SUPREME COURT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 99, 27 April 1874, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

[ilefcre lib Honor Mr Juctice Bichmond]. Thi3 Day. . The criminal sittings of tbe-Suprerae Court commenced this morning, when the follow ing gentlemen were aworn in on the Grand Jury : — Messrs Barnicoat (foreman), Hunter Brown, Cawthron, Gouljtone, Hodder, R. Lsvien, J Oldham, Macdonnld, Mabio, M. Davis, Muntz, Watkins, Mortimer, Stanton, Talbot, Stavcrt, Wither. His Honor, in charging the Grand Jury, said that there were but three cases for It in], and of those ono wa? adjourned from last session. He could not sav tliet the calendar was unusually '•■light, (or light calendars, he waa happy to^oy, were tbe mleacd not the exception. The case that had been adjournalwas one of a very raro kind, being "that of one old settler using criminal violence ngainst another. In addition to this there was a very grave charge of larceny of n post letter by a poßtoflice cietk. Of eo.urse, no men of business atlomp'ed to remit money in a post lptter vxhen the facilities were eo great for doing so by postofllce or Jer or bank draft, but there were some ignorant or ouly partially-informed people who did so both in bank notes and coin, thus placing temptation in the way of offtcia'p, for whom, however, thia was no excuse for breaking their trust. The present was a case of crcat gravity affecting society most j materially. Tha third cose was one of keeping a disorderly 1 ouse and disturbing the neighborhood, and was therefore an off «nce which was indictable aa being a nuisance. None of tl o casts required special comment, and the jury might now retire. ABSITJLT. William Barlow was indie od f)r art assault upon Joseph Busch. Mr Henry Adams appeared f< r tho prosecution, and Mr Acton Adams for the prisoner. Joseph Biiß< h, sworn; I am a farmer living in Aniseed Val'ey. Ou the llth November last Barlow came to my home. Wc had had cross summonses ia tho Magistrate's Court at Richmond i n the previous day. My wife and I were at breakfast He said he had a love letter for me, and began reading ifc. I told him if that was the case he mss to go out ot my house. He would not go, ard I put him out hy the shoulders. J ued no oth r vio'ence. Mark Stratford who was witb h ; m walked out in frons of him I shut the door, and prisoner vent en reading the letter J asked Stratfrrd what he wanted, nnd he said he hud c .me as witness f r Barlow. I 'tola him to take his h< rse which was hitched to a post close by, at d go. He would not, so 1 loosed tho hors? and Ut him go. I Pepped back, snd Barlow <ame up with the sole of a plough and hit me on the fcoid eo s^-vert-ly th t the iron broko in soveral pieces. With/ what remained in his-hnnl- he s ruck ma two' ir three lighter blows. The first bl >w staggered me for a few minutes. I closed with him, and we fell to the ground togeihtr My missus came and helped mo. aid 1 do not know esactly what was said. Ma k Stratford came and helped mo to hold him down, and alter a time took him away to my mother's. \I wc it to Dr Waring'd to h;»ve the wound dresfcl. Croß*-examsned : I had nothing let me undtr my father's -will, and my mother and sister wanted me to leave the placo. Barlow s rved ms with'a with a writ of ejectment. At the Bichmond Court we each of us gained our own case. When Parlow first came to my house he said he had a love letter for me, but made use of no abusive language. He continued to read after I put him out. f cover-, pickei up the iron that morning. He did not hit me when we were on th- ground. I went in the afternoon to Bichmond. and saw Dr. Waring and Mr Barsicoit, and then went to Nllsod to see my solicitor, after which I returned home. Mrs Busch and Mr Waring were also ex attuned for the prosecution . Mr Actoa Adams opened the case for the defence, which waa that Busch was the first to threaten Barlow, and tbat the blows were tnly struck in self-de'ence. Mark Stratford : I live in Aniseed Val ! ey. I went with Barlow to Busch oo the day in question. Barlow said he had brought him a lawyer's letter, and comnif need reading it, and also read a portion of the writ. Busch g>fc up and pushed Idm out. Barlow aid not resist. We went out. Busch shut the door aud csme out shortly after. He spoke to me and told me I waß to go. Bar-l-»w went to Ipoie tho horse, and Busch went j and picked up a piece of iron, and came towards Barlowholdingitup, Barlow attempted to take the iron away, got hold of it, and then they fell together, and the iron hit against a pott and broke Five or six of his owu dogs then pitched on to Dusch, and I drove them off. Mrs Bu eh then came out and caught h;>ld of Barlow by the whiskers. I persuaded her to let him loose, and he got up took his papers into the house and then wo left. I saw no blows struck. I d^n'c know how Bush got hurt, but I think it was by the dogs. I heaid him cry cut in the scuffle. Several other witnesses were called, who gave evidence directly contradictory to that of Busch and his wife. The jury retired at half-past three, and had not returned when we went to presp; STEALING FBOM A, POST MTTEB. . Edward Henry Reilly pleaded Guilty to.this charge, and was sentenced to three years' penal servitude. The Couat then adjourned till ten o'clock tc -morrow morning.

The stevedores' laborers of Snndrtdge have formed o company, with a capital of £6000 in £1 shores, for the purpose of entering into that business themselves. The master stevedores there have prospered marvellously. Two immense steamers have been launched on the Clyde, ono 4200 tone, another 4,800 tons register. The latter is said to be, next to tbe Great Eastern, the largest merchunt vessel in the world. It is intended for tho Liverpool and South American trade. At the port of Dunedin, during the six months ending December 31st last, duty was paid at the Custom House under forty-six heads on articles valued at £404,908. The largest item was drapery, which was valued at £206,008; and tho next was boots and shoes, the value of which was £41,748. Hardware and ironmongery amounted to £38,533, The duty paid amounted to £51,435. It is also calculated that under the old tariff the amount of duty would have been £35,206.

After a shott season, the works of tbe New Zealand Meat Proserving Company, at Kukanui and Wasbdyke, weie closed Inet week. The supplies ot cattle and ebrdp being abundant io Southland, the Woodland works will he in operation for four months yet. The Otago Times understands that unless theieie a better prospect of supplies next season, the works will remain closed.