DUNEDIN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3203, 4 October 1881, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

October 4,

The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court commenced yesterday. Mr Justice Johnston delivered 9 long opening address, but the greater part of it was occupied in commenting on the charge against Augustus, who was committed for manslaughter and indicted for murder. His Honor went carefully over the evidence and from his comments he did not consider the charge of murder could be maintained, and that the charge of manslaughter would only be proved on the jury being satisfied that the acts of Augustus hastened his wife's death. A count had been introduced which charged Augustus with accelerating his wife's death by neglecting to procure medical assistance, but bis Honor said he had considerable doubt whether, under the circumstances of the case, that could be considered as a cause of the acceleration of the woman's death, and the question of manslaughter or murder must stand. On the question of the violence she received, of course His Honor added if an indictment were brought for assault there was plenty of evidence to enable them to find a true bill on that. No bill was found against Augustus on the indictment for the murder of his wife, but true bills were found against him for manslaughter and assault. Eliza Whittel, who was charged with house breaking, was acquitted. John Ferguson, for stealing from a dwelling, was sentenced to eighteen months. Christian Vecht pleaded guilty to a charge of maliciously injuring property, but the case was ordered to stand over to enable His Honor to consider a technical point as to whether the indictment was correct in form.

A foot race, distance 100 yards, for £50 aside, between Lellancy and Hill, was won by the latter after a dead heat. By a fire at Caversham yesterday, which totally destroyed a three-roomed cottage owned by John Rose, the Standard office loses £200.

A man named Alexander has been received into the hospital suffering from laudanum poisoning taken while suffering from a drinking bout. The stomach pump was at once applied, and he is now out of danger. A six-roomed house at Waverley, belonging to Arthur Finch, was burnt down early this morning. The house and its contents were insured iv the National office for £550.

Augustus, charged with the manof his wife at Oamaru, has been acquitted without any evidence being offered. At the outset Mr O'Meagber, the prisoner's counsel, stated that when the deceaspd's depositions were taken she was in an uufit state to undergo cross-examination, and the completion of her cross-examination was adjourned, but before it could be contrived the woman died. This was admitted by the magistrate, and the judge held that under the circumstances there was no case, and the jury returned a verdict of not guilty as directed. The prisoner was then arraigned for assault with intent to inflict bodily barm, and pleaded guilty

to a common apsaiify t*hieh plea was accepted by the Crown Prosectffdf, Iα sentencing ,b,im the Judge said the pfiaorier had been .guilty of great brutality to a woman w'Bti bad gone to bqr account. He was a man free of tilt common humanity and decency, and if the la«----permitted it he (the learned Judge) would give him a sentence five times as much as that he would now pass for a common assault. The maximum penalty was imprisonment with hard labor for two" years to which he sentenced the pfisonef.