SUPREME COURT.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2579, 13 July 1882, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS. This Day. [Before his Honor Mr Justice Williams.] The Court re-opened at 10 a.m. Wm. Gordon Jacobs was indicted for having fired at Jessie Jaoobs with intent to murder her at the Chatham Islands on March 7th. The prisoner pleaded " Not Guilty," and was defended by Mr Holmes, with him Mr. Wilding. Mr Duncan prosecuted on behalf of the Crown, and applied that the depositions of two of the witnesses, Ellen Jacobs and James Seymour, who were ill with scarlet fever, and could not attend, should be read. Dr. Townend.deposed to the illness of the two witnesses, and it was agreed that their depositions should be read.

R. W. Rayner, distriot constable at the Ohathams, deposed that he went to the houao of Miss Baucke, where he found Mrs Jaoobs had been put to bed. He examined the house and found four revolver bullets, of very large s:za bore, in various parts of the house. The revolver produced was afterwards taken from the prisoner. On the prisoner being arrested a quantity of laudanum, a pocket knife, some matches, and private papers, were found on him. The revolver found on the prisoner was loaded in all ohambers, and very wet and rusty, and appeared to have been reoently disoharged. The oross-examination of this witness by Mr Holmes was mainly diieoted to a description of the premises and the spot of the shooting; also as to the alleged large size bore of the revolver taken from the prisoner. Witness was not aware of his own knowledge that there was ill feeling between a man named Meiskel and Mrs Jaoobs. It was generally reported that a son of Mrs Jaoobs by a former marriage was living with Mrs Meickel.

Jesse Jacobs, the wife of the prisoner, gave evidence as to the shooting. Whilst sitting in Miss Banck's house she heard the report of firearms, and received a wound in the left breast. She called out that her husband had ■hot her.

Mr Holmes objacted that only the fact that an exclamation was made could be given in evidence, and not the words used. [Authority cited, Taylor on Evidence, Vol, 1, S. S. 518 519 ]

His Honor pointed out that the authority asked by Mr Holmes did not apply. Mr Holmes withdrew his objection.

The witness went on to state that a second shot was firei, striking the table at which she wag standing. A third shot was fired as she stood at the entrance of the bedroom. This also was in a line with her, and she sank on the bedroom floor. The first ball entered at the top of the breast, and passed out under the arm, and was found just behind where the witness was sitting. Witness had left her own house on acoount of the abusive language made use of by her husband to her. Prisoner had sent her several messages, but there had been no personal communication between them. Witness told prisoner she could not live any longer with her husband. He did not objeot to her going, but objected to give witness up her children. For two years witness and her husbannd had livo unhappily. Mr Holmes objected to this question. His Honor ruled that the evidete* was admissible, as showing the relations between the patties. The prisoner had threatened to take the life of witness and that of her eldest son. This was a year and nine months before she left him. He nevor struck witness. In cross-examination the witness stated that the disagreement between the prisoner and herself was conneoted with her son taking away Meiokel's wife. Prisoner accused witness of being the cause of it. Witness told prisoner that she had used her influence three separate times to get her son to give up Mrs Meiokel. She had never threatened to poison Meickel. Maria Bancke deposed to the occurrences at her house on Maroh 7th, whioh were detailed by Mrs Jacobs, and was cross examined at some length by Mr Holmes, in the oourse of which she stated that there was a man on the island who had been an enemy of her's, and who had threatened her. This man was a man of violent temper, and kept firearms. [Left sitting.]