WANGANUI.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4465, 27 April 1883, Page 2

WANGANUI.

Yesterday. ll' The Supreme "Court sittings continue. The trial of Hatari R6i, for perjury;, re« suited in a Maori jury convicting him, but recommending to mercy. Sentence was postponed to next morning.—Paharame, for unlawfully wounding his wife, was also tried before a Maori jury and acquitted on the ground of insanity. The Chief Justice ordered him to be detained till the Colonial Secretary's pleasure was known. Both trials were conducted with* out difficulty, and the two Maori juries were intelligent, and their behaviour and verdict not distinguishable from Europeans under similar circumstances. Paharama challenged 15 of his countrymen to be enpanelled. The Chief Justice commented on JHatari Eio's case, of Duncan (the* lawyer), and McDonnell' (the interpreter) having allowed the prisoner to commit the,perjury in the Supreme Court,after the prisoner bad held them in Duncan's own office, intending to say what was not true in the hope of being paid for it. Colonel McDonnell made an explanation of his conduct in the matter which the Chief Jnstice deemed satisfactory to a certain extent, but he pointed out that Duncan's conduct remained unexplained. Duncan was not only the solicitor on record in the ejectment case, in which Hata Rio committed perjury, but was the counsel who called and examined in Court. The case of Phcabe Veitch, for child-mur* der, will be taken on Monday, counsel having been assigned .her by the government, Mr Hutchinson has been engaged to defend.

This day

In the Supreme Court, in the case against Hata Rio, for perjury, His Honor delivered sentence this morning. The prisoner is to be kept in gaol for six months. The charge against John Cooper Jowett, for carnally assaulting a girl nine years of-age, is now: proceeding.. 1t....i5..a most disgueting case.