SUPREME COURT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2265, 10 October 1891, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

Wanganui, Oct. 7. Caroline E. Payman was charged at the Supreme Court this morning with the murder of Emily Kate Spicer, and pleaded not guilty. A. J. Parsons, W. Kinnard, Henry Charles Meehan (to whom deceased was engaged), and Drs limes, Connolly, and Earl were examined. Their evidence. was identical with that giyon by thQiu, at th©, Coroner*s inquest. The Court adjourned at 5.30, leaving the case for the prosecution not much more than half finished. . . Oct, 8. When the Supreme Court re-assembled at 10 this morning the case for the prosecution against Caroline Peyman, charged with the' murder of Emily Kate Spicer, was continued. Dr Tripe, the nurse, Sergant-Major Anderson (who arrested prisoner), the gaoler, B. M. Gaterley, and B. S. Durham, were all examined without anything new being elicited. At the conclusion of Dr Tripe’s evidence an argument took place between counsel as to 1 the admissibility of the deceased’s dying deposition, Mr Hogg, for the defence, grounding his objections on the faint hope of recovery in deceased’s mind when the declaration was made. His Honour ruled that the deposition was admissible, At 12.36 a juror fainted and the court adjourned for lunch. On reassembling the deceased’s deposition read, which gave a minute description of the operations alleged to have been performed by the accused for producing abortion. At thb conclusion of the case for the Crown prisoner was placed in the box and made a long statement. She said that the deceased eame to her house once or twice before May 24. She gave her name as Copley, and told prisoner that she was enciente, and that her lover was not in a position to marry her. Deceased told the prisoner that she knew a nurse who told , her many things, and amongst them of P women she knew who had brought raisoarrriages on themselves without the aid of medicines. She saw deceased again on the afternoon of May 24, when the latter toldher what she had been doing,and that she had also been to see the nurse she had „ mentioned whose name prisoner did not know. She complained of pains in the abdomen, and after some conversation i accused made an examination which she described minutely. She found signs of miscarriage coming on-and told her to go to her mother’s. Deceased seemed pleased and left the house. - Prisoner next eayr her pa the following Tuesday, 26tb,

sitting inker (prisoner’s) house when the latter returned from town. She was looking exceedingly ill, and prisoner put her to bed where she remained until her death. Each day’s proceedings to the 4th June, the day after death, were given in detail, and deceased’s antipathy shown before the doctors just prior to death, the prisoner said arose from the fact that the latter had told the doctor all the details, that deceased was unmarried, etc, against her will. At the conclusion of a long statement, the court adjourned until 10 to-morrow, the sick juror having got slightly worse. New Plymouth, Oct. 8.

Tha criminal sittings opened to-day The Court was occupied nearly all day. hearing a case of breaking and entering against W. Barnard, well known in sporting circles. Mr Jellicoe defended the prisoner. The jury retired, but have not yet brought in their verdict. Leon Jacquese was admitted to probation, having been convicted of cattle stealing. H. Bayley, a lad about 15 years old, was convicted of rape on a little girl. Sentence was deferred.

Invercargill, Oct, 7.

The last case on the Supreme Court list was Rooney v. the Corporation of Gore, a claim for £SOO for injuries and loss sustained by plaintiff’s wife falling into an open ditch in a street and breaking her leg. Plaintiff sought to hold defendants liable because the ditch became overgrown with vegetation, so as to be undistinguishable. It was shown, however, that the woman had frequently passed over a cart crossing on it, and must have been aware of the existence of the cutting. A verdict was returned for the Corporation.