SUPREME COURT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10284, 20 May 1919, Page 4

SUPREME COURT

CHARGES OF THERS |

A WEST INDIAN AND MUSICAL

INSTRUMENTS. * The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court were continued yesterday before tho Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout). Mr P. S.'K. Macassey appeared for the Crown. James Arthur Pollard, alias Archie Taylor, a "West Indian, pleaded not guilty to a charge of breaking and entering the premises of Oscar Hull Brown, at 187, Vivian street, and stealing musical instruments valued at £125. "The accused was not represented by counsel. Mr John Anderson was foreman of the jury. Tho evidence was on the lines ot that given in the lower court. Accused admitted that ho had assisted in tho selling of tho instruments, but denied that he was concerned in the breaking and entering. After a short retirement the jury returned ivitb. a verdict of guilty, and the prisoner was remanded till this morning, when a further charge will be heard against him. CONCERNING TOOLS.

A plea of not guilty was entered by Albert William 'Murray, who was charged that in July, 1017, he committed -theft of a kit of Carpenter's tools, valued at £3, the property of Charles B. Nixon. Accused -was represented by Mr P. W. Jackson. Mr B. 1?. Skinner was foreman of the jury. The evidence for the prosecution was that Nixon was a carpenter „by trade, and went away with the Expeditionary Force in June, 1916. Prior to leaving New Zealand he lived at Brooklyn. When he loft, his kit of carpenter's tools was placed in the care of his wife, and on his return, in October, 1918, ho discovered that his wife was living in Turanaki street. He missed his kit of tools, which he valued at about £3. After Nixon's return bis wife left liim, and the day before his wife left the accused left. The kit of tools was recovered, after being in the hands of a pawnbroker and another person. It was stated that Nixon had instituted divorce proceedings against his wife.-

For the defence, it was not denied that Murray had taken the tools away, but it was contended that Nixon gave his wife authority to sell them before lie went to the front.

The Jury found the accused guilty and lie was remanded till Friday. His Honour said that Murray had been convicted on twenty previous occasions, and had also been declared an habitual criminal. Now he had upset the Nixon family, and led this unfortunate woman astrr.V. AUCKLAND SESSIONS OPEN. Prew Association. AUCKLAND, May 19. At the Supreme Court criminal sessions this 1 morning Mr Justice Stringer said that 23 charges had to be considered, including seven relating to sexual offences, eleven involving dishonesty and three of assault. None of the cas.es presented any difficulties. James Moylan ..denied a charge :of having stolen a cashbox- and*'contents from a house in Grey street. Accused was convicted of receiving only, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Wera Simons, at young 'Maori, pleaded not guilty to making a false declaration to the Registrar of Marriages at Auckland, for the purpose of procuring a marriage certificate. It was stated that the girl whom the accused married was a'white girl, and the accused knew quite well: that-«ihe was only 20 years old when he'declared she was 21. Th© jury returned a verdict of guilty, with a recommendation to mercy, stating they did not consider the accused realised the seriousness of what he was doing. Accused was fined £lO.

Olaf Robert Thorkalson, for breaking a plate-glass window of a draper's shop in Queen street, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment.