SUPREME COURT.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15037, 4 August 1914, Page 4

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS

(Beforo his Honour Mr Justice Dennistgn.) Tho criminal 6ittings of the Sur prem-d Court opened yesterday. * Mr S. G. Raymond, K.C., Crown Prosecutor, appeared for tha Crown. • THE GRAND JURY. The following gentlemen comprised the Grand Jury:—Messrs W. G. Atack (foreman). 11. W. Glen, J. HKidd. F. H Britt-an, G. C. Hayward, S. Hardev, A. S. Bruce, F. N. Adams, W, R. Coles, J. Forrester, G. L. Donaldson, A. E. Brown. L. H Flavel. W. Brown R. Dobbin, E. R. Caygill. and G. A. Mangin. HIS HONOUR'S CHARGE. His Honour said the calendar was not a very lengthy one, and the charges- contained m it were not* or a very serious character. His Honour sketched tho cases bri*jfiy. Iv tho case of James Bartiey, alias Fulton, charged with assault* with intent to commit a crimo, this waa merely a question of identification; there was no doubt whatever that an assault had been committed In what was known A 9 "The Joy Ride Case," in which James William Salt and Tboma3 Patrick Heade were charged wkh administering a noxious thing to a g ; rl, his Honour said that though several rieo-plo night think otherwise, whisky in itself was not a noxious thing. It would only become a noxious thing when adninistered under certain circumstaucos. It was suggested that the giving of the whisky to tho girl in this ca c c mado it j a noxious thing. It certainly was not Q-iven to annoy her; it was quite clear there was no intention of that sort. Now wns there intent to do her grievous bodily harm? The girl at the end of the journey wa** in an undoubtedly hysterical condi-

tion. but that was not iv itself grievous bodily* harm. The only possible ground for sustaining this was that whisky had been given the girl iv order that she might be reduced to such a state that she might be i&fcxualjy interfered with. The question was ivhetber the Grand Jury would have reasonable ground for supposing that any common jury would enter a con- ] viction ou that ground- Thero wore, to his mind, no rensonablo grounds for imagining that. It soemed to him that the giving of the whisky to tho girl was merely a silly act. To his n«ind it would be a! very strong presumption for a jury to hnd that the whisky had been given to tho girl to reduce her to a condition for the purpose mentioned by him. There was, to his. tniud, nothing to justify a jury in coming to that conclusion: TRUE BILLS. The Grand Jury returned true bilk xgainst the following:—• Frank Malcolm and David Lambert, alleged assault and robbery. John Henry Stevens, alias Harry Reveley, alleged attempt to commit aoe. i " James Bartiey, alias Fulton, alleged issault with intent to commit a crime. Carl Klingenherg, alleged breaking \nd entering. . ... .- Elizabeth Black and William Lynduirst, alleged theft from the person. Michael Colbert, alleged attempt to lischargo a revolver with intent to do Ttevous bodily harm. Harry Pohio, alleged unlawful carlal knowledge. Harold Joines, alleged obtaining of noney by a false pretence. 7 . Arohie Robertson, alleged obtaining f money by a falsjj pretence. Ellen Hawthorne, alleged bigamy. James William Salt and Thomas Patrick Heade. alleged administering of ioxious thing. Francis Charles Alais Atkinson, aljged knowing a document to be" a >rgery, attempting to cause one E. H. liley to act upon it as if it wore cenuine.

E. James Griffen, alleged attempting o defraud and forgery. PRISONERS FOR SENTENCE. Clarence Pentecost, who was stated •• be addicted to reading "penny Iroadfuls." and whose father, and the lolice were anxious that be should'get a course of reformative treatment, was entenced to two years' * refor- ' native treatment for breakinj_ and >nte*riiig and theft. It wns stated that o had made two appearances in the ■ast in the Magistrate's Court, but is parents were respectable. In cbUtexioii with his reading of ■ ■* ! -r.er»ny ireadfub," it was stated that ho had >nee imported to the polico that an fiico had -Injun broken into, and then idmitted he 'had*'dono it himself. ARSON. Richard Mooro Sargent,. a young -an, was stated by his counsel (Mr Jougall) to bo somewhat' ''soft." The ■bargo to which he had pleaded guilty •.-as arson, a stack being burnt. Mr taymond reporterl that the detective, •inducting the case accused -as montiil'y weak, liis Honour eaid c would ■consider. Mr DougaTs appliation to allow accused lo bo t;k "ii -.'largo of by his familj*, and would re- . and accused until Wednesday.- ' THEFT. Thomas John C *o6k, a young man, 7-irged with theft fron a d .veiling, luiitted previous convictions ' against im, and was awarded two yea:s imrisonment, and warned that- if ho ap■oared again he would be treated as •■■ habitual. It was stated that p;inner woiked in the country, but when a came' into town he induigd in steal«!g, and Generally jed a iast life." *