SUPREME COURT.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1139, 22 March 1872, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

Wednesday, March 20. ; (Before His Honor Judge Richmond.) ; At the Circuit Court on Wednesday, the only case tried was that of -William Pothan, for cattle-stealing. The case occupied the Court until about three o'clock in the afternoon, when, a verdict :of guilty was returned. The prisoner had been convicted on a similar charge on the previous day, and there was a third charge against him about being investigated, when, the jury came into Court with a verdict of guilty on the second . charge. Mr South, Crown Prosecutor, thereupon withdrew the third charge, entering a .nolle prqsequi on the part of the Crown. The prisoner was remanded for sentence until yesterday, when ovidATififl as to. characteT_was to be taken. Of these proceedings, the West Coast Times reports : — When the third indictment was read, and on the names of the jurors being called, there were several challenged by the prisoner, and a large number were challenged by the Crown. The panel thus becoming exhausted, his Honor directed that the names challenged by the Crown be again put into the box and drawn. The first name called was that of Mr O'Haqan, of Ross. His Honor then called upon the Crown Prosecutor to assign a cause for the challenge. After some argument as to whether the Crown should be called upon to assign cause, Mr South said that he made the statement with great .reluctance, but the fact v» as that he had received reliable information from an official source that within the last fortnight relations of the prisoner had been in communication with jurymen, not alone in Hokitika, but at Stafford, Wairaea, and Ross. Influence had been sought to be brought to bear in respect to country and creed — he would not say what country or creed — but- the information having reached him he had felt bound in the discharge of a sacred' daty to ace upon it. Mr Button objected to any general statements being made, and submitted that the Crown Prosecutor should confine himself to a cause for challenge against the individual juror. His Honor — Can you show' a cause for challenge against this juror, Mr South ? Mr South said he could not do so in regard to that particular juror. The information he had received was official, but though sufficient to warrant his acting upon it, he did not feel justified in producing it in evidence. He should, therefore, take the risk and withdraw bis challenges. He might say that one of his grounds for some of the challenges was the issue of the two trials on the first day of the sittings. His Honor said that he knew of nothing in creed or nation to disqualify persons from becoming jurors. It was only by a disregard -of such distinctions that we could live together as one united people. He would not believe that any such considerations would influence jurors, and until he saw it, be would not bring himself to credit that any person, of whatever nation or creed, would go into the box with a predetermination to disregard his oath. Mr Button said that he should now challenge the juror on behalf of the prisoner, as after what had passed he could not rely .upon him as an unbiassed juror. I Mr O'Hagan was directed to leave the box. ' At this moment, the jury in the former case came in and delivered a verdict of Guilty. The Crown Prosecutor said that he would withdraw the last charge against the prisoner and enter a nolle proseqxii. Thursday, March 21. Yesterday the only remaining case — that of George Pett for feloniously Wounding cattle — was taken. It was expected to : occupy the whole day and would probably be prolonged to a very late hour. ; , William Pothan, convicted of cattle, stealing, was sentenced to two years' iin-: priaonmoht, with hard labor. .