SUPREME COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 68, 20 March 1894, Page 8

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

(Before His Honor Mr Justice Conolly). Alleged Larceny as a Bailee.—Chas. George Humphreys was charged that on the 29ch November, 1893, at Aratapu, he being then bailee of 16cwt 2qrs and 131b of ! kauri gum, the property of Reuben Leonard, did feloniously steal the same. There was | a second count against the accused charging him with larceny of the gum. Accused pleaded not guilty and was defended by Mr Thos. Cotter. Mr Tolo prosecuted on behalf of the Crown and stated the case. The accused represented to the prosecutor, a gumdigger, that he had great facilities for selling gum, that he could get the best price for it, and would soil it through Mr Whitley of Auckland, whom he knew well. He represented that he was to geb account sales from Mr Whitley, and his remuneration would be 2_ per cent. On this understanding, the prosecutor gave accused the gum in question, of the value of about £31, and it was taken to the Kauri Timber Company's place on the 29th November, where accused said he had a place for sorting gum. Leonard, the prosecutor, saw no more of the acccused until the 19bh of January. He asked aboub his gum, bub could geb no satisfactory answer from accused. It turned out thab instead of sending the gum to Mr Whitley, accused deposited it with tbe Kauri Timber Company as security for credit, and the Company after deducting the amount due to them gave accused the balance. The prosecutor was never paid. When arrested accused eaid he was unable to sell the gum through tbe glub in the markeb. Subsequently accused contradicted this and told Constable Scott that he could not send the gum to Mr Whitley, to whom he owed a lot of money, so he was bound to give it to the Kauri Timber Company.—-The case occupied the time of tbe Court three hours yesterday afternoon, and was resumed 4-i----morning ab 10 o'clock.

[Lefb Sitting.]