SUPREME COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4774, 11 July 1876, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS. (Before his Honor the Chief Justice.) The circuit sittings of the Supreme Court opened yesterday at 10 o'clock. Mr. H. D. Bell appeared to prosecute on behalf of the Crown. The following gentlemen were sworn in as the Grand Jury :—Messrs. T. Kebbell (foreman), H. Blundell, C. P. Powles, C. Capper, C; C. Graham, F. C. Kveeft, H. M. Lyon, J. Holt, B. Smith, T. J. Ladd, D. Mclntyre, J. H. Wallace, E. T. Gillon, P. Laing, T. Turnbull, T. McKenzie, A. E. Bowden, W. H. Levin, G. H. "Vennell, T. K. Macdonald, J. McDowell, J. Watts, and H. Willcox. His Honor's remarks in the formal charge to the jury were brief. The calendar was numericallyaheavy one, but the several charges were not of a very serious nature, and did not indicate a marked increase of crime iu the community. Having interpreted the law touching upon the different cases to which the jury had to give its consideration, he remarked as to the case of rape that offences of the class had been very frequent of late in this colony and the neighboring colonies .of Victoria and New South Wales, where the offenders had been dealt with very severely, although probably not too severely considering the nature of the offence. The remainder of the cases he did not refer to at length, the only one upon which he dwelt at all being that of robbery with violence, a class of crime which, he said, should be sternly suppressed. TRUE BILLS. True bills were found as follows : —James Calder, felony; James Kelly, felony; John Osborne, felony; Elizabeth Jane Williams, larceny from a dwelling-house; William Henry Williams and Elizabeth Williams, receiving stolen goods; James Shennan, rape; Albert Horner, robbery with violence; Joseph Handley, larceny; Carl Iverson and Anna Iverson, larceny, Nicholas Johnston, unlawfully wounding ; John Buchanan and Francis Coyne, larceny. STEALING FROM A. DWELLING. James Calder was charged with having on the 14th March, 1876, stolen a piece of greenstone, valued at £25, the property of WiMamvpuka, of Te Wahiroa, in the province of Wellington. Prisoner pleaded not guilty. Mr. Bunny defended prisoner. j ury _Messrs. W. H. Bragge (foreman), J. Knight, E. Sheen, G. W. Firmin, Pemn, Hooper, T>. Buick, Boulcout, J. Flanagan, T. B. Allen, James Fox, W. H. Harton, and W. Morgan. , The evidence showed that prisoner had been employed by prosecutor, and had access to the room in which the greenstone was kept. The greenstone was missed from the room, and on search being made it was discovered in the house of a publican at Greytown, to whom prisoner had tried to sell it, and with whom, on the refusal of the publican to purchase, it was left. Mr. Bunny called no witnesses, but addressed the jury for the defence. After a short absence from court the jury convicted prisoner, and he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. His Honor said he had learned from the proper authorities that from 1867 to 1870 he had been leading a criminal life, but since then he had been endeavoring to lead an honest life, which latter fact his Honor had recognised by giving a lighter sentence than would have been inflicted had he been brought up soon after 1870.

STEALING MONEY. James Kelly was charged with having stolen a sum of £5 from the person of William Thompson, the property of the said William lhompson. Prisoner pleaded not guilty, nsd was undefended. c J . u ?-T—Messrs. R. Wrixon (foreman), ?eter bmith, C. Sonierville, Magnon, G South S Midgeway, W. James, J. A. Parker, Quinlan,' S. J. Hill, W. C. Deverill, L. P. Blunde^ It was alleged that prosecutor and pr'soner were employed on Mr. Oakes' contract at Pakuratahi, and on the day named in the -"nfortion went to the Pakuratahi Hotel, prosecutor was rather the worse for Uquoragrot prisoner robbed him of a five pound note. ''i'Some doubt arose in consequence of aisfirepa&ies between the statements of witnesses, and the jury acquitted prisoner, who was thereupon discharged. ABSON. John Osborne was charged with having on the 18th April wilfully and maliciously set fire to a house at Karori, the property of Joseph Cole. Jury—D. Buick (foreman), W. H. Harton, T. B. Allen, J. Hooper, W. Morgan, W. Wallace, J. Fox, W. Somerville, W. H. Brawe, J. G. Figgis, S. S. Griffiths, and T. Mellor. This was rather a peculiar case, but the leading facts have been published before. The prisoner was a woodcutter at Karori, living in prosecutor's house, and early on the morning of the day named in the information got up and set the house on fire. On committing the act he immediately dressed himself in some fanciful costume and walked into the Wellington police station and gave himself in charge. He could give no reason why he set the house on fire. An impulse to commit the act had come upon him the previous night, and he successfully resisted it; but the impulse returned next morning, and he could not resist it. Evidence as to the commission of the offence was tendered, and Dr. Bradford then stated that from • examinations made he was of opinion that prisoner was perfectly sane. His Honor, in summing up, remarked on the peculiarity of the case. The jury convicted prisoner, but recommended him to mercy. LARCENY. John Buchanan and Francis Coyne were charged with having stolen a waistcoat and trousers, the property of James Smith. Coyne pleaded guilty ; Buchanan, not guilty. Jury—Messrs. J. L. Davis (foreman), G. South, Joseph Knight, J. W. Firmin, C. Somerville, Quinlan, Press, Parker, W. James, Sheen, L. Blundell, and Deverill.. It was proved that prisoner was seen in company with Coyne pretty well the whole of the day upon which the goods were stolen, and assisted Coyne to sell the goods missed from Mr. Smith's shop. The learned Judge, in charging the jury, said although the goods might not have been in the manual possession of prisoner, if the jury were satisfied that he was in possession jointly with Coyne, they would convict. The prisoner was convicted, and remanded ' for sentence. The Court then adjourned till 10 o'clock next day.