SUPREME COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2113, 6 October 1885, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

We abridge the account of what took place in the Supreme Uourt, Wellington, yesterday, from the New Zealand Times, It will be seen that tlie Judge was particularly rough' on Pearce, with four aliases, who hails from Masterton. John Willet was charged with having, on the 6th July, attempted to commit suicide. He pleaded guilty, adding that he was very sorry. Mr J : . W. Leahy, bootmaker, of Masterton, was called, and said the prisoner had been employed by him, and he (Mr Leahy) would employ lum again. His Honor saj.(} fn in that case he would allow the prisoner to gq, m pntering into a recognisance to keep the peace to himself and Her Majesty's subjects for qne year, His Honor expressed his satisfaction at the recovery qf flje prisoner, and said the case was different frpn) thqse in which tho persons accused had been suffering from delirium tremens, The prisoner was then discharged, after having entered into his recognisance of £IOO to keep the peace for twelve months. (Willett returned to Masterton last night.) George Pearce, who was arraigned under a number of aliases, was charged with stealing a gelling, the property of D, O'Kane. He pleaded not guilty. Mr Izard conducted the prosecution, and Mr Edward Shaw the defence. Considerable evidence ww token in this case, the prisoner producing a reqeipt, said to be in O'Kane's handwriting, which the latter declared to bo a forgery. In addressing the jury counsel on each side commented upon this document. Mr Izard asserted that it was not an authentic document, and Mr Shaw submitted that it was perfectly genuine.

The jury returned a verdict of guilty, after an absence of a few minutes. Several previous convictions for horsestealing, larcency, receiving stolen property, (fee., were read to the prisoner, who pleaded 'guilty to all pf them, His Honor said he had not the slightest doubt but that the receipt produced had been manufactured by the prisoner in the goal. He had no hesitation whatever in saying that. With regard to sentencing the man, lus Honor said ho would defer that till the following morning. It appeared to him that if a suitable place was available, it would be wise to put the prisoner in such a place for his life, A true bill was returned'against James Walden in the Hutt tarring case, and the trial waß fixed for Thursday. (United Press association,) Wellington, this day. At the Supreme Court this morning Chas. E, Watson, for receiving stolen property, got 12 month?; J. A. Gordon, larceny as bailee, 6 yearsi j B, Price, horse-stealing,: 6 years; '.Oummings, larceny, 3 years. .