LAW REPORTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2922, 7 November 1916, Page 9

LAW REPORTS

SUPREME COURT

' CRIMINAL SESSION BEGINS STRATFORD MAN ACQUITTED ' The criminal'sessions of the Supreme Court oponed in Wellington yesterday. The Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) was on the Bench. Tho crand Jury.. The following were tho Grand Jury: John Prouso (foreman), Herbert Allan Kirkcaldie, Charles Haywood Mirams, William Sinclair Bruce, William' Dick, William R, Bailey, James Murray Morice, Thomas Wood, Jolin Andrew Fraser, Hubert S. Fletcher, Henry Graham Anderson, Edwin G. D. Woodward, Edwin Thomas Wray, Henry Alfred Wright, William Gray Young, Norman A. Grant, Peter M'Coll, John A. Brown, Albert H. Cooper, Edward Howard Barton, Richard Walter Thorp.True Bills. The Grand Jury returned tnio bills in the following charges:—Thomas Ridr out, theft from the person, three charges; Maude Williams, bigamy; Edward Winter, indecent assault; Joseph Gover, theft from a vessel; George Crowther, John Damtry Campbell 1 Birch, Hestor M'Lean, and diaries Haeeldine, disabling with intont to commit a crime; Joseph Michael Kennody, robbery; Joseph Moonoy, theft; Donald Poison, indecent assault; George Browning, breaking, entering, theft; William Murphy and John Dalton, robbery; Edward Foreman,' indecent assault (re-trial from August); Edward Foreman, theft (1 charge), and breaking, entering, and theft (3 charges); Thomas M'Namara, attempted indecent assault on a male; Herbert Maokersoy, theft from a dwelling; Frederick George Smith, theft from a dwelling: Frederick Edward Upham, forgery and uttering; Sydney Marlett, theft of moneys (retrial, removed from Napier). NO Bill. No bill was found in the charge, against Joseph Boucher of shooting with intent to do grievous harm. A Stratford Case. . The first case hoard was against George Browning, who was accused of committing sevoral offences of breaking and entering and theft at Stratford. Browning had lived in Stratford for a number of years, and at the timo the offences woro committed was working as a carpenter.

The Crown Solicitor, Mr. P. S./K. Macassey, said that the caso .against Browning was that he committed the crimes at a time when a boy named Barlow was living with him, and that Barlow was used to assist. The sample rooms at the County Hotel were broken into, and the . allegation was that Browning put Barlow in through the window, and had tho stuff handed out to liim. There were thefts from four other places and people, and all were oharged against accused—there were thefts of mercery from Henry White's shop, of a revolver from B. G. Harkness's shop, of a motor-oar tube and other things belonging to John Davidson, and of motor-car accessories from David Stephens and Dr. Paget. Milton Barlow, tho boy mentioned in the caso, gave evidence to the effect that he and Browning were concerned ■in some of tho thofts with which Browning was_ charged. In cross-examination be admitted having twice run away from home, and having been concerned in a long list of thefts. He was fifteen years of age. He -was arrested asleop in the Mount Egmont National Park, nine miles from Stratford. He had got there on a horso he had stolen/fed on food taken from.a.dwelling, and slept for two nights under a tent of, sacks m blankets be had stolen.

The jury was away only five or ten minutes, when it returned with a verdict of not guilty, and Browning was acquitted. Mr. A. H. Johnstone, of New Plymouth, appeared for Brownipg.

His Honour, however, directed the police to inquire into Browning's statement that ho:had purchased a hat concerned in one of tho charges from a certain Wairarapa shopkeeper, into statements about tho date on which Barlow went to live with Browning, and into the matter of the ownership of some towels which were alleged to have been stolen.