The Illegal Operation Case.

Manawatu Herald, 24 December 1895, Page 2

The Illegal Operation Case.

The trial of the man John Henry Brown on a charge of procuring abortion, concluded on Friday night, after having lasted over five days. The jury retired at 9.40 p m., and returned at 11.15 pin., at which hour there was a large number of persons present in the Court. The jury returned a verdict of guilty. Mr Jellicoe asked His Honor if he would reserve all the questions as to direction ?

His Honor said he should not reserve any questions. There were no questions to reserve. Mr Jellicoe asked what course was to be adopted in regard to the other indictments. ! Mr Gray, Acting-Crown Prose* ' cutor, said he would intimate in the I morning what course he would I adopt.

His Honor reserved sentence until Saturday morning.

John Henry Brown, who had been found guilty on Friday night of procaring abortion, came before His . . Honor the Chief Justice for sentence on Saturday. Eeplying to Mr Jellicoe, His Honor said he would take a note of the objections raised, aa provided by section 412 of the Criminal Code. He should not pass sentence on the y other prisoner, Annie Brown, pending the decision of the Court of Appeal on questions reserved in her case.

Brown, in reply to the question whether he had anything to say before judgment of the. Court was passed upon him, complained that the charge on which he had been convicted was brought at the eleventh hour to bolster up those on which he has been committed for trial. Evidence which was irrelevant had been admitted, the consequence of which was that his counsel had been embarrassed on every possible occasion by the Crown and His Honor. He felt that he had been persecuted and not prosecuted.

His Honor, in passing sentence, said there was no doubt that for a lengthened period prisoner had been carrying on an abominable business under the name of a drunken sot whom he had introduced for the purpose. There was no doubt that when he found the police wera on his track he sent away the only person he believed was likely, to give evidence against him. If only from the character of the defence set up, the prisoner was not worthy of any consideration from the Court. He had got rid of the sot under whose name he was practising, and no doubt did not calculate there were persons of sufficient strength of mind to undergo the ordeal of appearing in Court. Under the circumstances he could not refrain from saying that these young women had gone far towards redeeming their character by the performance of this public duty. His Honor sentenced prisoner to 10 years' imprisonment with hard labour.

The Crown Prosecutor has entered a nolle prosequi id the other charges against the prisoners.