SUPREME COURT.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2770, 3 January 1872, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SESSIONS. This Day. _ .(Before Mr Justice Chapman.) The sittings of the Court were resumed at 10 o’clock this morning. •SENTENCES. Frederick Hooke, 21 years of age, was charged with stealing various articles from a dwelling house in Dunedin. A verdict of guilty was returned, with a recommendation that he should be dealt with leniently, and his Honor, in accordance with the recommendation, sentenced the prisoner to nine months imprisonment with hard labor. Charles Roberts was committed for larceny at Dunedin, and was found guilty. A previous conviction was also proved against him for a similar offence at Tuapeka. He was sentenced to be imprisoned with hard labor for 12 months, his Honor stating that should the prisoner again make his - appearance., at that Court he would receive a much heavier sentence. ROBBERY FROM THE PERSON. Joseph Connor was charged with stealing from the person of Robert Jenner Archer, three 1/20 notes, two LI notes, and other articles, in September last. The pros, cutor, who was deaf and dumb, bad to be examined in writing, and, in his evidence, stated that prisoner aud himself had been drinking together at the Glasgow Arms and the Criterion Hotel. After leaving the Criterion, they went up Stuart street as far as Smith street, when prosecutor, who owned to being not sober at the time, fell or was thrown on the ground, and his pocket-book, containing the money, was snatched from him by the prisoner. The evidence as to identity was very weak. The prosecutor was unable to swear that the prisoner was the man who robbed him, while Aikman and Nixon, of the Glasgow Arms and Criterion Hotel respectively, were only able to say that the prisoner resembled in general appearance the man who was in the prosecutor’s company, having drinks at their houses on the night of the alleged robbery, Mr Martin, teller at the Union Bank, could not swear to the prisoner as being the man, who, on September 29, came to the bank and changed one of its L2O notes, receiving as change forty half-sove-reigns—unusual change, as he said. Mr Friedlisch deposed to hearing a scuffle in Smith street, on the night in question. On going out he saw a man Lending qyep another. Before he could get up to them, the man who was standing passed and ran up Smith street, and that man resembled the prisoner in height and build. He knew the other man to be the prosecutor. When the prisoner was arrested, a number of half-sovereigns were found upon him. The jury, after nearly four hours’ deliberation, returned a verdict of guilty, but recommended the prisoner to mercy on account of the loose manner in which the prosecutor exposed his money. Sentence deferred. LARCENY AS A BAILEE. William Biwn was charged with this offence. The short facts of the case are these : The prisoner, who resides at the Garrick Range, owned a horse, which he gave to a man named Murray in satisfaction of a debt due to him. Shortly afterwards he sold the horse to one Sinuamon, under the belief tbqt as it was only mortgaged be bad power tq dispose qf it. The jury found him guilty, aud be was sentenced to twelve mouths imprisonment with hard labor, STEALING A WATCH. Frederick Lloyd was iudicled for having, at Naseby, in August, 1870, stolen a watch, the property of one Parry Jones. Mr Bartoq, with whom was Mr Stout, defended the prisoner. Mr Barton contended, on the authority of several cases, that the possession of an article three months after it had been stolen was not such a recent possession as to call upon a person to show how he came by it. His Honor said he was not satisfied that the prisoner should be called upon 16 months after it was stolen to show bow he became possessed of the watch, It would bp unsafe to do so. The Jury, by his Honor’s direction, acquitted the prisoner, BIGAMY. Mary Marion Hogan Webb pleaded guilty to a charge of committing bigamy at Cromwell. Sentenced was deferred. The grand jury returned true bills in all the cases except those of Wm. A. M‘Leod, indecent assault at Palmerston; and Franciq Hatchett, assault with intent to do bodily harm at Blacks The case of Geo. Grey, for arson, will be the first taken to-morrow.