SUPREME COURT SESSIONS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1366, 2 July 1878, Page 3

SUPREME COURT SESSIONS.

[By Telegraph.] Auckland, July 1. The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court opened to-day. In his charge to the Grand Jury Judge Gillies congratulated them on the diminution of crime. There wore only eleven prisoners charged with thirteen offences which were not serioop, At the same time the number of prisoners in gaol was less than on any former occasion. He hoped this indicated a permanent decrease of crime. In one case a Maori woman charged a Maori with attempted rape. The Judge hoped this showed a disposition on the part of the Natives to appeal to law instead of resorting to violence. Thomas Richards, for horse-stealing and breaking and entering a dwolling-houge and stealing sundry articles, was eeptenqed to three years for each offenqe, the sentences to run concurrently. Walter John Norfolk, for horse-stealing, was sentenced to two years’ hard labour. Hemi Hare, a native, for stealing from a store, got one year. Against Henry Devoy, convicted of horse-stealing, there were seven previous convictions, and he was sentenced to seven years. The Grand Jury threw out the bill against John Brodie Russell, late clerk in the Railway Department, who was charged with embezzlement. July i. The criminal sittings of the Supreme Court opened this morning. Amongst the cases aye charges of obtaining goods under false' pretences, larceny, sheep stealing, fraudulent bankruptcy, attempt to murder, indecent assault, horse stealing, assault with intent, cutting and wounding, and robbjery. Referring to the charge against O.’C.owwr for attempting to poison 'Light, the landlord of Barretfc’a Hotel,' the Chief Justice said as long as the jury thought O’Connor put poison in the glass, no matter what his object, they could find a true bill against him. True bills were found in all cases considered by the Grand Jury to-day, but only one trial was concluded. Dunedin, July 1. The Criminal Sittings of the Supreme Court commenced fn-day. The Grand Jury found true Bills in the following casesAlfred Brown, larceny ; James Fare, false pretences ; Geo, Murdoch, larceny ; Henry Sutherland, alias John Kingsley, larceny; Thomas George Smith, incendiarism ; Henry James South, larceny; William Russell; larceny ; Robert Gardiner, stealing from the person. No bills were fouryi against Charles Moncur, for an unnatural offence, and John Eddington, fpl- rape. George Murdoch, for larceny, was found guilty, and sentenced to two years. Alfred Brown, for larceny, was acquitted.