CRIME IN AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 405, 14 January 1909, Page 9

CRIME IN AUCKLAND.

THE LAST TWO YEARS COMPARED ID* IKI.KOUAI-U.—SPECIAL \COIIIIKsrONnXHT-l 1 .■■■■•, Auckland, January 13. The annual return-'of 'civil cases'brought before the. Suprem,e; i ;.0OBrt ; at Auckland for ;the. jear; just ISS'-ictiorisj :were commences .these - were 1 -discontinued. ,: given by default /entered; "The ! total amounts for' Vyhich : judgmentwas .recorded; ;were £7142■JdsJ; 7d. ;.rhis ;.shows'':a]iconsiderable', \offi| ; as" compared■,with: ,1907.;' when :"£11,198? •17s': lid. was awarded, although the number of actions (129)., were ,only ; six .more. .In .1907,. there were 27 judgments entered by 'default. ■' ' . ■ The crime; statistics for the year just. :closed have, risen slightly as compared' with ! 19D7; ..For. 1903 there was a total of 114 males and four females..tried at the Supremo. Court; of 'theseV 75 were convicted and' 42acquitted," 'while, in one case' the. proceedings. 'were, stayed. In 1907 there were. 108 persons' indicted' (104 males and four females) and 66 were convicted; -the. acquittals : totalled 39,' and proceedings wore stayed in two cases. •. ■ •. Unfortunately offences 'against females again headed the - list : for '1903,. there being •• 21 cases' ~ of ;this description, as compared .with 18 for- the previous year. ' There were 14 cases of breaking into and entering premises last year, arid 13 for 1907 A For a large seaport the. number of violent offences ,-against the person is commendably small, the aggregate for two. years being: only -21. - It-is: curious to note that tlio manslaughter charges for 1907 and 1908, are exactly the same, there being four males and one female charged with'.this offence :in each year. \

There was. only one .'murder' charge last year, and the accused, a woman, was acquitted. In the one. case of' attempted murder accused was convicted., and sentenced to twenty, years', imprisonment. The: number of. minor offenccs was . about the same as usual. On tlio whole, the crime statistics speak -well for..the respect paid to law' and order. . : .