LAW REPORTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2536, 10 August 1915, Page 9

LAW REPORTS

SUPREME COURT CRIMINAL SESSIONS COMMENCE SIXTEEN CASES Ilig Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) was on the bench when the criminal sessions of the Supreme Court commenced in Wellington yosterray - A 1 V -- K ' Meredith, of the 'Crown Law Ofliee, represented the Crown. 'Die following were chosen for tho Grand ,1 ury:-llessrs. A. Gellatly (foreman), E. Funics®, ]}, S. Houghton. G. P. Christie, F. Meadow:roft, Iv. Marshall, L. Hawke, J. W. Henderson, E. W. 13. llornabrook, W. Sanderson, F. W. S'halders, J. I:. 11. Jack, J. Dalrymple, J. Crcnsey, A. A. George, I l \ 0. Crease, E, C. Jack, A. Ph.:lps, and W. Hopkirk

His Honour's Address. In his address to tho Grand Jury His Honour said that 110110 of the sixteen cases on the list con hi be described as serious. There was a charge of manslaughter, which involved a warder in ono of tho mental hospitals. It was alleged that but for his carelessness a patient would not have been killed, it was tho warder's duty to seo that the water in the patient's bath was not. too hot , It proved to have been too hot, and the patient died. The law provided for such cases. Perhaps if the patient bad not been mentally affected ho would have recovered, but being mentally afflicted ho was less capable of resisting the shock. It was for tho Grand Jury to say whether a, caso of neglect of c'nty had been made out. His Honour also referred to a ease of defamatory libel 011 the list. It jvas the case of a woman who, judging from the evidence, considered it her duty to write various letters reflecting on certain members of tho Roman Catholic Church. If it was proved that she published those letters, the jury would have 110 doubt whatever that they were defamatory libels. To chargo a nun with uncliastity, said His Honour, was one of the greatest libels that could bs made on a lady who followed that profession. That was what tho woman was charged with having done. If the prisoner claimed that what she did was 111 the public interest that was a matter for the common jury. Reference was a'so niado by Hia Honour to other cases 011 the list.

[ True Bill?. _ True bills were returned in the following cases:—Hugh Douglas, assault, causing actual bodily harm; Michael Helm, forgery and uttering; John M'Carthy, obscene language; Margaret M'Hugli, rogue and vagabond; Thomas Albert Bafter, indecency; Jeremiah lvirby, theft; James Hassall, conspiracy to defraud; John Dickson, manslaughter; George Penman, indecent assault; Bobert Pitcaithly, theft (six charges); George Albert Ward, theft and theft of postal packet; John Cashman and Charles Dempter, theft; Harold Harling Howell, forgery and uttering; Letitia Janq Hood, defamatory libel; and Theodore Bitchey Joyce, forgery. Vagrancy. Margaret M'Hugh pleaded guilty to a charge of being a rogno and « vagabond, and -was remanded until Saturday for sentence. Charge of Forgery. Michael Holm, a young man, was indicted for forgery and uttering a chcquo of .£5 3s. at Wellington oil May fi, in the nanio of .T. H. Lucas. Ho pleaded guilty to uttering, and was remanded for sentence until Saturday. All Acquittal. An elderly man named Hugh Douglas was chorged with assaulting Cecil Fredoriclc'Lark so as to causc him actual bodily harm. Ho was further charged with assaulting Walter Bogors and William Gregory. Mr. M. J. Crombie appeared for the. prisoner, who pleaded, not guilty. According to tho evidence for tlio prosecution, the case arose out of an incident which occurred in Uankey .Street on the night in question. Lark, Gregory, and Bogers wero at the house of a Mrs. Blacklidge, and the accused came and asked fo.* a Miss Sampson, Mrs. Blacklidge told him to go away. He used threatening language, and Bogers went out to him. Just afterwards Lark went i out and saw that the prisoner had closed with Bogers. Lark went to. Rogers's assistance, and it was alleged that prisoner mado a murderous attack on Lark with a cargo hook, the result being that Lark )i?d several of his teeth knocked out, and received'a wound in his cheek and "a severe wound on tho side of liis neck. The defence ivas that tlie prisoner had acted in self-defence. | A verdict of uot guilty was returned, and the prisoner was discharged. Bad Langauge, A blind man named Joira M'Carthy, against whom there were 35 previous convictions, was found guilty of using obscene language of a. disgusting character. Tlie offence took place in the Eoyal Hotel in May last. His Honour imposed a sentence of 12 months' imprisonment. On hearing the sentence, the prisener, who had previously delivered a lengthy harangue to the jury, cried, "Vory well then, I call on the Masons. Masons, seize the Court."