AN ABNORMAL CRIME CALENDAR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 853, 27 June 1910, Page 8

AN ABNORMAL CRIME CALENDAR.

DOMINION RECORDS BEATEN. , (By Telecranli.—SDCcial Oorreeuondent.) Auckland, June 25. ' The present Supreme Court criminal ' sessions, which concluded to-day with 1 tho sentence of a number of prisoners, ' have earned the unenviable distinction ■ of being the longest on record in the ' Dominion. The sessions commenced on ' May 23, and have lasted for five full ! weeks, during which period 31 prison- ' ers have been tried, in addition to 18 ' prisoners who pleaded guilty in the 1 lower Courts and came up for sentence. The sessions also hold the record for the longest criminal trial, viz., ! ' tho. Harbour Board benzine case, which > finished last night, the jury being im- ■ able to agree. This trial has lasted ■ eleven consecutive days, during which ' time 44 witnesses were examined and ■ several recalled, one no fewer than " eight times. In point of time, tho next longest ! criminal trial was that of Alexander 1 James Scott, who paid tho extreme ' penalty of the law in 1892, in conncction with the Wnikomiti poisoning case. • lu that trial the first jury empanelled J had to be discharged after two days on ' account (if one juryman becoming too ill 1 to servo. A second jury was then - sworn in, and the trial was rocom- - nicnced. A criminal trial at Auckland in 1905 1 losi'i'd nine days, and at least two , which lasted eight days arc- on the t criminal records of the Dominion.