AUCKLAND SUPREME COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 204, 29 August 1910, Page 2

AUCKLAND SUPREME COURT.

I ckhvuhai, sessions. The Criminal Sessions of the Auckland Supreme Court were continued this morning before his Honor the Chief Jusiice (Six Kobert Stout). Ihe 1 on. J. A. Xole, K.C., prosecuted. A new jury -was empanelled for eases this week. GtTSE STOBS EffTBSED. John Sidney Hines, a young man of sturdy build, pleaded not guilty to a charge of breaking and entering witJi intent co commit a crime the gum store of Francis .Deacon, at iCuincu on June 2nd of this year. For the prosecution it wai t alleged tliut two men were discovered in I the store on the night of the data menJ tioned,' but promptly bolted when their presence was d<' '.Led. A man named Roberts was guarding the store; and early in the evening he heard the padlock fastj ening the door being wrenched ofL Going out, he saw accused and a man named D-enc>-. Koberts spoke to the .men, and then said he was going to "bed. The two men returned later, and Roberts heard them enter the store, and at once g-ave the alarm. The visitors decamped immeI diately. Denny, a half-caste Maori, was similarly charged on Saturday with breaking and entering in connection with tile offence, but was acquitted. Accused, who conducted his own defence, denied his guilt, and pointed out the absence of evidence connecting him with the offence. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and prisoner was remanded for sentence till Wednesday. "Can 1 appeal, your Honor?" asked prisoner. "Yes," replied his Honor; "you can ' appeal to the Supreme Court by adopting the prope-r procedure. I suppose you feel ' sore because the other jury acquitted ■ your companion and you have 'been found guilty. The fact is," concluded his : Honor, "the other jury was gulled, t>u-t > this jury has not been gulled." A NIGHT ADV23NTTTRE. A plea of not guilty was entered by i David Todd, a man of average ; stature, to indictments charging him i with, on July lSth, breaking and enterj ing and stealing from the dwelling-house i of Gusfcav Eronfeld; -with unlawfully entering the dwelling-souse of Barclay i S&ardon with intent to commit a crime; using imiecen-t or obscene language in : Eden-crescent, and with assaulting or re- • sisting Constable Clayton in the esecu- . lion of his duty. The prosecution alleged that the Scan- . lon household in Eden-cresctnt was dis- : turbed abou-t 10.30 o'clock on the night • of July lSth by stealthy footsteps on the verandah. This was followed by the ap- . pearance of a head through the window • of a room occupied iby a young man. not then' asleep, the hasty Tetreat of the • intruder, and a subsequent chase and [ the capture of the prisoner. He made • the excuse that he had been drinking and ; had mistaken the house. A bundle of • clothes and some 'boots were found left ■ on the premises by the accused, and these were discovered biter to 'have been re- [ moved from the house of Gostave Kronfeld. The police were sent 4 for, and on arrival of Constable Clayton accused . violently resisted arrest and produced a i pen-knife, with which he made a la-sh at I the officer, and also use<i Dad language. i Cons-table Claydo-n, in his evidence, stated* that while taking accused to the police station, he eaid: '"I stole those i clothes, officer. I was hard up at the time, and wanted money." He refused to indicate where the clothing was stolen from. "1 am sorry I drew the knife on you," accused also remarked. Accused read a statement analvsmg the evidence given for the .prosecu£kra, and though admitting that the circumstances of the case placed him in. an unfavourable light, tried to argue away the strongest points of the evidence, and drew attention to its improbability. His I Honor summed up, and the jury was considering its verdict when the "Star" went to press.