SUPREME COURT, TIMARU.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1277, 13 December 1884, Page 3

SUPREME COURT, TIMARU.

CRIMINAL SE3SION. (Before His Honor Mr Justice Johnston.) The following is the business transacted on Thursday and Friday Ust : MAKING AND UTTERING SPURIOUS COIN. J. C. Bedman and G. 0. Bedman, father and son, were charged with having on Sept. 6th last made and uttered spurious coin.

Mr.O'Meagher, of Oamaru, appeared for the defence.

Mr White stated the case as follows :

On Saturday evening, the 6th September, the younger prisoner went into the store of D. Mitchell, and bought an article, for which he tendered in payment a coin resembling a half-sovereign. On receiving the coin Mitchell's suspicions were aroused, and he questioned the boy, who then made a statement to the effect that his father had got it from the Bank. Mitchell kept the coin, but before going away the boy said, "If there is any dispute about it, I will take it back ou Monday." On the same Saturday evening the younger prisoner passed two other spurious half-sovereigns at two different stores in payment for goods. It would be disclosed in evidence how these coins were traced, and the police would also give an account of a search they had made in the housej and what articles had been found there.

The case, however, broke down. The Sergeant of Police stated he got the coin marked with, a cross from Mitchell, the coin marked : with a T from Opie, and another from Hughes. When these witnesses came to be examined they reversed the order of things. The Judge pointed out the discrepancy, but Mr White said the mistake had arisen through the Sergeant having mixed up the halfeovereigns. His Honor, addressing the jury, said that whatever the real merits of the case might be, the prosecution could not now ask for a conviction. Two witnesses had sworn that they had been in possession of the same coin at the same time. With regard to the coin identified by last witness, there was no trace or connection between that coin and the one the prisoners were charged with passing. At all events two witnesses had distinctly contradicted each other. It was, therefore, their duty to return a verdict of not guilty. The jury accordingly did so, and the prisoners pleading not guilty to the other two charges, a similar verdict was returned on each charge. His Honor, in addressing the prieoners, said ; —lt is very seldom thit I say much to persons who are acquitted, but nobody who has heard this trial can but be convinced that the position of both of you has been one of a most perilous kind. There was a very strong suspicion on your having commenced a career of crime of the most dangerous character. I bebelieve both in the vigilance and ability Of the police in the district, and I trust that this, combined with the public feeling on the subject of failure of justice torday, will protect society from the establishment among them of a nest of coiners, who are about the most dangerous class that can exist in a community. Ido not often talk this way about people who have been acquitted, but I feel perfectly justified in doing so in the present instance. The prisoners were then discharged. EMBEZZLEMENT.

David Taylor was charged with embexzling the sura of 7s 6d on the 29th November, 1883, the property of his employers, Messrs Siegert and Fauvel, storekeepers at Temuka, Mr Hamersley defended the prisoner, who pleaded not guilty. It will be remembered this case was before the Court at the June sessions, and as the jury could not agree the case was allowed to stand over till this session.

The| following jury was empanelled : —Jas. Shepherd (foreman), T. W. Leslie, S. Tasker, Jap. Boys, G. E. Ansley, Geo. Nott, W". Turton, Geo. La wry, E. Kidwill, W. Gilchrist, Jno. Scott, and W. Clarke.

This case has been so frequently reported in these columns that it is unnecessary to do so again. After hearing the, evidence, the jury retired, and, as they were unable to agree at 10.30 o'clock, they were locked up all night. At 10 o'clock on Friday morning the] jury returned into Court with a verdict of "not guilty." The announcement was received with applause by the people in the body of the Court. This, however, was at once suppressed, and the prisoner was discharged. STEALING FKOM A DWELLING. James Dyer, in whose case sentence was deferred on last Wednesday until the Judge had considered the point with regard to the stealing of a valueless cheque, was brought up, and sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labor.