Supreme Court.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7078, 25 February 1893, Page 1

Supreme Court.

(By Tblbgbaph.) NAPIER, Feb. 24. James Beardon, charged with assaulting Robert Docherty with & tomahawk, was found not guilty. Out of sixteen cases already heard, this is the only case in which the jury have returned a verdict of “not guilty." One prisoner remains to be tried. The criminal business of the Supreme Court was conol uded to d ay. James Beardon ■ charged with unlawfully wounding at Danevirke, was acquitted. Benjamin Goodman, charged with larceny as a bailee, also got off. A peculiar point was partly argued to-day. Yesterday a man was charged with stealing a cheque for £2O. When be stole it he bought some boots at Hannah’s, getting the balance in cash. He then went to the office of Mr Wastney, solicitor. He was out, but the man told the clerk that be would be arrested for stealing the cheque, and deposited £lO for bis defence, leaving instructions for Mr Wastney to see him in gaol if be were arrested. Mr Wastney thought he had better not appear under the circumstances, and another solicitor was engaged in the Resident Magistrates Court. The Justices admitted the evidence of Mr Wastney’s olerk, despite a legal protest that the communication was privileged. In the Supreme Court the prosecution again tendered this evidence, and the Chief Justice rated that it was not privileged, and decided to admit it. The prisoner thereupon pleaded guilty. To-day Mr Sainsbury, on behalf of Alexander Grant, drawer of the cheqne, and from whom it was stolen, applied that the £lO in Mr Wastney’s hands 'and the balance of cash found on the prisoner should be handed over to Grant. His Honour said that if the cheque had not been cashed he would have made an order, bat it was now questionable ae to whom the money properly belonged, and the application was adjourned.