THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS. I

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 183, 2 August 1923, Page 7

THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS. I

FIVE CASES DECIDES. A MANSLAUGHTER VERDICT. SENTENCE DEFERRED. Five of the twenty-one ants on the criminal calendar were disposed of by the two judges, