SUPREME COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1315, 5 April 1883, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

(From the Evening Post) FALSE PKETENCE3. . Edward Price, alias George Pearee was indicted on a charge of having on the 16th of March, t>t Carterton, by means of false pretences, obtained a hat, coat, trousers, vest, and other articles of olothing, of the total value of £3l2s % Prisoner, who was undefended, pleaded not guilty. For the prosecution it was shown that the prisoner went to the drapery and clothing shop of Messrs Veitch &. Allan, at Carterton, and "btained the articles of clothing mentionet in the indiotmont, in payment of which he tendered a cheque on the Bank of Nuw Zealand for i!l9. He informed Mr Allan that he had monej to his credit at the Bank in Wellington,' and led him to understand that the amount was about to be transferred to the branch at Carterton, He accordingly asked Mr Allan not to present the cheque at the local branch till the following -Tuesday, It was subsequently ascertained that prisoner had no account at the bank,

..The. prisoner cross-examined Mr Allen at length, but failed to shake his testimony. .Robert W, Muir, teller at the Carterton branch of the Bank of Now Zealand, deposed^that when prisoner' came to the establishment he represented that be had'a considerable amount of money on - fixed deposit at Chviatohurch for ;a term of five years, Accused did not produce, the. deposit receipt and witness,! not believing his story, did notask him to do so. . Allan f itzherbert, olerk.in the Bank of Now Zealand, Wellington, gave evidence to the effect that accused did hot poaaes? ail account at that fistablishmeht... .y:Acting.Doteotive Campbell stated oh" pathtliatwhen he arrested;the prisoner at.Qpakihe became very violent, and it ;waß : found necessary to strap hisUegs and handcuff him in order to take him. into the township. Acoused aavo the name of Pearce when taken into Custody,/ By

p.i«oner-It was not true that'ha told Puce thatho was "wanted" on a charge ol obtaininc two gold rings. He did not see a purse in accused's possession when invested, but some time afterwards a man mimed Clune handed witntißS a purse contaming n blank oheque. When ho received it ho did not notice £32 in one of tile compartments. Prisoner made h lengthy atatemont protesting his innocence His Honor summed up tho evidenced- ' duced and the statement of the accused. The jury then retired, and returned in about lmlf-an-hour with a verdict of Guilty. The Crown Prosecutor stated that accused had been twice convicted of horsestealing. Prisoner denied this, asserting that he had only been found guilty once, In reply to his Honor, the prisoner, said he was as innocent as the babe un-M born. ' ' ' His Honor said that he would not have imposed such a heavy sentonco had not the accused admitted that ho had been previously convicted in a Court of law. The sentence of the Court was that prisoner should remain in penal servitude for three years. UROENY. John Stephenson was arraigned on several charges of feloniously stealing articles bolongiug to George Griffiths, George Bland, and Donald Cameron. The prisoner pici'led Guilty to each indictment, and in leply to a quesiiun, stated that when the offences wero committed he was under tho influence of liquor. His Honour commentod on the gravity of tho first offence, viz,, stealing from a dwelling, and sentenced him to six years imprisonment on oach of the two ohargos j of simple larceny, the terms to run conI currently in the first case.