SUPREME COURT SITTINGS. AUCKLAND, August 16.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 53

SUPREME COURT SITTINGS. AUCKLAND, August 16.

The criminal sessions opened this morning. Mr Justice Edwards, in his charge to the grand jury, said there were only 26 oases to be dealt with, but there were no less than eight charges against man alleging offerees against the opposite sex. With respect to a charge of manslaughter against a tram conductor, his Honor ea-id that . if a person charged with a duty caused death by negligenea in that duty, be was guilty of manslaughter.

August 19,

The, hearing of a charge of arson preferred against Wilson Stuart Adams, formerly nigiht watchman at the Mitchelson Timber Company's mill at Owhata, in connection with the burning of a schcolhou«s and another building, was concluded at the Supreme Court to-day, a verdict of not guilty being returned. AUCKLAND, August 23.

Frederick Wilckans, of Owluitu, was to-day sentenced to three years for arson, having pleaded guilty in the lower court. He stated that he committed the crimfe to endeavour to shelter another man, who was acquitted on a charge of arson last week.

WELLINGTON, August 7.

In the Supreme Court to-day William M'Lean, who pleaded guilty to a" charge of bigamy, was admitted to probation for 12 .months. Andrew Amos (Blenheim), for 'indecent assault on a j-oung woman, was sentenced to four years and ordered to receive 15 lashes. Mr Justice Cooper said the case was the worst that had ever come before him. Percy James Reynolds, charged with perjury, was admitted to probation for 12 months. Frederick Cyril Ross, eight charges of theft at Feilding, received a sentence of two years on each charge, the sentences to be ooneuirTent.

August 16.

The criminal sittings opened this morning. Mr Justice Chapman said he was sorry that the number of oases on the list was above the average, but a comparatively email" ntmlber of the crimes alleged were of a serious nature. Housebreaking seemed more prominent than formerly. One charge was against a Maori of having had unlawful knowledge of a Maori girl under the age of 16. The case presented 'peculiarities, as the accused and the girl made a sort of Maori marriage, and lived together as man and wife. "You are not to take account of these so-called Maori marriages," said the Judge. There was only one law for Maoris and Europeans. Another important case wae one where a woman is alleged to have neglected her child whereby it died, and another calling for serious consideration was a charge against a man of sending an unseawoithy vessel to sea. William Thorna* Power was sentenced to 18 months for breaking and entering.

Ernest King, alias Keenan. a young man. pleaded "Guilty" to throe charges- of tKeft — first, of stealing on July 10 a gold ring, set in diamond^, from Horac3 Lloyd : second, of stealing on Juiy 14, from the person of Henry Newton, £3 in money ; and, third, of stealing two gold bangles from the shop of Louis William Ludwiy on July 17. He was found guilty, and was remanded for sentence. John P. Wilson and William J. Norman admitted stealing a quantity of chemicals and patent medicines from the prem.i c es of Young's Chemical - Co. - The case was adjourned til! to-morrow for inquiries concerning the prisoners' previous character.

August 17. _ I At to-day's criminal sittings Ernest Kiner, for theft, received three years, and William John Norman, for a series of thefts, 18 months.

George Quinn, Donald Wil«on. and Joseph Keen were convicted of stealing 303 from a till at Kilbirnic. Hie Honor Mr Justice Chapman asked what was knoun of the prisoners before the court, and Mr Myers "replied that they were all provisional vagrants. Hie Honor said he did not intend to draw any distinction bet>veen the prisoners, and he thought it would be better in the interests of the community that they should be v ithdrawn from association w if h the genera! public for a time. Thp prisoner, wore sentenced each to thrc? gears' imprisonment, and warned that if mattsrs went on with them in this way it would lead to their condemnation to the indetPiminate >eptence. The prisoner Keen ejaculated: '"The sentence is a pood start your Honor."

„ August 18. At to-day's sitting Albert Charb« AVe-iii; gott, a jounff man, w-as ohiVKed with the theft of a hoise. He set up a plea that h3 was not responsible for his actions. It was stated t.hat he was the eon of fiist cousins, and .had been responsible Sot strange conduct at tim-3-, but tint he had no criminal intent. The jury found him guilty, with a recoramf«flation to mercy. .Sen+iance was deferred.— David Johnsron, beioasfin* to tll « crew of H.M.S. Challenger acquitted on a charg2 of indecently us e-aulting a girl

August 19

Albert Charles Woingott received four months for the theft of a horse, and Francis Ranisay two months on a chargeof committing an indecent act. The jury failed to agree in a case in which Peter Williamson T*it wee charged with aseault.

lAuiu«t 20. At the Supranie Court to da\ naxry Lee \va- lO'jr; '.s'oi e^ii Lt "v ' '_! cr^rKtn,^ uno

the house of a Chin.arr.an in Hairung street. Wellington, with intuit to commit a crime. "William Brown an^l Richard M'Cann were convicted of assaulting a man named Mahon and robbing him of £1. Brown was sentenced to 15 months and M'Cann to nine months' imprisonmant.

