TELEGRAPHIC.

Auckland Star, Volume X, Issue 2717, 7 January 1879, Page 3

TELEGRAPHIC.

(PER STAR SPECIAL WIRE,)

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

DUNEDIN, this day. JUDGE WILLIAMS ON FRAUD [J. LENT BANKRUPTCY. The Criminal Sittingof the Supreme Court commenced to-day. Mr Justice Williams in the course of his charge to the Grand Jury said there is a case where the accused is charged under the Fraudulent Debtors' Act with having, as a trader, obtained proBertv on credit under the false pretence of carrvin" on business, and dealing in the ordiuary way of his trade. At the preliminary proceedings before the magistrate the Trustee in Bankruptcy was examined, aud wave evidence as to a statement made by accused to him as trustee. By an act, however, passed last session, that evidence is no longer admissable againat the accused, 80 ° you will have to consider the case independently of it. The evidence is that the accused was a retail grocer, and that the day before he filed his declaration of insolvency he ordered, and subsequently obtained from a merchant with whom he had been in the habit of dealing, certain bags of sugar Avhich he did not pay for. If you think t that an order given by a retail trader, for goods of a kind dealt with in his trade, to a wholesale house with whom he had been in the habit of dealing, amounts to representation that the goods were required for ordinary trade purposes, and if you think the circumstances, that the retail trader became bankrupt the day after he gave the order, affords a reasonable inference that the representation was false, you will find ii true bill. There is a case where a woman is charged with the murder of her infant child. If you think that there is prima facie evidence that the child died by reason of the wilful act or omission, and that the accused intended to bring about the death of the child by such act or omission, you should find a true bill for murder. If, however, you think that, although the death was caused by the accused, yet , that the conduct of the accused amounted j to culpable neglect only, you shouid lind | a true bill for manslaughter. Lastly, should you think the evidence does not establish a prima facie case of culpable negligence, but j only that the death resulted from accident, | you should ignore the bill altogether. The : grand jury ignored the bill 3in the case of , Keginav. Johnston, and Thomas McNorton | in which the prisoners were charged with robbery. In the case of Margaret Scott, \ charged with murder, the grand jury re- j duced the case to manslaughter. In all the ' other cases true bills were found. James i Millar charged with fraudulently obtain- i ing goods under the Bankruptcy Act, I and Walter Marley for. larceny were acquitted. Jas. Morgan and Hyam Wyon Meutz pleaded guilty to forgei-y, and were remanded for ' sentence. Robert Angus was fouud guilty • of larceny as a bailee. Dennis Allan, charged with perjury, did not appear. He j had been admitted bail in the total sum of i £40. His Honor said that fixing the bail in ! so small a sum was perfectly ridiculous; he j was astonished, and did not know what the Magistrate could have been thinking about, taking bail in such a trifling amount. A man would be a great fool to appear when he could get off for £40. His Honor directed that the sureties be escheated. At the monthly meeting of the Governor's High School to-day, Miss Douglas was appointed assistant mistress, and Miss Jardine's resignation was accepted. j There was a large number of entries for the Blueskin Show, which takes place on | Friday. j The wrestling competition for the cham- j pion belt was concluded to-day, when j Tyronagain succeeded in throwing Thomas, ; the champion of Victoria. Thomas had ; gained one fall on January 2nd, but Tyron i threw him twice in succession to-day with • ease. j The first of the series of meetings in con- j nection with the week of prayer throughout | the world was held in the first church this 1 evening. The attendance was very large. The meeting will be continued during the week. MEETING OF FOOTBALLERS. j At a meeting of footballers at Shamrock | Jast night, it was resolved that pending the i groposed visit to Australia by a combined [ iariterbury and Otago team, this meeting is not [in a position to guarantee a sum j toward the expense of the English team, | but is agreeable to arrange to offer the whole of the gate money. During the past month the immigration ; and emigration for the port of Dunedin were respectively 496, and 160. Metz pleaded guilty. CHINESE LEPER COMMITS SUICIDE. Margare Banett, for stealing from a dwelling was sentenced to 5 yeard. Bobert Angus for larceny as a bailee 5 years. Hyaur Metz, forging 12 months. James McGJowan, forgery. 12 months. A Chinaman, suffering from leprosy at Tuapeka, committed suicide this morning. Mr Stout addresses his consrituents on Eriday evening.

It is stated that the Government again intend to introduce a special tariff between Timaru and Lyttelton, and which was vigorously opposed some time ago by Dunedin merchants. The) criminal sittings of the Supreme Court commenced this morning. There are 14 cases for trial.