SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2303, 10 November 1914, Page 9

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SESSIONS TWELVE CASES FOR TRIAL . Fifteen accused persons were on . the ■list at tho criminal sessions of tho Supremo Court, which opened before His Honour Mr. Justice Hosking yesterday morning. Mr, P. S. K. Mac'assey, of the Grown "Law l Office, represented the Grown. . ; ... -' , The, following were'chosen for the Grand' Jury Sidney Kirkcaldie' (foreman), Thomas Jamieson, Arthur Leigh Hunt, Frederick Reginald Laishley,. Cecil Anderson,';;Arthur. Thomas Bate, Ernest. Robert. Beauchainpj '' Frank Joseph Knibbs,. Charles James Lockwood, Charles Robert Renner, Mattliew Alexander M'Leocl, William . Richard Cyril Oswin, John Urio Turnbull;,Jolm Lawrence Arcus, Bryan Goodbehere, Alexander Newton, Harold 'Anthony Beauchamp, and Arthur Percival:i3tace. His Honour's Charge.' > In. addressing the Grand Jury, His Honour made reference. to the ■ various bills to be submitted by the Crown for their consideration; There was a serious oase-ill which' 1 a man was charged -with .'. shooting ;-athis wife and then attempting suicide. His Honour did not think the case would give the Grand Jury muoh trouble. The only suggestion which could be made so far as they, were concerned was that - the shooting -. was accidental., .If any question of j sanity should present itself to-them, it was not, for '■■•'their consideration., ; In touching upon the charges of theft-upon 'the list,. His Honour remarked that thecase, in. which' the prosecutor was » I deaf mute, seemed rather 'weak. The '.case, of forgery against, a,., young mail who had been, going With the Expedii tionary, Force would depend to some extent upon the-evidence .of handwriting. " He was 'charged ■ with using; a name other than his own, .and that was.-forg-ery, even 'though the name ' might belong to some unknown individual. .'A somewhat lunusual charge was the one against a . man' of .undertaking to tell fortunes. . This alleged ability .to, forecast 'the'future'might be used'as a means of extorting money from credulous women, and might often: be accompanied by circumstances which .made' it , necessary, that/persons who practised. that kind of thing' should be restrained ■■■ by legal control. ■ It. was.' not necessary , th at the accused. person' should receive, money to commit'an offence/tW section •of the Act covercd everything.'from witchcraft ,dowH,' ; and there appeared to " bo 110 difficulty in 1 the/case for the uirand Jijry. As regarded the sexual' .cases on the list,, and th 6 fact that some of them would "depend on the evi- • denco.of children,' His Ho'nour said it was quite proper ftth'at children's evidence should.,be accepted. Indeed, if itwas not for' their evidence' these crimes. I would.often go.unpunished because they,. I -were committed in secret. True Bills. - True'bills were returned in the fol- - lowing .cases:—Sutherland. Murray Donald Grant,: theft; Arthur, Alexander' : Ancell;.' carnal, knowledge; Lewis: James Hocking, carnal knowledge,. • (three charges): Georgia Maco, indecont act; Robert Henry Gibson, fortune telling ; John Ryan,/receiving stolen property ; David James M'Ewen and Ernest John M'Ewen, assault, , causing actual bodily ' harm ;.;William' : /Amos'MulLuisk attempted murderj; Lawrence. Gerard Healey, forgery; | William- Eaglo and Henry RosBon, breaking;'• and entering and theft; 'Herbert.; Charles ■ Stoddart,.rndecent'act; and 'James Vipond Hillican, obtaining money by .false pretences (six charges). / No bill was -returned l : in' the ' case., of I Frances Coyne/ alleged assault and robbery (tho case in which the informant was :a deaf mute). , ; Prisoner? Sentenced, • : ; p_rocj3eded Clifford William/Frederick- Parrant,-16 years of age, was brought, forward for sentence on a charge of indecent assault .on a male—an offence to which /he had pleaded guilty in.tho'lower court at . -Wellington. -. Mr.; T f -''M; Wilfortp' who... appeared for the prisoner, 'called. orous witnessos as to> character; ■ His' Honour intimated, before - the wtinesses had -been heard,-that he was prepared to grant probation-&ubject:to anything that'; might. be said by the, Crown. •. i'■ v: ; ;v Mr.jMacassey said the Crown hadno objection to the accused being' admitted : to probation. ... His Honour granted probation . for three years,' subject to Parrant being of • good behaviour: and subject also' to the usual - statutory conditions of tlie'Act.. A Remand. Charles Edward Rossiter Ruddiok,for whom Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared, had pleaded guilty: to a charge, of forgery and uttering a fifth/standard cer- . : tificate,whichcounsolsaidhadbeen'.ut.in , order . .that he . might' l gain I permanent employment in the Railway partment. Mr: O'Leary suggested to : His-Honour, that a'fine might "'meet, the' caso. The forgery, he submitted; was- :■ ■: not as serious as. the usual class of, - forgery whel»^.the'•obiept. , ■was;'to r '..obtai^^ ; ' money.-.! -.t • His Honour remanded the' prisoner , untilthis morning/in order that thequestion of previous. convictions might' : be-inquired into. Three Years' Hard Labour.. • Joseph Kean, who had been convicted ' 'on'-38 occasions since 1898; 'was.'asked .' if he had anything'to say qs to why Bontence should not; be, passed on him' ' .for: being found, on 5 , premises with in- ' tent t(i commit a crime. 'Prisoner handed _a written-statement to His, Honour ': with. a, request'for/lenient treatment in order ; .that he mightihave a chance: to' < lead a bettor ; life.;/. He, admitted his , long record of 'crimoj but . romarkeel j from\;the'' dock that it was never too late to mend. • ' . ■ .'-v -. ; His Honour. pointpd out that prison- ] er's previous - conviction's , included two 1 'for tfjeft-, and another such conviction ; would have rendered/him liable to be declared a habitual criminal. The least < sentence that could be passed by the • Court was imprisonment for three years 1 with hard labour. 1 Serious Charge, . j • Arthur . Alexander who had 1 formerly occupied a bookseller's shop in i •Ellice; Street, was charged with earn-' j ally knowing a girl under the age of 10 1 years., Mr. W. F. Ward appeared for- ] the accused, who pleaded, not guilty. ,< His Honour ordered the court to bo 1 cleared during the hearing of the case, < and made .an order prohibiting' the pub- i lication of evidenco., • ' 1 The jury retired at 5 p.m. and re- i turned an hour later with a verdict of 1 not.'guilty.The prisoner was dis- I charged.- .