LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 56, 29 November 1907, Page 7

LAW REPORTS.

,' supreme-court;' -. . -'.' 'I-" -.:■ '-•..'•?■.!?.,■ •ij '■.•■|i.;. CRDIINAL- : SITTINgS. ~ The Court resumed-its morning, . His Honour Mr.. .Juilace , ...Cbbper. taking his seat at 10 ,o',elocKC,,l !!: ; ; ';',:J.';; '..^ ' ' SERIOUS'CHAiRCIES';!.':.,.^ 3 SEPARATE TRl'XLs'!GUAii'rpP«",' : £"; jo-i'n?! William. Burford and Annie WhiValtcr'SvcrG" charged jointly with, ; fln-"Aufeljst v l7; ;,! having" pt-rformed' an - illegal 6ii6ratibn' ,;i on' "one' "M jy' Bond. The feinalo prisoner': was 1 "cKarged , separately with having •cbmmitted,.-!tho' , -6T- ; fence, and the male ■]]Hs()iiet; , ''wa3 v charK'?;cl r separately with having' cured tho female prisoner to'commit tjie offence.. . '."■., ■,'""■ ';:' '"[ ","" ,v Prisoners pleaded ",' lidt" gitilt^;. 0 ' !^ "'Mr" ll \\ ilford appeared' for tho •'fetimlti 'prisoner,' 1 and Mr. Lovi for tliu'-nialu prisoner... !!; ' " Mr. Wilford submitted tliat'tp' rjri§dney&" should be tried scparatoly, "Hcrassertca that* the depositions contained' Bviirenee'.'wlfich'l'was" evidence solely against'."tlip ;-, ina'lo ''firis'tiner','" and which might prejudice "the 'female' prjs-, oner. If ever there was a caso : pf tljis kind in which tho 'female. priscuic'r was Jikeiy'tp; be_ prejudiced it' was 'He pointed out how diffic'iiitTit' -was fpr'-'cou'iisef for the defoncp.of one : "bf! tlip'pftsciiiefs to eradicate from the : miiids.,'df tlio'ji.i^prs : 'eyi;- : donee which was not legal ey.i'd'fiiicii' hajiiiist his clie,nt, but which' , was legal .evidence' against the other prisoner. -He .referred: t'o' the following cases: Regina':'v.'"'srjtdla'\igjv" (1') Cox's Criminal Cases); Bijltpir and others (12 Cox's. CrjmijiaJ, C3ase^).;■ and Rex v. Gibson and another''{24-.'Noiv"Zea- , ' land Law; Reports). His'Hb.UOur'' tlie' ClifefJustice had ruled in'' , th'o J ' ;, 'last-in(lutjoi)ied.; case that he could not grant..an.prjeleffb'r' severance of trial. . Inter, Roiiour had stated that ho' had read fho- depositions carefully, hut could not'see h'bw either.!of the prisoners would be. prsinidieqd by. hbfli charges being hoard togethjfr'. ,, .Bffis",' Honour, did not think that that!case'wjis'analogous'' of Rogina v. Bra'dlauph'.','Mr'.'Wirfor(l , pointed out-that charged with blasphemous, libel',,and' piibli-' cation), was. granted a separate,tr'ujl' cm. the'. ground that triaj with his cb-prfspnors. might prejudice him in his -^defence,, present case was, counsel. gous to the case against Bradlaiigh; "in th'a'f there was evidence on the", depositions, which was clearly admissible, against. ,Qnl,Y .'■6nd;.'of. the prisoners, and thorp...iv.oulcl!-'.be!.'.n6 , . .'ivVy!' of shutting it out against,!'l)6th"u.iii!e'ii§:'se& arate trials were granted." H.O had iib' right. 1 to demand that tho prisoners ..bo'.'.tried'"sep-l arately; he was only . asking" .'a .'ioiipessioiV which the Court had a right to grant;„ • ,, '.;',",:! Mr. Myers pointed out that ..the ..practice' was to try together a princmaj-'and an accessory. There was no..s'ugges.tioi.i;'th'iii male (jrisoner was. pres.ent,jat,,th;e';' i'im'g'jwheji.';' the offence—if it were .coiiii;' mitted. The whole of.'tho case, was. r'eaily; one story. It was quito. or two statements in the dop6s , itio l ns".whic!)'