SUPREME COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4737, 4 June 1894, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

His Honor's Charge.

(By Telegraph.—Pross Association.)

Wehixoios, Monday

In his chai'ge to the Grand Jury this morning, tho Chief Justico remarked on the fact that although the calendar Avas much heavior than usual, it contained 'no charges of burglary or violonce against the person, and -was: almost entirely composed of .cases of a fraudulent character. In referring to tho charges against fortune telling, lie said it was. something extraordinary tliat the Supreme Court should havo cases of this kind before it. The New Zealand statutes provided a; maximum ' penalty of one .year's imprisonment '.for everyono who undertook to tell fortunes; but in England these cases we're dealt with under t-lie Vagrancy 1 Act'. In Now Zealnnd ( however, fortune telling was an indictable. pjfeiicp, jh jhe charge against two spiritualists,' His Honor said tlie jury must 1 be satisfied that there had been conspiracy between the accused, and that the sister was a co-conspirator with her brothor and not lqs dupe. If they found that |ho woman was a, dupe, the charge, against the:man would htvve to be altered from ono of canIspiraojr to falso pretences, As to tho, (charge' of criminal ' : libel' agkinst |

[the proprietor of "Fair Play" the Judge said it was for the jury to de> : cido whether l tho charge mado against prosecutor whs libellous "and,if bo, whother of suffioient severity to 'be classed as an indictable offence,

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

Wnr,Mi\m\, Monday, James Edmonds, charged with forging and uttering a cheque, purporting'to bo signed by Jas. Brennan, hotclkeeper, of Wangariui was - discharged by direction of the Chief Justice, without tho caso going to a jury, on the ground that there was no evidence that accused ' manufactured the cheque or know it to be forged, Edmonds asked for his expenses to be paid back to Napier, where lie was arrested.

The Judge said he had no power to grant this, but thought the police might do something for him, Martha Taliinui, tho young Maori woman with several aliases, pleaded guilty to forging Wi Parata's name to a cheque, which she said she did under the influence of drink. Tho case has been adjourned for evidence as to character,