The Harper Case.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 132, 3 December 1895, Page 2

The Harper Case.

(Per Press Association.! Cheistchujech, Dec. 2. At tbe criminal sittings of the Supreme Court this morning before Mr Justice Denniston and a special Jury Leonard Harper was charged on an indictment of eight counts with the larceny of .£1761 iis a trustee from Wo, Miles and others. Mr Skerrett, and Mr Kippenberger appeared tor the Crown, and Sir Roberf; Stout aud with him Mr Wilding appeared for the defence. Accused pleaded not guilty. The special jury was then sworn in, the prosecution ordering seven to stand aside, and the defence challenging five. Mr Skerrett in opening the case for the Crown asked the jury to put aside all feelings of sentiment in the case. The facts of the case were briefly that in 1880, the accused and William Miles, jun., farmer Fendalton were appointed trustees under the marriage settlement of Win. Miles. The trust consisted of a paid up life insurance policy of £480: and addition. Miles and accused, at the request of the other cotrustee, collected the policy money, amounting to £1651, which arrived in ■the Colony in 1&93". The accused had promised the co-trustee to' invest in a safe iuyeptmenf;, but iasttead^ of doing so paiditiuto Hnvper aud Co.'s No 3 account, which 'consisted' of hiotfeys for investment and on deposit. The trust money had ' hover been invested, and had been all the time ' in this No 2 account, which during that period was always overdrawn- \ gome eyujemce \tox > the prosecution having been tifken, jfrq Court wasa<|. journ^ until t?faorf9w. ■ i \ - A l ' •