SUPREME COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 310, 25 May 1911, Page 5

SUPREME COURT.

AUCKLAND SESSION'S. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Wednesday. Walter Francis Darby, a bankrupt merchant, whose case was recently before the Appeal Court, came up for sentence on seven charges of breach of the Bankruptcy Act, Mr. Justice Chapman said there was no evidence of fraudulent intent, but rather of recklessness, perhaps of carelessness. Taking into consideration what accused had already suffered, he imposed only the nominal penalty of two months' hard labor, which would date from the conviction, and therefore had been already served. Thomas McDonald, clerk in the Bank of New Zealand, charged with theft and falsifying a ledger, was sentenced to 18 months' hard labor. Frederick Thomas Martvn, for theft from vessels, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment on each of two charges and declared an habitual criminal. Charles Kiwi Wilkinson, a half-caste 'Maori, aged 18, and Charles Boyd, aged '2l, were sentenced for forgerv, uttering, and conspiracy to defraud, the former to eighteen months' reformatory treatment on one charge and to come up for sentence on the others, and Boyd to eighteen months' imprisonment.

HEAVY SENTENCES. Auckland, Last Night. At the Supreme Court this afternoon, John Andrew Showstrand. aged 4fl. a carpenter bv trade, who lives at Onelmnga, denied a charge of committing a criminal act on a nine-year-old son. Accused was undefended by counsel. The jury returned a verdict of guilty without retiring, and the prisoner was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, while on a further charge of incest, to which he pleaded guilty in the lower court, he was sentenced to a further ten years' imprisonment. WELLTNI iTON' SESSIONS. Wellington, Lost Night. The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court concluded to-day with the hearing of a charge of false pretences against a young man named William James (ieddvs hughes. It was alleged that Hughes borrowed sums totalling "CSO from two old people named Blake at Karori, representing that he would shortly receive money from property in Wales. Accused was found guilty, and sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment. DIVORCE COURT. Wellington, Last Night. Tn the Divorce Court, decrees nisi were granted in the case of Ellen Wiseman v. Ernest Wiseman, desertion; William Langfonl v. Florence Langford and Noah Morgan (co-respondent.), adultery; Caroline Forrest Stapleton v. Percival Ernest Stapleton. drunkenness, cruelty and adulters: and Herbert Montague Rosenberg v. Ada Rosenberg, adultery.