SUPREME COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 273, 14 November 1908, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

a j Continued from pace 7. ALLEGED THEFT FROM A VESSEL. I Edward Reiman, a wharf labourer, for ' whom Mr Singer appeared, pleaded not guilty to the theft of an axe from a vessel. The circumstances of the case, as outlined by the Hon. J. A. Tole, KjC., were that prisoner was assisting in the operations of unloading the s.s. Suevic at the Queen-street wharf on August 28. In the afternoon one of tne omcers oi tne vessel noticed that a case containing a number of axes had 'been damaged. Later he noticed the prisoner coming up the ladder from the hold, carrying an oilskin in a somewhat peculiar manner. The officer asked prisoner what was in the oilskin, and prisoner did not reply, bat let an axe fall down the hold. There was one axe missing from the damaged crate, and the axe found in the hold corresponded with the balance. Prisoner said he had been Working on the wharf for nine years, and he had never been charged or suspected of any offence. On the night in question he was called up from the hold where he was working. He was climbing up the ladder when the mate of the vessel asked him for his coat. He gave the coat to the mate, m>d the latter accused him of stealing an axe. Witness looked over the combing and saw three axes immediately at the foot of the ladder. He knew absolutely nothing about the axe. Charles Edward Odium said he was following up the ladder immediately hehind prisoner. He was positive that no axe fell from him.

At this stage his Honor asked the jury if they wanted to hear any more evidence. He did not see how they could possibly convict in view of the evidence for--the defence. The jury then, without retiring, returned a verdict of not guilty, and prisoner was discharged. CHARGE OF HORSE-STEALING. Walter Stannard, commrbted for sentence from Pukekohe on a charge of. horse-stealing, entered the dock. The circumstances of the case are that, after the evidence was given in the Lower Court, prisoner entered a, plea of guilty, but apparently he did not, in accordance with another formality of law, s ign his plea upon the information. The matter was, therefore, not properly before the Court. His Honor discharged the prisoner, but intimated that his spell of liberty would be very short, and that he would be re-arrested on the Game charge.