SUPREME COURT.

Southland Times, Issue 883, 17 January 1868, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

- A session of the exfended to drilyorie sittiug, was held in the Provincial Council Cliainber, on Wednesday, 15th * inst., ; His H>nor Mr Justice Chapman,- the presiding judge on the occasion, took his seat at 10 a.m. The following gentlemen ' composed the GramT Jury:— Messrs CaWer (foreman), T. Watson, F. Nutter,"' J. RosS," F. Moore, W. Woo 4, __a.-- Perry, D. M'Donald, D. M' Arthur, J. H. T, Baker, A. T. Adamson, and Jatnes Blacklock. His Honor, in charging the Grand Jury, stated, with his usual lucidity, the points of law relative to the defence sat up in the only case before the_ Court, that-oi-Regiaa^T.-Boofchf forhorse stealing, the plea, entered on behalf- of prisoner being that he was insane. - -v. ; After a few^ffiinutcF absence, the Grand Jury returned with a true bill. . The^prisoner was then brought to the bar, and ;•" the : following petit iury impaneled.:— Messrs J. ' Wilson (foreman), J. Watdie, G. Goodwillie, D. Andjr ;on, R. Fisher,' C. Humphreys, J. Stewart, ;: : W. Sheldrick, J. King, J. Wjlie, W. Keith, and C. Douglass. ~~ TBTprisoner, who was defended by Mr Harvey,- --: .pleaded not guilty. -J ■ Mr Macdonald, Crown Prosecutor, stated: the ' ca3e to the Court, which was to the effect thatthe , prisoner, John Bush, did, on the 27th December 1 last, steal a mar,e and foal, the property of: one ■ Thomas O'Brien. _. , . -• ' : /" Foi- the prbsecntion, several witnesses were ek-'^•ammedj-who clearly proved the ownership of , the mare and foal, ixnd their being wrongfully in ■ possession of prisoner ; he having, on being ; questione J by them with regard to her, given evasive and contradictory replies. • Martin, Connor, constable, deposed to having _arrested_<ihe prisoner at the Dome Pass, sixty ~" Iniles from town, with the mare in his possession. > , To" this witness prisoner also stated that he had \ bought the mare, aud pvoduqed a scrap of. paper * "with" a memorandum of sale written on it, but not ' 9igned by anyone. > " - ' , Mr Harvey, for the defence, stated that the plea * on behalf of prisoner was simply that he was insane wlien he commitled the theffe. ' Six or seven -witnesses^ were called, and. from ' their evidence it appeared pretty plain that the prisoner had been for some considerable period, if- \, not quite mad, at least very far from beiug sane. * His Honor having summed up the evidence ■ with great, care and discrimination, the jury 5 retired. After half- an hour'sabsenco they again " came into Court, with a verdict of Not G-uilty, ' the prisoner having been, in their opinion, insane at the time he committed the offence/ ■-. ■ ; His Honor said the order of the. Court would L -be-fchtrtrthe-pi-isoner be detained so long as the *' Governor in Council migW direct. Meantime, * he would be subjected to proper medical treat- ' ment. " < — Tue .Court adjourned sine die..