SUPREME COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 195, 16 August 1906, Page 5

SUPREME COURT.

CRJAILNAL SESSIONS.

(Before Mr. Justice Edwards.)

Th trial of prisoners at the quarter's sessions at the Auckland Supreme Court was continued yesterday afternoon before his Honor Mr. Justice Edwards, the Hon. J. A. Tole (Crown solicitor) prosecuting.

A BROKEN FfRE ALARM Francis Long (defended by Mr. J. C. Martin) pleaded not guilty to a charge of having committed perjury in the Auckland Magistrate's Court in defending himself against a charge of haYing broken the glass of a fire alarm in Queen-street_ Auckland- The perjury was alleged to consist in the prisoner's description of his movements about the time of the breaking of the alarm, and his denial that he broke the alarm.

The accuracy of the lower court de positions was admitted.

William Laird Wilson, a member of tho City Fire Brigade, gave evidence of receiving ths false alarm of fire, and of the brigade turning out. A cab proprietor named Abraham Bowden said that on the night of the false alarm he was - standing near the

"toothache place" (the American Dental Parlour) f when accused, partly drunk, passed him, collided with a Y'erandah,, post, said, "Good night. Skipper," and then, reeling across, struck the bell alarm with his hand, causing the bell to ring. Then ho boarded a tramcar, and went away. No other but the accused was near the. fi- 0 alarm at the time.

Other eabdrivers named Stanaway and Powley corroborated.

James Green, an engineer of Vincentstreet, another eye-witness, said the offender seemed to lose his balance, raise his hands, and break the fire alarm glass. He had apparently come out of the oyster saloon.

Police evidence was also given. For the defence the accused gave evidence denying that he passed Bowden and wished him "good night" on the occasion in question, or that he broke the fire alarm. He had previously been employed for a number of years by a Wellington meat company, and recently, on his father's death, left theni to act as manager of a Wellington fish company in which he lost all his "brass." Beyond being sued for the debts of this company he had never been in trouble-

Thomas Barnaby, a butcher, of Kingsland and Ponsonby, gave evidence of being in accused's company during the evening and visiting an hotel or two, without either of them getting drunk.

George Hume, manager of Messrs. Richardson & Co., piano merchants, of Queen-street, and fellow boarder, said accused came home sober that evening. Harry White, a Kingsland tram conductor, said accused went home by his car apparently sober.

Christopher Paulo, oyster shop attendant, said accused was not the man who created the disturbance at the oyster shop on the same evening.

The jury found the prisoner not guilty, and he discharged.

FALSE PRETENCES. The jury after a long retirement yesterday afternoon found "Peter Lynch" (an Austrian), guilty of obtaining £28 by false pretences from some brother Austrians, and he was this morning brought up for sentence-

His Honor refused to grant probation, observing that the offence was a very deliberate, one and a serious one. The prisoner had also endeavoured to escape by committing perjury.

Sentence of one year's imprisonment was passed. (Continued on Page Two.)