SUPREME COURT.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 249, 24 March 1888, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

(Before His Honor Mr Justice Gillies.) Si.rious Ch.uigks. — Archibald Douglas, aa elderly man of respectable appearance, was charged that he did, on the 13th of February last, supply to Annie May McMerney a noxious mixtuie, to wit, tincture of perchloride of iron —to procure abortion. There was a second count, charging prisoner with giving a noxious thing with intent to procure a miscarriage. — Prisoner, who pleaded "not guilty," was defended by Mr Theo. Cooper. A large amount of evidence was taken, and went to show that the prisoner was in the habit of calling upon two servant girls named Mary McMerney and Elizabeth Porter at a washhouse belonging to their employer, Mr Simpson, of Waipu. The prisoner approached the prosecutrix in the first instance with pictures, which were followed by gifts of fruit and offers of kisses, whicix in due course were followed by the alleged offence. — Evidence was given by Mary McMerney, Dr. Caroian, Elizabeth Porter, Detective McGrath and Mr Pond, analyst, Drs. Hooper, Knight, and A. 0. Murray. There was a conflict amongst the medical men as to the effect of a prescription given by the accused to the prosecutrix, Dr. Murray going so far as to express a conviction that the prescription was a proper one to be given for amenuera, and that it would not be harmful if given as prescribed to a healthy woman.—Counsel having addressed the Court at length, and His Honor having; summed up, the jury retired to conside their verdict. After half -an -hour's deliveration, the juij returned a verdict o£ "Guilty." Mr Cooper asked His Honor, in passing sentence, to take into consideration the extreme old age of the prisoner — 71 years— and the fact that ho had hitherto borne an unblemished character. He had testimonials signed by many of the iirsb residents in Dunedin, and could be dealt with under tho First Oft'endoia' Probation Acb. — His Honorsaid there was no necessity to put in the testimonials. He wa sorry to say that he had known the prisoner for many years himself. Addressiug the prisoner, His Honor said: "Archibald Douglas, you have been found • guilty ' by the verdict of the jury of the offence with which you aie charged, and I do not see how they could have coma to any other conclusion. lam very sorry to see you in such a position, having known you so long as a respectable man, and I cannot understand, what has misled you to the commission of such an offence, which, together with the surrounding circumstances, shows that you are possessed of some morbid feelings. Were you a younger man I would most certainly give you the full penalty allowed by law, two years' hard labour, but in considoration of your old age and hitherto respectable character, I will mako the sentence a3 light as possible, and I only fear that I am making it too light. You are sentenced to six months' imprisonment* without hard labour."

The King of Spain, who is seventeen months olcT, gots £200,000 a year, a fr«© nurse, and free passes on all railroads*