SUPREME COURT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2363, 31 May 1892, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

Auckland, May 30. The indictments are fewer than the average, the only important cases being the charges of murder, in which prisoner pleads a defence, and of perjury against a Maori. Wellington, May 30. The Court list contained twenty-two names, Imt the charges are all of the usual order except the Eketahuna murder case which will be retried. Joseph Rhodes pleaded guilty to forgery at Blenheim, and was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment with hard labor. Christchurch, May 30. The Criminal Session opened this morning before Mr Justice Dennistoun. His Honor in his charge dwelt at length on the facility afforded for cashing cheques, and said that he was sick and tired of speaking about it. _ Noth with standing all that he had said on thesubject there were no less than seven cases of cashing forged cheques. A peculiar feature was that the cheques were cashed for persons who were perfect strangers to the publicans or tradesmen who cashed them. It seemed to him that .my person willing to undergo imprisonment could get a cheque cashed anywhere. It was a wrong state of things, and put the community to great expense, and almost made one regret that there were no means of punishing those who are so reckless in cashing cheques. There was no reason whatever why a tradesman should not make a person presenting a cheque prove its genuineness. If loss was entailed on the tradesmen it was not sufficient to deter them continuing their reckless practice. Anything he might, say would not have that effect. His Honor then recited the facts in connection with one case, showing the facilities which existed for changing a cheque, and said that the system was simply intolerable.

George Clino, a boy, charged with larceny from a dwelling, pleaded guilty, and got six months. Michael Ford pleaded guilty to the charge of forging and uttering cheques, and got twelve months’ hard labor. Joseph Hudson pleaded guilty to forging and uttering, and sentence was deferred pending the Probation Officer’s report.