SUPREME COURT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 176, 18 August 1909, Page 2

SUPREME COURT

.WELLINGTON SESSIONS. By Telegraph.— Press Association. Wellington, August 17'. In the Supreme Court Ernest King, for theft, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, anil William John Noman, for a series of thefts, to eighteen months' imprisonment. "PROFESSIONAL VAGS." HEAVY SENTENCES. Wellington, Last Night. George Quinn, Donald Wilson and Joseph Keen were convicted of stealing 30s from a till at Kilbirnie. His Honor Air. Justice Chapman asked what was known of. the prisoners before the Court, and Air. Alyers replied that tbey were all "professional vagrants." His Honor said lie did not intend to draw any distinction between the prisoners, and he thought it would be better in the interests of the community that they should be withdrawn from association with the general public for a time. The prisoners were sentenced each to' three months imprisonment, a:id warned that if matters went on with th'.m in this way it would lead to their conviction as indeterminate criminals. The prisoner Keen remarked: "The sentence is a good start, your Honor."

CHRISTOHUKCH SESSIONS. " Christcliurch, Last Night. 'At the Supreme Court, Jennings Shaw pleaded not guilty to a charge of perjury, alleged to have been committed by him in the Magistrate's Court in denying that he had travelled by a certain tram on a certain date, and had used obscene language and assaulted the conductor. The jury, after an hour and a half's retirement, brought, in a verdict of guilty, with a recommendation to mercy. Sentence was deferred till a similar charge against accused's brother was decided.

John Williams' Smith pleaded not guilty to a charge of having made a false declaration finder the Justices of the Peace Act. Smith had got an advance on pawn tickets, in respect to which he later made a declaration before a Justice of the Peace that he had lost thein. When the person who had advanced the money and had possession of the pawn tickets went to redeem the medals, which had been pawned, he found they had been unliftcd. Accused admitted the facts, but, through his' counsel, argued that the declaration was not a valid one within the Justices ot the Peace Act, 1908, as the form on which it had been made was not in accordance with form 50, in that the words "and by virtue of the Justices of III? Peace Act, IMS," were omitted from it. Tile jury, by direction, brought in ;: verdict of guilty, and the legal point was reserved for the Court of Appeal. Accused was released in his' own recognisance of £25.

DITNEDIX SESSIOXS. Dunedin, Lust Xight. tA the Supreme Court to-day, Reginald Babcr was acquitted on a charge of breaking and entering a dwelling at Highcliff with intent to steal, and W. Luby -was acquitted on a charge of being a rogue and vagabond. Louis Morris, a bankrupt, was charged with failing to keep proper books of account sufficient to set forth liis business transactions and disclose his true financial position. The acting Crown Prosecutor stated that an examination of accused's books' showed there wetc practically n o entries in the ledger. There had been ;io systematic attempt to keep cash books, no journal, and the whole of the books were incomplete. Evidence showed that the book*; had not Wen properly kept, and that it was impossible for any accountant to discover accused's position from them. Counsel for the defence contended that accused had been misled by his accountant, thinking that the latter was keepjig the books up to date The jury, after a retirement of an hour and a-hulf, returned a verdict of guilty. Sentence was not passed.