SUPREME COURT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 818, 1 March 1910, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

FIRST MASTERTON SITTINGS.

Masterton, February 28

The first sitting of the Supreme Court in Mastertou opened this afternoon, before His Honour Mr Justice Chapman. Three criminal cases are set down for hearing, two of which are for alleged breaking and entering, and one for alleged arson. His Honour was cordially welcomed by the members of the legal profession, and in reply congratulated them upon having Supreme Court sittings fixed for Masterton. Addressing the grand jury subsequently, he congratulated them upon the absence from the district of crime, more particularly as the Masterton district was an unusually large one. The district was expanding, and it had often been found that, in a growing district where new works were carried out, a certain class of people were attracted from outside, and, as a result, the district showed a bigger proportion of crime than ought rightly to belong to it. This was not the case in Mastertou, and it was very pleasing that the number of cases before them was so small. The first case taken was that in which Jen Gen and Wong Gee were charged with that they did wilfully set fire to a shop in Queen Street. Evidence was taken as to the circumstances in connection with the outbreak of the fire, and the Court adjourned till to-morrow morning.