SUPREME COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2263, 6 April 1886, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

(United Press Absooiation.) Christchhroh, this day. The Criminal sittings opened yesterday. " : Justice Johnston, in charging tlio grand jury, said :-i cannot Bee that there is any indication of growth or development of any particular orime or class of crime, or any condition of things that, should lead to anxiety as to the state of the • | colony; nor does it seem that tho dopres- ■•'•' sion, of which we have heard so mugh A ■ about, has at all affected the workijMlA ■ classes in the way of producing any addvsf"* tion of criminals through the country. [ lu roference to the Howard case, Justice Johnston pointed out that in. law " a " - roarriago celebrated by a captaiii of a ship at soa #aa no marriage, so that thechargo of conspiracy might .bo'sustained, oven if the only conspirators wert Howard and "Mrs" Howard. ''" •* Wan Ling, for breaking and entering ■'■',• received 12 months, and.John Brook, 1 larceny as a bailee, 12 months.., The " Grand Jury found truo bills hi "all tHo v cases on the calendar. ~ ' ~.,'..' .', >"..' WELLINGTON. , The quarterly criminal sessions'-of ; thi ! • ; Supreme Court commenced yesterday, '• His honor briefly charged the Grand Jury. .'• ~ , Ho said there were fourteen cases for r .-]j , their consideration, none of which: pre- '•'? sented any difficulty, though he' toighfc. ~ '..[ have to make some comment on on» ' , t or two of the cases. There was &■■ eharge- ■"* : A of assault with intent to commikirspe, ""' U bat this might yet.bo altered to a chafgo '• '\[ of indecent assault. His honor gathered. • .'.' from the depositions.that'tho person.... [, charged did not touch any part'of tho Vi girl's body, although he placed lu's tanta ".. upon hor clothos. He wished .to.- poidKV .\ ■ ' out that there might be an' indecontvl ' ■ assault without their being, any actual 'w '. i touch of fcho naked body, it was sufficient '." .'■ that a hand was placed on the younif, : . . woman in any way. His Honor then ■'.'.' • referred to the case of an Italian and '■■ Chinaman, also to the case of MoDowell, i In the latter the prosecutor alleged that • a quantity of goods wore sold by auction* i eors, who paid over the proceeds to th* accused by cheques, which were not accounted for to tho prosecutor, who rep> resented that he had given the -prisoner- '. an opportunity of so accounting for them. This story, if tho Grand Jury were satis-, fied of its truth, would no doubt bo sufficiont evidence to find a true bill. .He had no further observations to make; ; True bills were found in the following.... casos:—Samuel Bennett, larceny from dwelling (two indictments); Cornelius ■, Toll, housebreaking and larceny/: Wil. ;'; , liam Donolly, larceny from the person j V\ John Killin, altos Willjaras, larceny from ~, ; tho person; Joseph Roborf,. indecent ' ;; assault; two bills against Andrew Black 3 for larceny. ', .A/> Tho Grand Jury threw out the .jm '■' against Richard Hecker for attempted "' suicide, •, ;'< Samuel Bennett was indicted on a \' chargo of having stolen various articles of ■'; jewellery and clothing, value £4O, the ;', proporty of Robert Stevens. Prisonor " • was further indicted for stealing, on the same date, three books belonging to $ - : - Darcy Knight, also at tho Lower flutt.. \" v Prisoner pleaded guilty. ( Prisoner, in reply to the usual question, stated that he had nothing; to sayjiti I' V! ,' regard to tho charge, ■■i: ■ .Mi,!.-': His Honor,' in imposing sonkneo, said although the police hero did not seoin to know anythin? about the prisoner's antecedents yet it was possible he .was knowjj elsewhere probably' Auckland.,"'"HV/vf pointed out that prisoner had already*?, been convicted of stealing from a shop in '" : ' .... Wellington, and had received twelve,. months'imprisonment, His Honor'sem ■'■ tonced prisoner to' three year's'penal, servitude rm each indictnient, tho senteh. OiMo run concurrently, |! ■■•''' ' •'"". v Cornelius Toll, charged with'stealing» !; '■'*'. ■ pair of trousers from the 'premises .ijf ' A W Michael Coogan, tailor, on'the : • February, was acquitted. 1 John Henry Killen pleaded guilty teß" stealing a watch, and chain: ■ from ■ i they ! person of Henry Cook was sentenced tokrf twelve months'hard labor. „ •■ No bill was found against Frank %. MoDowell, charged with embezzloment. ■ ' William Donelly, charged with larceny from tho person, was acquitted, , ..•,,.,. . Andrew Black, charged with larceny '''■ from a dwelling was sentenced to threa yoars, W. Groombridge, embezzlement,.™ sentenced to one year. :•'.' '" .*