. would be evidence against ono of the" prisoners and not against the other. .That was invariably the' case where two p'risoifors wero , tried together, especially, where ono was tho principal and the other was, the-.accessory. A case of that kind was analogous \<>' one of conspiracy. The cask 'for tho Crown was that, in pursuance of an arrangement made between tho prisoners', an'<6ffehce l Svas- com-" mitted by one of theni."Tliero~h.Va KeiSiT'iio' sovcrancfl of trial in the' recent cas'o' r agairis't v Lowe and Robinson for 1 assault arid robbery; • ; Mr. Wilford: No applicbtibnw.as-madiiJ-M , - a severance of trial in that (iii's.e.''"" ■"" r,: - " Mr. Myers, in conclusirin; Dittit'fcednifa't; 1 the case was a stronger case against-sflVcr-' : ance than that of Rex:>'.''Gibsonnand ;i afi- ; other, in which tho Chief Jus , tice"ha<i , .refused' to.allow separate ■trials.'' , '''*'- 1 ---'" •■'■" iniii-.i.:. . ■!,-. Mr. Wilford indicated : tlie pb'rtioiis bf :: tho ; depositions which were' •"'■ evideric'e : -""'sdl-ely-' against- the male prisorierj •and whibli might operate prejudicially hgiiinsf;'his ; ,blio!it, the lemalo prisoner. '■"•■>■ ■•■"> o>--.i - ji: --.;•:■.!: His Honour: I think" , that accede 1 to the application. Tho case-is a somewhat peculiar one. Tho first""count' charges theprisonors as principals-that has been dono on tho assumption thafathe prisoners formed an intention to comifjii... the offence. It is ■clear'.from the dcpositiSisthat the male prisoner, was' not present , at.'tlio.time when tho, alleged olfenco was , cbminit'licd;:' , .; , -I Jiaw/'od,doubt hut that the prisoners . Call' no''i'ndfct&T' together. There is, however, a considerable branch of the evidence; wKfch. a'ppli'e's. solely to tho female prisoner,,. to the malo prisoner, and a considerable body of evidence whicli-'appjies solely to the malo prisoner and nrifa't"airrt&'-'tHo'fem'alo, prisoner. A general ,, rulb^'fcaririot'^bS' 11 . laitf down; the special circuTnstancgj'inj'eaCli'ciisp' havo to- he taken • into 'consideration.' l ' flVo Court has got to.considor'wlibflief'lbne'pf'yft prisoners will be projiidiced 1 if/bothi''are' : tridt together. Ono has to' : Ue parefuT tb'-ttVoid'lhe' , - 1 slightest suggestion oTAuifairness' m a'-'trlaT"! especially whoro the "Qffo'nce'/'nlldgdd,—tii ifi' 1 the present case—is such'.a' high'-'onc!:''' , -■jljicf , case is distinguishable! from tliaE oF'Roxi'v!, ,, Gibson and iinothor. Ift thaj "caS'e tliel. stated , ' monts in tho depositiqns , '\y!ere'''adnii^s'ible I ' : ASj much against-one prisdnor'l'as a'gaiftst' >;r the ! other.- . Here there is" evitleiico which'.Would': not be' tendered against "the -feni'ale 'lirispnei 1, ! —evidence upon which ;tlie- Crp;wn'''feliij'&/''n' i its case against the male/p'nsoner'.r.-Tlie'fi.rst , ' essential'in a case of. th'is'liiid:.ii''ffio'"g r u'ilp of the , principal offender. , •' The' feniale'-'Tpfi;- 11 soner must be tried, first..'ln : l;ho'bvont |: a'f h(T, conviction, the case ? 'tlip'''niaio' prisoner can be taken'.!.' ■p>'.h(iwe\''ej , ' ) '; l thp female"'prisoner is acquittedi,'';t]ieir.i ( t ctilt'to see how tho chargo'agajrist-ln'e;'mafr prisoner can be 1 sustainetf. ' '■'" fii-. granting , ! separate trials I may .point 6(it'' tliXtV.if o'rio', errs it is better to err ;ori : the'side wliiph" , will' tend to tho fairest trial ■ possible./^'Tlierc Hvilf be no iiiconveniehce in -'.taking' , the'^chses , " , separately.; The fact thait, 16ss of ''tii\Ve ■ will; bo occasioned by ailopting'ttiat cp_tfrs'iS : ' ! fmJ3t' not bo taken into consideration?/ """' '"' : '--' • TRIAL OF THE FEMALE i?E!l'sONEß;!.','i The hearing of the' charges against Annib' Whitalcor was then common'oSd./.'.?"'' "•""■ f ' ; ' ' A jury, of which Joseph'Allcn,!.was cliose'n foreman, was empanelled.'": v .-'" : "']':'"' ,v :'"!'' Mr. "Myers 'briefly outlined'the case fdr'tli'd! Crown. . ' ■ ""'.■'' ■■'•■''•'";r , -'>'i'.f-'.