SUPREME COURT.

Waikato Argus, Volume III, Issue 213, 23 November 1897, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

(IJY TELEGRAPH—OWN CORRESPONDENT). Auckland, Last Night. The Supreme Court criminal sessions opened to-d ly. His Honor, addressing the Grand Jury, said he did not think the business would occupy a very great portion of their time, for in the majority of the oasc< there was very e'ear evidence, sufficient, at anyrate, to put the accused persons on their trial. He thought it was to some extent a matter of satisfaction after the observations he had to make at the last sitting, that in so many of these cases the accused persons seemed to have been taken in the act or very shortly after wauls, therefore there was reason to believe there was a somewhat more satisfactory state of things as regarded the police force in this district than at the time he made those remarks. There had, therefore, apparently been less undetected crime of any serious nature. Referring to the Te Kuiti arson case, His Honor said ti'c chaigc of arson against a well-known native at Te Kuiti was a very clear case. It appeared to have been very like the act of a madman, but with the dt fence the Grand Jury would have nothing to do. If such a defence were set up, it must be tried in open Court.

Charles Hoodlcss was charged that he did on September 20th, at Epsom, discharge a gun at one Temple Hall, with intent to intimidate her. He was also charged with assault. Prisoner pleaded guilty. Evidence of previous good chaiaetcr was given. His Honor said drink was apparently the cause of Hoodless behaving so violently. Prisoner would bo admitted to probation for 12 months and would have to pay <he costs ot the prosecution in instalments of £1 per mouth. A young man named John Reid pleaded guilty to the charge of having on September 22nd, at Auckland, stolon a watch, the property of John Stewart, and was admitted to probatiou for 12 calender months. An elderly man named Mark Coc was charged with that be did on September 29th attempt to commit suicide. He pleaded guilty, and was ordered to enter into a recognisance of £25 to come up for judgment when called upon. A young man, named Thus. Whyte, pleaded guilty to having on August 15th, broken into the promi-es of Messrs Smith and Caugbey, of Auckland. Detective Midden (who arrested the accused in the southern part of the King Country) stated that the stolen property had been recovered. Whyte had been previously sentenced on various occasions at Christchurch and Duuedin for housebreaking and other offences. His Honor sentenced the accused to two years' imprisonment with hard labour. Henry St. George Sloan pleaded guilty to the theft of a number of carpenter's tools, the property ot Andrew Ferguson. Prisoner had five times been convicted on previous occasions, and he was sentence to twelve months' impiisoninent. Richard Henry Keast, the quondam " evangelist," was brought up on several counts of forgery and false pretences. He was charged with having on Juno sth forged a letter purporting to tic a request for the payment of money, and with having obtained by false pretences from U. A.' Gray the sum of £1 ; also with on June 18th having obtained lodging from Edward Waters by means of a forged document ; with forging the same document, and with uttering the same. He. was sentenced to four years' imprisonment.