SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 38

SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

AUCKLA2JD, September 9. In the Supreme Court this morning Joseph Mansrield Honiiston and his wife,, who were brought back from Fiji on. a. charge of child desertion, came, up for sentence. The judge said be was satisfied that no jury would convict the woman,, and discharged her. As regards the mate accused, he said there was no use keeping people here who would be a charge upon the community. The man -was in. very bad health, aad he had committed a very bad offence. He was ordered to come' up for sentence when called upaa r and if he did not leave the country with his wife and child in reasonable time he would be sentenced. William: Whogan, alias Hogan, who married hisfirst wife in Tasmania and went through, a second marriage ceremony in "Auckland,, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment,, with hard labour. September 10. At the Supreme Court, on the motion of Mr J. R. B-eed, Mr Justice Edwards,, in Chambers, ordered a -new trial before, a special jury in tb? case HorsneH v* the Auckland Electric Tramways Com*panjv arising out of the Onehuraga tramway facility, on the ground t&&4:t-he> damages awarded in the first trial (£7oo> were excessive. NEW PLYMOUTH, September 13. At the Supreme Court to-day, John Brown Cathro, an elderly man, was charged with having indecently assaulted a 10-year-old child at Hawera. The jurydisagreed, and a new trial was ordered: for to-morrow. NAPIER, September 8. In. addressing the Grand Jury at the* opening of the Supreme Court cessions. Mr Justice Cooper congratulated the district on the marked absence of serious: crime. The calendar presented comprised only three cases — two forgery, and one* of misconduct against a Maori. John Smith pleaded " Guilty " to forgery, and was? sentenced to n-ina months' imprisonment. Daniel O' Boyle again stood his trial on acliarge of forgery at Dannevirke, and was acquitted. September 10. At the Supreme Court to-day an elderlyMaori named Epihi Teahu'was acquittedf on a charge of > rape and carnal knowledge*, of a Native girl under 16 years of agent Tikokino. September 13. Mr Justice Cooper to-day granted adecree nisi, to be made absolute in threemonths, in the divorce suit. Alice Colqnhoun v. Thomas Colqnhonir, contractor, of Weber, on th<» ground of desertion, WELLINGTON, September 8. The young married couple Kemptonv charged in the Supreme Court with making a false declaration when getting married in stating that the woman's age was 21, when she was actually 18, were found" not guilty. TIMARU, September 8. The Supreme Court sittings commenced? yesterday before Mr Justice Denniston. Moses Burgess and George Mostynr were each gewtenced to three monthsimprisonment for assault and robbery, and George Frederick Lewis, alias-, Blyth, to five years for' carnally knowine a girl under 16 years of age. The charge of perjury against Joseph: Matthews was adjourned till February, asan important witness for the Crown was unable to attend through illness. The Grand Jury threw out the bill againsfi Walter Coleman, charged with a criminal assault. In Divorce, his Honor granted a. decree nisi in the case of Carmichael v. Carmichael, in which petitioner applied! for a divorce on the grounds of desertion; The application of the licensee of theCrown Hotel, Geraldine, for a writ of mandamus against the Ashburton Licensing Committee to compel it to grant a' renewal of the license was referred to tha Court of Appeal.

It was reported at the Saffron Waldenl Board of Guardians that by teking 60 boarders from Croydqn and Hammersmith Unions into their workhou3e at 8a od p«r head per week they had mad© a net profit on the year of £300. Thieves have entered the famous cathedral of Capo'd'lstria, near Trieste, and <rot away with gold and silver sacerdotal ves«eh of the fifteenth and sixteenth oen« turies worth over £4000. In consequence of the sudden deaths "or his wife and two childen, Count George Esterhazy, after a distinguished military and diplomatic career, has entered a monastery at Innebruok.