SUPREME COURT.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 112, 9 October 1874, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS,

Friday, October 9.

[Before His Honor Mr Justice Gresson. J The Court reopened at 10 a.m. LARCENY.

Samuel Geddings and Robert Morgan were indicted for having stolen on or about the Bth August last several articles of wearing apparel, quantity of harness, &c, the property of Thomas Holmes. The prisoners, who were defended by Mr Joynt, pleaded not guilty.

Mr VV. F. Warner was elected foreman of the jury.

The facts of the case were as follows:—In the month of July last the prosecutor left his farm, leaving the prisoners who were living with him there. The nest day he returned and found That a quantity of property had been removed from the farm. The prosecutor gave information to the police, and from information received the prosecutor and the constable proceeded to Mount Somers, where in a whare occupied by the prisoners part of the property lost by Holmes was discovered and identified by him as his property. The Grown Prosecutor called Constable Land and the prosecutor, Thomas Holmes, in support of the indictment.

Mr Joynt then proceeded to call evidence for the defence.

Richard Bass, who had been employed with the prisoners, gave evidence to the effect that the chains in Court, which prisoners were accused of stealing, belonged to Geddings, and also that the prosecutor Holmes, at the Somerset Hotel, had told him that he knew nothing about the oats. George Kissell was the next witness, and gave evidence as to Geddings’ buying blinkers at Middleton’s store, where witness was. The blinkers produced were, he believed, those bought by Geddings. Stephen Cole Mode deposed that the harness of prisoner Geddings and prosecutor Holmes was all mixed up in the whare, and that it was all used in common; whatever harness first came to hand was used.

Ronald Campbell and Peter McKenna gave evidence of a similar character, the latter stating that the trace chains which the prisoners were accused of stealing did not belong to Holmes, nor were they amongst the harness which the witness had for eighteen months under his charge. This concluded the evidence for the defence.

Mr Joynt then proceeded to address the jury for the defence. The Crown Prosecutor having replied. His Honor summed up, and the jury retired to consider, and returned a verdict of “Not Guilty” against Giddings, and “ Guilty ” against Mayo.

His Honor sentenced Mayo to one month’s imprisonment.

The Court then adjourned to Monday at 11 a.m.