SUPREME COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 45, 15 August 1911, Page 5

SUPREME COURT.

CtHRISTOHURCH SESSIONS. JUDGE'S GRAVE MiMARKS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The Christchurch Supreme Court sittings opened to-day. Mr. Justice Dennistoii, in his charge to the Grand Jury, said the charges were not numerous and in some respects not serious, but he regretted that out of nine charges six were of a sexual character, and showed undoubtedly, not only the prevalence of that class of crime, imt a painfully prococious familiarity with vice on the part of young girls and children.

Robert Meaclein, Edward Stewart Agnew, and Samuel Ross, three Burnham absconders, were presented for sentence for the theft of a motor-car, the property of Dr. Browne. Ross was ordered to be sent back to the Burnham Industrial School, and the other two sentenced to three years' reformatory treatment.

Herbert Charles Wilkins, charged- with theft of money, was admitted to probation for six months, and ordered to pay a fine of £ 10. Cecil Herbert Jeffries, a youth who was already on probation for three ■ years, was presented l for having broken the tenms of his probation. His Honor said that the accused had shown himself unworthy of probation, and would have to be dealt with more severely. He would be sentenced to six months' imprisonment, and at- the expiration of that sentence would be detained for twelve months for reformative treatment.

Alexander William Ironside pleaded guilty to theft of £7OO, the property of the Public Trustee. Mr. Donnelly said the accused, who was only twentythree years of age, had l unfortunately been associated with those whose means were more than hi a own, and in his extravagance had fallen. Accused had paid back all the money which had been in his possession. He had also transferred back an equity in his house to the Public Trustee, ije had friends who were prepared to find work for him on a station in the country as soon as his sentence should have expired. The Crown Prosecutor said that the amount unreeovered was over £4OO. He could see no extenuation whatever lor the offence. The defalcations had taken place over a period of eighteen months, and on one occasion accused had destroyed all the records of the defalcation and the fact had only been discovered by the parties concerned making complaints to the Public Trustee. His Honor said that accused stood convicted of a gross offence. His age was the only thing in his favor. He would ho sentenced to imprisonment with hard labor for eighteen months. Archie Parker was acquitted on a charge of having had carnal knowledge of a girl under sixteen years of age. Mary Brown was charged that on April 17th she had disposed of the dead body of her child with intent to conceal the fact that she had been delivered of a child. The case for the prosecution was that prisoner had admitted having been delivered of a male child which was dead. She had thrown it into the Avon. A female child had been found in the Avon about that time. It might not have 'been the child of the accused, but that did not affect the fact that concealment of birth had taken place. Accused was convicted and sentence deferred pending , the decision by the Court of Appeal on law points raised.

WELLINGTON SESSIONS. Wellington, Monday. The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court opened this morning. Mr. Justice Chapman, in charging the Grand Jury, said that though there were a greater number of cases most were of an ordinary kind. There were some of :i iscrious nature, and one or two of an exceptionally shocking kind. He was sorry to see session after session the same feature in a, very marked degree, and, in a more marked degree than in some of the southern provinces, of cases ■of sexual erime. The severe sentences passed did not seem to reduce the cases. There had been boo many such cases, and there must be a very unhealthy state of affairs morally speaking. What was described by Mr. Justice Chapman as one of the most shocking eases that had been before the court was heard to-day, when Ray Lawton, 14 years of age, was charged with having committed rape on a girl of 15. The boy did not blame the girl. Accused said he was the son of a widow who was left with seventeen children. The boy was committed to an industrial school.

Wellington, Last Night. At the Supreme Court to-day, Arthur Vincent Evens pleaded guilty to eight charges of wilfully damaging plateglass windows, by scratching them with a diamond ring, and was remanded till Wednesday. William John McDean, a young married man. and Charles Leonard Brown, a mere youth, pleaded guilty to having broken into a hotel and a butchers' shop at Pahiatua and stolen goods and money. They were admitted to four years' probation, and ordered to pay ;C7 2s (id. the value of the goods not restored, and £5 each towards the cost of the prosecution. Julius Jnrgensen, a seaman from the barque Duwraig, pleaded not guilty to assaulting Charles Swanson, causing him actual bodily harm. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and the accused was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.

DUXEDIX SESSIOXS. Dunedin, Last Xight. The quarterly criminal sitting of the Supreme Court commenced to-day. The calendar consists of only three cascs—tlieft of a steer, theft of two live, pound notes, and of obtaining a small sum of money .by false pretences. The first of these, in which the accused was Richard Moore, jun., was not completed when the Court rose.

PALMERST'OX NORTH SESSIONS. Palmerston N., Last Night. The Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) began the sittings of the Supreme Court to-day to deal with eases left over from the unfinished l session. 0. P. Barry v. A. T. Barry, regarding the dissolution of partnership and the settlement of accounts between the brothers, occupied nearly all day, judgment being reserved. Til's Honor ordered that the accounts be referred to the Registrar of the Supreme Court.

The appeal of Norman Leslie Gurr. Banncvirke. against the decision of the Napier magistrate giving damages to H. fluhbie for failure to secure a loan, was heard. Judgment was reserved.