SUPREME COURT.—Monday.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 85, 17 January 1872, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.— Monday.

CRIMINAL JURISDICTION. (Before Sir George Alfred Arney, Chief Justice.) Perjury. Charles Anderton was charged with having committed wilful and corrupt perjury against one Frederick William Manning, on the 23rd October last. The perjury for which the prisoner stood indicted is that, on the 23rd of October last, he swore before Charles Mellsop, J.P., as follows : —“ On the 15th October I was overhauling cattle in the bush, when I heard Manning, and a man named John Robertson, talking about shooting. I heard Manning offer John Robertson £2O to shoot Andrew McGcoch, who is my masterr. The shooting to come off last week. Manning was to be away at the time. This was nt Paparata, opposite Norrio’s bush. Robertson was to get the money as soon as he had done the deed. That Robertson replied, ‘ Yes, I will finish him.’”—Mr Brookfield, Mr Sheehan, and Air W. L. Itccs prosecuted : Mr Hcsketh and Air MacCormick appeared for the defence.—Thomas Robertson, clerk of the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Papakura, produced the information laid by McGcoch, which alleged that the prosecutor had on the day named, “ with gun loaded with leaden ball,” &c.. shot at the said McGeoch. The rest of the evidence in the prosecution contradicted the statement made by the defendant before the R.M. at Papnkura. The witnesses were subjected to a long cross-examination by Mr Ilesketh.— Anna Matilda Manning, wife of the prosecutor, stated that she remembered the 15th October. Her husband went out at 7 o’clock that morning with Bob to get some cattle up. lie came back about 12 o’clock. He went to bed, and Bob went to his v'hure. In about an hour witness and her husband went out to Burgess’s place, and returned about 5 o’clock. Bob never went out with her husband a second time that day. There were in the house at the time a rifle, a revolver, a musket, and a double-barrelled gun. They had been there all the week. The musket was loaded ; it bad been loaded about 24 years. The constable examined those arms afterwards. There was none of them discharged between the 15th and 22nd October. None of those arms could have been taken away without her knowing it.— Cross-examined by Mr Ilesketh : It was possible Bob might have been at allotment No. 3 on that day; but ho was working during the day a mile and a half away. Witness went on to state that her husband and McGeoch were not on friendly terms. McGeoch had wanted witness to marry his brother. McGeoch afterwards used offensive terms towards her husband. He (her husband) had once carried a revolver with him by her advice. lie was going to get a bullock which was at McGcoch’s, and she thought he might be kicked by McGcoch. Her husband was not a passionate man, nor ever had threatened her. He was very kind to her, and she had never any occasion to complain.—William Walker, in the Armed Constabulary at Papakura, recollected evidence being given of a stick which defendant sworeManninghad given to Bob. The stick produced is the same. Anderton was afterwards given in charge for perjury. When [Manning was taken into custody, McGeoch pointed out the spot where the shot was alleged to have been fired on the 17th. ■ It was somewhere on McGeoch’s own land. Witness could find no trace of any shot having been fired, although he made a careful search. After that he went to Manning’s house. He found a double-barrelled gun, rifle, revolver, and an old musket. The musket was loaded. The other arms were not loaded. The locks were very rusty. None of them had any appearance of having been fired off within four or five days. Nothing was said by McGeoch or the prisoner about the stick until the 23rd in Court. Heard nothing of any money being offered. Had never beard until the 23nl of any conversation in which Manning had offered £2O to Robertson to kill McGeoch. On searching prisoner winess found a document (Produced). Anderson was atMcGeoch’s on the night of the 19th, when witness and Constable Gann went into arrest Manning. Anderton never told witness about the stiok, or about £2O having been offered to Robertson. Anderton was not present when MeGeoch told witness what charge he had against Manning. Knew the nature of the country. It took them three hours to go from the place where the shot was fired to Manning’s house. — Cross-examined by Mr MacCormick : The way wc went took us three hours. We did not go the straight road, but through the bush. Thought they lost their way a bit. The Court was adjourned at six until ten o’clock next morning.