SUPREME COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 13, 9 February 1909, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

ACCKFiAXU SESSIONS. % Telegraph.—Preaj Ajsaociation. i. .... Auckliiiul, .Monday. I 'Mi'.v I'lullip ]lurry, n|„, nliadtj guilty to Imving stolen .t'WKI Jrom H.M. ..iwtuin# «•«„ scmumichl iu eighteen month.-.' imprisonment. At the Supreme Court .lame* (Jutes !-i), and \\ ilM;iin (tales flilf>. uiTc hOt- }<» inrivc ;in»l arx mouths' imj'nsiHiiiH'iii resped ivi-ly inr breaking < Ml entering ,uiil ihel't.

AN r\T,NCAL CASK. Auckland, Luh A! t lie criminal sittings of tlu* *upreme Court to day, a youth named » oarles Stewart Legg<» wa.s brought up oa two charges of theft from the Post Office, I'oromandel. Couusel for the accused {.Mr. I'.iirl) designated the affair as being .onicthing like a burlesque of (•nine. Legge, a youth of barelv l!), cmployed in tin- Post Oiliee, had through slider mental ineapaeity got his money accounts mixed, and had conceived the idea of having a burglary to dear the situation. He had, in fact, talked about this impending burglary ia quite an open manner, and had discussed the probable results of il eveu with his chief, and then came one burglary itself, the loss of C.'l!) odd, and tin* subsequent admission of the prisoner that he had put the money in u kerosene tin down the garden. Tin; prisoner liad at all times been dull-witted. Taken in as a letter-carrier, he liad shortly been put in charge of a counter, and was entrusted with tiie payment of old-age pensions, amounting to .t'42o a month, mentally to find himself several pounds out in his accounts, and apparently the only way he saw out of it was the fantastic one of holding a burglary. His Honor considered the case before him was clearly so unusual and different from the average offence that he did not to send the prisoner to gaol. He would be convicted and ordered to appear for sentence when required, besides being called upon to pay the costs of the prosecution forthwith, £2 14s.

WKLLIXCTON SESSIONS. ASSAULTINCi A GAOLER. Wellington, Monday. ■ Joseph Normiau, who last week was found guilty of assaulting Jfr. Alexander Armstrong, gaoler, at Wellington, was to-day sentenced to three years' imprisonment. Mr. Justice Cooper said that lie intended to nsk that formal inquiry be made into tho prisoner's imealal condition.

rillHST£imiOH SESSIONS. Clirfeteliureh, Lawt Xight. The case in which Win. .lames pletided not guilty to » charge of having broken and entered a butcher's shop at Addington and stolen a loin of mutton was partially heard. Richard Walter Walflmrton. ajjed (Ml, was found guilty of '!he theft of clothing from the CaverMiiivni ITotel, and was sentenced to six •months' imprisonment.