The Courts.

Manawatu Herald, 31 August 1893, Page 2

The Courts.

bedroom, in which a candle was burning. She hsard a noise in the next room, and on looking in saw the prisoner getting under the bed,

and after he wan captured while

► getting over the wall of the yard a penknife was found in the room, and it was also noticed that some of Ihe articles in the room had been dlsar ranged. In the bedroom was a cash

box, containing a largo sum of money. The jury retired at 3.95 p.m., and at 5 p.m. requested permission to

visit tha hotel so as to examine the premises. This request was acceded to by His Honor, and at 0.15 they again entered the Court, and asked if they could bring in a \crdict of illegally on premises without intent. His Honor replied in thn negative, and the jury again retired. At G.BO they returned with a verdict of not guilty, and the prisoner was discharged. True Bills were found against Wm. Mudgway, unlawfully wounding ; Andrew Reid, false pretences ; James Collins and John Douglas, assault and robbery ; Ernest Gundlach, larceny ; Alfred Horley, alias Hawley, alias F. Home, false pretences ; Tahi (native) burglary ; A Thompson, alias Kirk, assault and » f obbery ; Alfred Miller and W. Creswell, larceny ; B. Hansen, rape ; I. Ouinan, abortion ; R. Johns, assault and robbery ; Caroline McGovern, proenring abortion. The Grand Jury found no bill in the case of M. Orenstein, charged

with false pretences. William Walker pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering the dwellinghouso of E. J. Staples, May-street, Wellington, on the lOfch May last, and stealing therefrom a quantity of jewellery valued at £20.

The prisoner is undergoing a term of three years' penal servitude for a similar offence committed on May 19th, and His Honor sentenced him to a similar term of penal servitude. to commence from now and to be concurrent with his other sent Q nce.

Tuesday, August 29

Wra. Baldwin, arraigned on a Coroner's inquisition, was charged with wilfully and maliciously setting fire to the building known as Treadenham, Lower Hufct, on Jun3 2.

Mi* Gully said this case was in a somewhat unusual position Accused appeared upon a Coroner's inquisition, and not upon nn indictment. After the Coroner's inquest the matter came before the R.M Court, in the usual way, and MiMartin then dismissed the information. The depositions had been forwarded to this Court, and on behalf of the Crown he (Air Gully) now proposed to offer no evidence.

Mr Skerrett, who appearded for the accused, asked that a jury shou'd ba empanelled in the usual way.

This wad done, the jury returned a formal verdict of not guilty, and the prisoner was discharged.

A Native namod Tahi, aged 16, was . charged with breaking and antering the dwelling house of John Gallic, at Martinborough, on the 28ih April, and stealing therefrom a quantity of jewellery, valued at £8 J(}j fld, and £51 10s in money.

Mr Monteath, who appeared for the defence, stated that prisoner would plead guilty of receiving the goods.

His Honor reserved sentence until the Probation Officer had reported on the case.

Robert Johns was charged with assaulting John McL?od at MartinbDrongh and robbing him of of I'l 10a on the 26bh July.

Prisoner gave evidence on oath. He denied all knowledge of the robbery, and said he left prosecutor at the door of the hotel.

The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and sentence was deferred.

B. Hansen, a youth of about 15 years of age, was charged with rape. After a comparatively brief consideration, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

SUPREME COURT.— CRIMINAL SITTINGS.-

Monday, August 28,

(Before His Honor the Chief Justioe.)

The quarterly sessions of - the Supreme Court were opened/ "

THE GRANP JURY

Was sworn in as follows :— Mr, R, M. Simpson (foreman) and Messrs A. I. Littlejohn, A. Gannaway, E. Seager, W. Brown, E. J. Reid, J. Myers, A. F. Hill, Thos. Ward, J. Bertie, L. A. Williams, R. Wilberfoss, M. Kennedy, T. Simmons," P. F. Grady, J. B. Winton, G. Beetham, J. Atkinson, D. J. ' Nathan, C. Mackintosh, A. Kember, A. Veitch and-]. J. Curtis.

THE CHARGE.

His Honor, in charging the Grand Jury, said the number of cases to come before them was certainly greater than had been in this : district formerly, except on a certain occasion when a number of Maoris came before the Court. The number of cases in other districts wasi he observed, decreasing, and that might in some measure account for the increase in the Wellington district. The cases which would come before them were very simple, and he had no observations to make about- the greater part of them. In regard to the charge of false pretences made against a man named Orenstein, he understood the prisoner sent in a claim to an insurance company for goods burnt at a fire, which goods, it was alleged, had really been stolen during the commotion caused by the fire. He understood in this case that the prisoner before he sent in his claim had made a verbal state* rnent to that effect, and if the solicitor drew up and the prisoner signed a declaration claiming for those goods, it was for the Grand Jury to say whether it was an accident, or an erroneous assumption, or whether it was reaUy with intent to defraud.

Thos. G. Frazer was charged with the larceny of a gold watch, gold * chain, and gold brooch, the property of Ada Bond, on the 21st May last. After a lengthy deliberation, .the jury returned a verdict of not, guilty, and the prisoner was discharged. ' David McDonald was charged with breaking and entering the^wellinghouse of : Thos. 'White, Lambton Quay, on the 19th July, with intent to commit a felony. -• < '■'■^'■'^'■J

Prisoner, who was undefended, admitted having been in the baok* yard of the premises. On the evening of the 18th July Mrs White, wife of the lioeniet of the National Hotel, went into heir