Supreme Court, Wanganui.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 90, 19 March 1885, Page 3

Supreme Court, Wanganui.

(Before His Honor Chief Justice Sir .:j . .. .;. .- : :. _, James Prendeghast.) : .;i ■.>;.; Wednesday, March 18. „"..'' l.',.' -'.';._■ SENTENCES. ' . ■ ■ ■: ; iiob^Tt. Lawless, who had pleaded feuttty to felony, m breaking into Mr house at palmerstoiii was tip for sentence. In answer to .ittte .question as to whether he had anyv sunjj t tojjßay/why sentence should not „b^prpnounced on him, the prisoner made ,/an affecting speech, stating that the vice -of intemperance had caused him to commit a crime from which, m his sober moments, his whole nature revolted. - He had through this failing been alienated from all his friends, and though he riot claim this as a palliative, still : ho. could assure the Court that he most sincerely regretted his action. He hoped 'tne.jCqurt woujd take into consideration %c fact that he had served a long hard labor sentence for some of the croodK taken at the same time. — His Honor staked what this meant.!— The Crojivii .JVosecnter said that he understood that • 4fte Jarcehy had been from a shed, wliilo. ttfe'preßent: charge was for taking goods fcrOnV tfd wonitig-hbuse.—^-His Honor con''wdered'the proceeding a very improper "ope| il apd (wanted' to know why the Jus"'tu*s .wU6 safcqn'tiie occasion had not proceeded to deal, out two months on each charge. The cases should either •all have been dealt with by the Justices ■ of'elsehqt with at' all. In his opinion Vit w4s itnpfoper proceeding to ''deal'^u'inmarnjr with a man who went I'lntb a t Bhcdi.a'nd stole a saddle and -bjidle, 1 treating it as a petty laT,«eny, a proceeding : he^ : considered most injurious to the public. He took the imprisonment into consideration," and instead of sentencing the pri- • sbher to i.2 months as he had intended, '■givei him r lo 'months with hard labor, ■'i i oitfarkirt'g at the same time that he did • cdinpassion for a man who •'lyasijiyidiintly'; well, able to earn a good Jjjving/, turf; who instead took to steal■spg:> '•■'..;' •■' :: ■■■ . •.:; - . ■ • . ■ \ lv < ijho "stolen property m each of the i abope caseß was ordered to be returned itotW«b(wnerSi BMBEZZLEMENT. • \H., (who surrendered to his bail) was arraigned on a charge of having 1 while m the employ of the Government Insurance Department, embezzled of money, the property of Her Majesty the Queen, viz., £7 7s and '.£llilß9d. : ! His Honor having addressed the jury . they retired to consider their verdict. ' Upon returning the foreman announced ithat they had agreed to a verdict of Vguiltyon count the second, and a verdict of not guilty on the first count. : Sentence deferred. 1.,. The Crown Prosecutor asked for instructions as to certain property fonnd on the prisoner Vowles when he surrendered to his bail. The articles were simply articles of personal adornrtifentV His Honor said that unless some definite application was made he could "make tio order. ' "■'■' ' ' ' HORSE-STEALING. frvine Stevens was charged with stealing a saddle on the 19th October, 1884. He pleaded " Guilty." On a further , .charge of, stealing a gelding bolonuiiiß iipjJ. H. Wallnce,the prisoner also plead- . .'" On the first offence, of stoalimr saddle nnd bridle he was sonteuccd to 12 calendur months, and a similar sentence on 'ihp charge of stealing a borse, both to fun concurrently,

CATTr.E-STEAL.INQ. Wiremn Hori, Hopi Hercmia and John Adams were brought up on a charge of cattle stealing! (This case was heard »t the Jast sitting of the court, but the jury could not agree to a verdict.)* Mr A. S. Baker appeared for the accused. A great deal of evidence was given on both sides, and after counsel had addressed the jury, His Honor summed up the evidence, and the jury retired to consider thier verdict shortly after 9 p.m. In a few minutes they returned with a verdict of not guilty. The prisoners were accordingly discharged. The Crown Prosecutor entered a nolle 2»'oacqui m the case of John Adams, who had been charged with the same offence.