POLICE COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 14, 17 January 1903, Page 2

POLICE COURT.

Friday, January 16th.— Bufore Mr E. j L. Stanford, S.M. j ; A SERIOUS CASE. Walter Smith was charged, on remand (1) Tnat at Moturoi, on Ddcembir 11, 1902, he set fire to a fen*, the property of Gsorge Thomas Ince; and (2) with causing actual bodily hirm to Gaorge Thomas Ince. Aicu-.ed has remanded from ■ime to time, bail being allowed ia two sureties.

Mr T. S. Weston (Weston and Wcs ton) app.-ared for the accused.

Woen tli) case was ca'led on Sergeant H -ddiell iuformecl His Worship that lih d. sited to call in dical evidence as to luc»'s state, as the man was raported to bd sinki )g, and in that case ha desired to oppose oail to Smith, as a mo.e serious chirga would probably have to ba hid against him. S;rge\nt Haddrell theu called

D/ . L utliam, hospitil surgeon, «ho stated that ho attended Ince first at the j institution e.rly on the morning of December 12 h. Ince w.*s severo'y burned over the while of both legs, i)k> burns extending to tho lower part of the body, One of tho hinds was also burned. The burns were classified as of the third degree, the injuries to he tissues being deep. Ince had be.'n under treatment evdr since ; he maintained his strength fairly widltiil th'ee weeks ago, since whiuli time he had b9fln gradually filling.boil physically arid mentally. A week ago it was apparent to witness th it luce was going t.) die. He was not no>v likaly to lis', many hours, He might last 24 hou-s, but it was unliki-ly. The m<mtal feebleness from whir-h he had suffered for some wteks hud lapsed into a state of unconsciousness,

By His Worship: lnce coul-I r.ot hnvj given any avidono for Boau weeks, as his mental sttte would not pjirni'. if .

By Mr Weiton: lnce was a man of frail consti l ution.

Sergeant Haddiell paid that should tbe uwn die the chargo would resolve itsjlf into one of murder, and he would therefore ask that the accused be re manned till Monday and that bail be refused. Mr Weston said the ma'.t.r of bail was iu the discretion of his Worship, and he did not think at the preeeut juncture that bail shmld bo refused. To * imprison the nun simply meuit taking his maans of livelihood from him. Toere wat, he pointed out, no chance of aicus d escaping. His Wbisbip thought ihat owing to the altered of the cise he ought to 1 efuse bail. He would make a short remand till Monday next, Sergeant Hiddrell said he wmlj bi able to proceed partly with the evidence on Monday. In reply to his Worship Sergeant Haddrell said that in the event of lnce .dying before Monday the pilice would alter the chargo to murder and procsad \vith tha evidencaon thai chirga.

The accused was theu remanded in custody till Monday at 10,30.

I locedied at the Hospi'al at 2 o'clock oj Fr day afternoon. An inqu sl will be h Id this morning.