SUPREME COURT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 39, 16 February 1914, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

CHKISTCHURCH SESSIONS. [Per Press Association. 1 Christchurch, February 16. Mr Justice Uenniston sentenced the prisoners concerned in the Custom; frauds, cases. He said the prisoner: had pleaded guilty to a series of deliberate frauds against the Custom? and employers also admitted that thev were guilty of a large number o! similar frauds, extending over : period of years and not included in the charges. It was clear that the system by which the frauds became possible had been in existence foi ■many years. Addressing John MeCormick, Customs clerk, the Judge said that the frauds traced to him in conjunction with C. R. Smith amounted to £4673. It appeared certain that the frauds went beyond three years. John Hih had been in the service 17 years and was responsible for misappropriationsamounting to £2500 during the last three years. He was the owner of property of considerable value, the source of which was not explained. MeCormick and Hill were each sen fenced to three years' imprisonment Ernest Walter Wood, responsible for the misappropriation of-£2500 in three years, spent it in self-indul-gence. He was sentenced to two vears.

Other sentences were :—James Campbell, Hugh Owen, Francis Leigh, eighteen months; C. R, Smith, twelve months. George Francis, who offended for a brief period only, was under severe temptation. He was ordered to come up for sentence when called on. Mr Justice Denniston added that he would recommend that Wood, Campbell, Owen, Leigh and Smith, be sent to prison camps. AUCKLAND SESSIONS. Auckland, February 16. In the case Minnie Trewin Young, a woman charged with setting fire to a billiard room at Huntly, Justice Cooper said it had been represented she was driven by ill-treat-ment from her home by her husband, was betrayed by another man, and again was led astray by the owner of the billiard room. It was an extremely sad case. He did not want to senel the woman to gaol, and placed her in the hands of the Salvation Army. Subsequently, His Honor gave the woman some advice privately in the presence of counsel.