- :>'■ . May Bond gave evidence tliat, on the date* in question, she went with Burford to the lioiHo : occupied- by prisoner. ; They niet;'hei v brother',' by chance, on the way. 1 ' W.liefr theyTfea6lied ; the , bouse Burford told' prfcjpn'cu'th'a't'-h'e.'.lia'd 5 brought her along for. pnsbrier t'o "'do'." her.' Trisoner said she would bc'' r all;,Hg'httf, !r Sho , rtly aftorwards Burford left tho 'house.';; Witness 1 then gave, details of 'the qperation' alleged.After sho returned to tlie', lious'o: 'iif-'.whif'.h sho.resided, sbo was so weak and ill that, she called in a doctor, who, ordered h'crj.r'eriibyal to tho hospital.: ■ " ■'■■''•'"' ~,,'T"''' . Cross-examined, witness ,1 ' denltid .tlia't"- slje.', had, before going to lipustt, .'ilorio anything which would [occasion'^miscarpiage.; , Evidence in support of the !"cfiarKe*'»:waSgiven by Maria Broolis (wjtli wiio^ff'prb'sofiu- , trix was at tho time residing) , , , Geol'gS''Boiifl (brother of the prosecutrix),! : 'Drs."'Henry and Eivart, and Detective Lewis/ -yj- ■'" ■' [ ■•" ! This closed the case,, for For the defence, o'videnpe" ivas " : ton"3ei-ed by Annie L. Findlay, .'Who".stated tJiiaV''ili_o? was residing with prisoner on l tltfc' l 'dhtc i ifi' question. Proseeutris" came "by herself to the house. - : ,- Cross-examined, witness' stated that sho did not see prosccutrix outer tho house. After Mr. Wilford had addressed, the jury, prisoner niado a statementiiri w.hieli'sli6;said[ that .Burford had induced her ,to''tillto-in the prosecutrix, who, ho said; I ';had"ha"d an illegal operation performed, : upqii,,.hQr., !i '!';.''" His Honour brielly summed up. , ,!,.:; , ,. , ' v The jury, who retired-at 4.:ls,..rotjirri'ed at 5.5 with a verdict of "Notcguilty,'-' and'.tho prisoner was discharged.. i'.'x.ft:-! '.»vi-, Mr. -Myers suggested that \V:illianir,BUrford should be released owniVrecoßnisance until this morniiig/'-yhen'-lie.iAVoilld indicate whether the Crown- ;| inien;de<i'. i to go on with the case against Ijihy:!'""?;, "'■'■'■' , This course was :;.'!;'' .-'[''' Tho Court then, .adjourned7,UiitiJ.;.''teiV. o'clock this morning. '" ''" "'"'" " " •■ "*■" •' ■ -DIVORCE.€O !' " ' UNDEFENDED , :p^ES: ;i, -^' ! '';''' : '' , ' ; '' Mr. Justico Button heid a slio'rt^YttirSjn*- , divorce, and disposed of two undefended' Wellington ca6es.

; Ebviua Dyson Smith sought a dissolution ' faf heririJhV'Hagb^nitli , Sidney s Smith", whose present whereabouts,.were.. said, to be un- . Known, on the ground that lie had deserted' her and go\{6'''awa'y'f:o r San- Francisco with another woman. The parties were married on September 13, 1877, and there were five ! childrorti..''^A'ccor<lin^ r 'tb''pe"titioner , B - story, Smith, persuaded, her to ..take, .a trip to Bris-bane'.l^lß9o,.-and, while! sh> was absent, wotffc ,a\yjby,.wjtli the other!woman','. She had., "fever , ,,liesrd/'from. .Uirij.lsince.". ,'A! decree,'nisi:'' was .';' Mt. . Tripp. appeared. for . the, petitioner,. -,'. /■'■, " ;,', ~."' ~ '..-" : '.". ' : MyM' pi'ncaii, :iaboiirer,of Wellington,!, fWgi't' a ..4,ivprce Jjom .Emily' Xqujsd' Duncan v ! ) y, ] ,reni!on l of. her., .failurc-.tp comply, with prclqj of the Court, for restitution of'conjugal, rights.' .Adecrc'O'.nisi .was. granted,' with the l cilstotly •pf.-thq, only child v of tho marriage.'. Mr. Toogood"appeared.tor.tho petitioner. ' jHis Honour heard legal argument regard|il&;W><qil«st}on.,of disposing.of, certain, pro-. • P?Vfe.vby:Salo-in the.adjourned/: partnership" ca; , ™-1p o.t:rliconard;-.Cloake,-Orcorgo, and Lewis Cloake. An order wasv mauo, on tho application of Mr. T. Young, lor tho defonflants-to have,tho-propertT sold through the Rog'istrar'of the Siip'reme CourtU k Mμ li-l'opr&eiifecl' thVS plaintiff. ' ! Court ; ndjounied until this-"morning.