waß no probability of them agreeing, Mr Justice Williams remarked tbat it seemed .; the custom in Invercarglll for jaries to disagree, a custom which did not exist in othor parts of the Colony. He coald not release the jury till they had been locked up for twelve hoars, bat he had the power to order them something to eat. Under the old system he had not that power, and had then found* that juries generally succeeded in arriving at a vex* diet, for which purpose, be reminded them, they were put in the box. At 1 pm. the jary» being still of the tnme miad, were locked np for the night. From a remark made by the foreman, it is surmised that one or two jurymen held out against coa- : viotion beoauae no one has bean prodncad .■: c who saw Willis set fire to the stack.

Inveeoaeohi., Aagoet 14 At the Supreme Court, In the oka of John Willis, oharged with arson, tbe Jury, who were looked up all night were dlsoharged, being unablß to agree. Tha oharga of raps against a Chinaman named Joe Sue, on a Chinese girl 6 yean old, at Boand Hill, is now balog heard.