CHRISTCHURCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 1456, 11 October 1879, Page 12

CHRISTCHURCH.

October 6th.

The Judge, in his opening speech at the Supreme Court, said that the charge list showed no improvement, though it was scarcely worse than the average amount of crime. He dwelt, as usual, on the facility afforded to cheque utterers and forgers, repeating the remarks he usually makes at each session. The Grand Jury found true bills agamat R. W. Jones for forgery and uttering, W. Barnard for sheep-stealing, T. H. Reed for larceny, T. M'Callum for receiving stolen property, W. Woods for larceny from the perssn, E. Jones for forgery, Jane Mahoney for forgery and uttering, Mary Halliday for false pretences, J. Smart for rape, J. Miller and E. Clarkson far attempted rape, J. Miller and E. Clarkson for robbery with violence, W. Hall for perjury. No bill was found against W. H. M'Donald, for an unnatural offence, and the Grand Jury were discharged. Robert William Jones, William Barnard, and T. Henry Reed pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to six years' penal servitude, six years' imprisonment, and one day's imprisonment respectively. Reed is a boy, and was let off lightly in consequence of his youth, his good character, and the inability of the authorities to separate young from old prisoners. Thomas M'Callum, charged with receiving tbe goods Reed baa

stolen, got six months' imprisonment. Mtry Halliday pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to a month's imprisonment. Edward Jones was acquitted. Jane Mahoney was found guilty, and sentenced to a year's imprisonment. Join Milier and Edward Clarkson were sentencjd to 10 years' penal servitude for robbery with violence, and the other charge was withdrawn. The libel case against Matthew Henderson fell through, as the Crown Prosecutor declined to appear, and tbe plaintiff Bates refused to take the duty of prosecuting. It was stated in Court that one of the prisoners who received six years' penal servitude is of highly respectable family, and heir to a large estate in Wales.