August 21. In the Supreme Court to-day Wiremu Kingi was acquitted by the jury on a charge of having carnal knowledge of a Maori girl under 16 years of age. August 23. At the Supreme Court to-day a youn? man named John Tancred was charged with breaking inh> the premises of Louus Trumann. tobacconist, Petone. with intent to commit a crime. After c-ve-r four hours' retirement the jury reported that they could not agree, and Mr Justice Chapman, thereupon ordered a new trial. PALMERSTON N., August 23. The Supreme Court sittings opened today before Mr Justice Cooper. There are five criminal cases. True bills were' returned against Robert Henderson, breaking and entering and theft; George Edwards, alias Lloyd Evans, forgery ; Hedley Nye, murder j Ernest O'Neill, false pretences. The case- against Henderson is proceeding. The Nye murder case- will be taken to-morrow.

CHRISTCHURCH, August 16. «

The criminal sittings opened to-day. Five men were to come up • for sentence on charges of breaking and entering, escaping custody, theft, .and false declaration, and for trial 17 men on charges of robbery with violence, conspiring to defraud, perjury, forgery, theft, destroying books, assault, and assault with intent to rob. There is only one case of indecent assault. The following prisoners were sentenced: James George Murphy, 25 years of .age, 18 months' imprisonment for thj&ft and escaping from custody ; James Watson (29), false declaration under section 53 of the Marriage Act, 12 months' imprisonment, and his Honor hoped - that <prooeedings would be taken against him for bigamy; William Woolley (25), theft, 12 months, and at the termination of that period to be treated as an habitual criminal ; John Whitford (29), bigamy, 12 months' imprisonj roont; George Findlay (28), forgery, nine months. Samuel Richard Carr was found guilty of theft, and was sentenced to three months, which would have been six but for the fact that ha had been several months in gaol awaiting trial. Gerald O'Hare pleaded " Guilty " to a charge of forgery, and was sentenced to six months. Wm. Nesbitt, on a. charge of theft, was

found not guilty.

August 17. At the Supreme Court Jennings .Shaw pleaded " Not guilty " to a charge of perjury alleged to have been committed by him in the Magistrate's Court in denying that he travelled by a tram on a certain day, und had used obscene language <?.nd assaulted the conductor. The jury, after an hour and a-half's retirement, brought in a verdict of " Guilty " with a recommendation to mercy. ■ Sentence " wa6 deferred till a similar charge against accused's brother was deqi'ded. John Win. Sniith pleaded- "Not guilty" tt> a. charge" of having made a false declaration .under the Justices of the Peace Act. Smith had got an advance on pawn tickets, in respect to which he later made a declaration before a J.P. that he had lest them. When the person who had advanced the money and had possession of the pawn tickets went to obtain the medals which had been pawned, he found that they had been lifted. Accused admitted thp facts, but through his counsel argued that the declaration was not a valid one within " The Justices of the Peace Act, 1908." as the form on which it had been made was not in accordance with form 50. in that the word* " and by virtue of '.The Justices of the Peace Act. 1908.' " were omitted from it. The jury by direction brought in a verdict of "Guilty," and the legal point wus reserved for the Court of Appeal. A reused was released on his own recognisances of £25. |

August 18. At the Tupreme Court Richard John Leslie Eiromley was found not euilty of per-jui-v in connection wibh an affiliation case. — Alfred Emeßt and Albert Johnston were found not guilty of the theft of certain tools, valued at £\ 2s.— James Gill was fcuaid not guilty on a charge of having broken and entered th.3 hut of a railway cleaner at MeUiven. It was alleged that he had e^iter*Kl the hut of another railway employee and presented a load-ad revolver at him. The defence w-as that accused was too drunk to effect a.n entrance through a-n IBin. wide window, or to load a revolver

August 19. At the Supreme Court to-day Patrick Dalton and James Arthur were charged with conspiracy to defrard Honry Uru. The indictment alleged that the offense wa« committed in a railway carriage travelling between Belfast and Christchurch on May 24. I'm bsing defrauded by the three card trick. Dalton was somteneod to nine month*,' imprisonment, and Arthur ordered to stand down pcnd'ng inquiries. August 20. At tho Supreme Court to-day Frederick Marshall, ex-managing director of the United Farmers' Ccal Company, was convictsd of embezzlement and eentenced to 1?. months' imprisonment. Fredreick Wm. De-nnett and G-eorge Nottingham were acquitted on a chares of e c sault and robbery. On a. charcre of burglary, to which they pleaded "Guilty." acc-u-^d wer^ sentenced to threo years' imprisonment each, and declared to re habitual offenders. Hans Sliaw was convicted of perjury and senten c-a was deferred

August 23. At the Supreme Court to-day Magnus Badger was fined £25 on a chaise of a-spult causing bodily harm. James Arthur, who was convicted List vreek on a charge of conspiring to defraud by meirfi of the tliree-oard {rick, was sentenced to 12 months' impriionment.

The Tuapek* Times understands that under the will of the late Mr Edward Herbert six old employees of the firm of Herbert and Co. received recognition of tih^ir faithful services to the extent of £100 each.

"LINSEED COMPOUND" for Coughs and Colds. Of proven efficacy for chest complaint*,