SUPREME COURT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 246, 17 October 1872, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SESSIONS. , (Before Mr Justice Chapman.) October 7. LARCENY AS A B ULEE. Bichard Chapman ISvatt was indicted ior larceny as a bailee in Dunedin, in that he took the sum: of L2OO, the property of John Roberts and others.. The prisoner pleaded guilty. Sentence deferred; . • • •' ■ ALLEGED HORSE STRALTNG. ' George * s inclair was indicted for stealing;* horse, the property of Thomas Harruod, farmer. Tomahawk. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. Mr, Stout appeared for the prisoner." [A full 'report of the evidence was given wjim proceedings were taken in the Mayor's Court.] " The prosecutor 'did not see the horse .from 'June 25th, 1871, until he claimed it from Fraser in the' streets of Dunedin. The prisoner had sold the horse to Smith, at the livery stables, who sold it to Fraser. — Mr Stout contended that the length of time that had elapsed* tince the horse had been missed- rendered the charge of stealing untenable. — His Honor, in charging the jury, said -it was a case of strong suspicion, but the question of recent possession must bet aken into consideration. He thought lie need hardly^ •ay-that a person should not be convicted on mspicion, Verdict, sot guilty. '.

l • , LARCENY. ' Samuel Holly was charged with stealing L 53 in bank notes and eleven ounces of gold, • valued at L4l ss, from the house of R. Watson, Arrowtown The piisoner pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to two years' imi prisonment with hard labor. ILLEGALLY AT LARGE AND LARCENY. Frederick Plummer was charged with being illegally at larjze, and with having 1 been guilty of committing five separate lar- ! cenies, which were s*t out. The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and asked for time to prepare his defence. The case was postponed to Wednesday morning. ARSO2*. William Duffy was indicted for having, at Clyde, on September 8, wilfully set fire to a house, with inteut to injure one — Osborne. Mr Stout defended. The t-hort facts of the case are these:— The prisoner was living at Clyde, and separate from his wife, who also resided there, and occupied the house that was burned down. The separation dated from about six months ago, and resulted from prisoner's drunken habits. On the Bth September, which was a Sunday, he was also drunk, tie was seen by a neighbor named Alex. Joss, who occupied the house next to Mrs Duffy's, shortly before two o'clock that morning, afid was then knocking violently at the door of the latter's hut. Joss remonstrated with him, and after a few words between them he went away, but subsequently returned, and again commenced knocking, but not so violently as before. Joss, being in another room of his house from the one from which he had previously observed Duffy, did not see what he did afterwards ; but he stated in evidence that he was certain that it was Duffy's footsteps he had heard shortly afterwards returning from Mihe hut, and going in the direction of his own house. Almost immediately afterwards a cry of fire was raised, and Mrs Duffy's house was found to be in flames. When Joss first observed Duffy, no light of any kind was visible in the hut. Among the neighbors who assisted at the fire, was one Wm. Grindley, and he having occasion to go to a water race to get an additional supply of water to put it out, found Duffy there, with bis back towards the fire, and muttering to himself. He, however, overheard him say, ''You you are blazing away ; I made you blaze." A circumstance from which the jury were asked to infer the prisoner's guilt, was that at the time of the discovery of the fire, he returned to his tent with a clock, which was identified as being Mrs Duffy's property, and ns having been in her possession a short time before. The jury, after 25 minutes' retirement, returned a verdict of not guilty, and the prisoner was discharged. The Court then adjourned till to-morrow, when the trial of John Batty, for sheepstealing, and Thomas Borland, for assault, will take place.

LARCENY. ' Samuel Holly was charged with stealing L 53 in bank notes and eleven ounces of gold, valued at L4l ss, from the house of R. Watson, Arrowtown The piisoner pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labor.