SUPREME COURT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 60, 12 March 1913, Page 5

SUPREME COURT.

NAPIER SESSIONS

(Per Press Association.) ~ ~ Napier, March 11. At th& iSupremO Court this afternoon, Charles Kingston was found guilty pftlhaving, on December 26, assaulted a young woman named Eleanor Watson at Otane, with intent to commit a crime. Sentence was deferred until Friday next.

Mahanga Haora was admitted to probation for eighteen months on a charge of theft j.JHarry Mclntosh Murison was allowed twelve months probation 7 bn a charge' of supplying a girl with a noxious drug. In the latter case, His Honor said the prisoner behaved ‘straightforward throughout and married the girl. It was the only one case on record in New Zealand where probation had been granted for such offence. Charles Kingston was found guilty of assault with intent, and was remanded for sentence.

NEW PLYMOUTH SESSIONS. Considerable interest attached to a will case heard at the Court yesterday. The main point at issue was whether advances in cash and kind made by a father to his son could be considered as a gift or a loam The father died and in a will left a portion of his estate to the son in question, and the executors contended that the advances were really debts and should, therefore, be deducted from the son’s share in the paternal estate. Another action saw father ranged against son in a claim for £439 9s 7d, arising out of an agreement to work a farm on half shares. His Honor, Mr Justice Denniston, in classing it as a domestic quarrel, said it would be far better for the parties concerned to settle it amicably between themselves, without entailing the expense or publicity of Court pioceedings. After consultation between counsel and parties retired from the body of the Court, and on returning, announced that a settlement had been arrived at.

The outstanding feature in another case, in which a woman sought relief under the Family Protection Act, was the fact that a deceased man had bequeathed the whole of his property to his next of kin, but completely overlooked his wife. Failing the discovery of the benficiaries named, he directed that the money should go to a public institution. The Courl directed that certain provision should lie made for the widow.

In the case in which Arthur E. K Collins applied for an annulment of his bankruptcy, His Honor went ouf of his way to congratulate the bankrupt on having within a comparatively short time of liis bankruptcy, paid his creditors in full. It would be a pleasurable duty ho commented, to grant such orders every day in the week— Nows.