SUPREME COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 302, 16 May 1911, Page 5

SUPREME COURT.

WELLINGTON SESSIONS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Monday. The criminal sessions opened to-day at the Supreme Court. In his charge to the grand jury, his Honor the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) mentioned that there were nineteen prisoners committed for trial, but none of the cases were of a very serious kind. Unfortu-' nately there were no less than Ave sexual cases, and he regretted that interference with little children by young men and old men was not uncommon throughout i New Zealand, a fact which was a great disgrace to our civilisation. The sentencing of a young man named Frederick Hunter on a charge of indecent assault was deferred till Wednesday. Wellington, Last Night. At the Supreme Court to-day, Charles Gurote, cab-driver at Masterton, was convicted of theft of chaff. Prisoner, against whom there are eighteen previous convictions, was remanded for sentence till Friday. Three young men, named Michael O'Brien, Frank Voss and Thomas Lane were charged that on April 18th at Wellington they stole 3s in money and two railway luggage receipts from the person of Leonard David McCracken, and further that they stole a gladstone bag and contents thereof (clothing, etc.). All three accused pleaded not guilty. The case had not concluded when the court rose for the day. AUCKLAND SESSIONS. Auckland, Monday. In the Supreme Court Gertrude Gardner sued Frederick William Shephard Eaton, claiming £5Ol damages for breach of promise of marriage. The parties met in London at the beginning of last year, and were engaged to be married. On March 13 Eaton came to New Zealand, and Miss Gardner followed a few months later, arriving in November. In January of this year defendant told her he had ceased to love her, and admitted that he was married in December. The jury awarded £3OO damages.

DUXEDIN .SESSIONS. Dunedin, Monday. In the Supreme Court Robert James Cant pleaded guilty to the theft of £lo9< from the Union Steamship Company, by whom he was employed as paymaster of casual hands at Port Chalmers. It was stated that he married when not flnan-' cially able to do so, and borrowed at usurious interest to pay for his furniture, and took the company's moneys to pay private debts. He was admitted to probation for two years, and ordered to pay the costs, £B. John Aloysius Campbell was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment on three charges of theft from the Bank of Australasia. Prisoner, who had been addicted to gambling and horse-racing, was in receipt of a salary of £2OO a year from the bank. Dunedin. Lust, Night. Robert Young pleadeil not guilty to a charge of committing perjury at Oamaru on February 11 when charged with committing an indecent net. in a street. The jury returned a verdict of not £»uiltv. Annie Margaret McKay, aged 17, was brought up for sentence on a charge of theft from a postal packet, from which she extracted a bangle, and Chas. Edward McKay, aged 10, was brought up for sentence on a charge of opening the postal packet. He saw a registered packet in the post office, opened it, and tied it up again without taking anything. The father of both accused was a ganger at Hillgrove, and kept the post olnce. The male accused was fined £5 and ordered to be kept in custody until the fine was paid, the term not to exceed two months. The girl was ordered to come up for sentence when called on. Thomas Ross pleaded guilty to a chanre of attempting to steal gold tailings valued at £23 at Munro's Gully, and was remanded for sentence to allow evidence of character to be called. John Holland and William Qnan were acquitted on a charge of stealing a bicycle, the jury being of opinion that though the machine was taken away there was no intention of theft.