SUPREME COURT.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2676, 14 September 1871, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMIAL SESSIONS. Yesterday. (Before Mr Justice Chapman.) I;K A. V. m’ken/jb. The jury returned a verdict of “not guilty,” and the accused was discharged. This Day. SENTENCES. Thomas States, found guilty of attempted bestiality at Switzers, was sentenced to two years hard labor ;Thoma< Brown, for larceny as a bailee at Dunedin, and Andrew Shale Geddes, for forgery, were each sentenced to twelve months imprisonment. Wong Meug, who pleaded to an attempt to commit suicide, was ordered to enter into a iccognisance to come up for sentence when ordered to do so. WII.FUL MURDER. Bridget Gee was indicted for having at Dunedin, on May 20, wilfully murdered her mult: child. The facts of the case stated shoitly arc these The girl had been in the employ of

Mr Aikraan, of the Glasgow Arms Hotel, Princes street, as house naul, from Christmas last up to the time of the murder. In about the middle of May, Mrs Aikmau, noticing that she was in the familyway, gave her notice to leave ; and lier time would have been up on May 31. On the afternoon of the 25th she complained of being ill, whereupon Mrs Aitkmau told her to go to her bedroom, which she did. To Mrs Aiktnan it did not appear that much "was wrong wrh her, and consequently she did not see her until eight o’clock at night, when she took her up some tea. The bedroom was then dark, and neither of them sp ike. Half an hour afterwards she again went to the room, ■when she queitiono I Iter about her state ; and the girl then admitted that she was in the familyway by a single young man. Mrs Aikman did not see her again until 1 p m. on the 26th ; her reasons for not going to her being that she knew a Mrs Hindle was with her ; and that she herself bad no servant to attend to the household affairs. This Mrs Hindle, who was a nextdoor neighbor, had been call id iu to see the girl at a little after eleven o’clock on the night of the 25th, and she remaine I for some time, nev< r leaving her for more than ten minutes at a time. When she went into the bedroom, she was under the belief that the birth bad not taken place ; and, from the girl’s appearance and her statements, she thought a miscarriage had happened. She advised her to go to tho hospital or send for a doctor ; but she declined to do cither. At about half-past eleven o'clock Mrs Hindle’s husband insisted on a doctor being sent for, and he himself went for Drßorrowes. When the doctor came, the child was seen by Mrs Hindle for the first time. It was dead, and was wrapped up in a cloth ; and was produced by the girl herself from under the bedclothes, when the Doctor told that her story of no birth having taken place was untrue. Subsequent investigations of tho room led to the discovery of a pair of scissors, marked with blood, and other indications of a birth having taken place wci - e observable in the {bedroom and in an out house. The b-dy of the child bore marks of violence, the principal of which were injuries to the skull and jaws ; and these, according to the medical evidence, could not have been produced by accident. At the conclusion of the evidence of Dr Borrower, Mr Stout, who defended the prisoner, said that as he was of opinion that the medical testimony did nob support the charge of wilful murder, he should advise his client to plead guilty to the minor count of concealment of birth.

The Crown Prosecutor, while not prepared to admit that the medical evidence did not support the charge, thought that the ends of justice would he met by accepting a plea of guilty of the minor charge ; and His Honor expressed his concurrence in the suggestion. The idea of guilty of concealment of birth having been recorded, the jury were discharged. Mr Stout pointed his Honor’s attention to the rider of the Coroner’s jury, imputing blame to Mrs Aikman; but bis Honor appeared to think that the evidence did not justify it. His Honor, in passing sentence, remarked that the prisoner ought to be thankful that the more serious charge had not been proceeded with, as, in the event of conviction, she might have been subjected to a very lengthened term of imprisonment. She was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

A perjury case from Lawrence and M'Leod’s trial for libel will be taken tomorrow. A special jury has been struck for in M‘Lead’s trial.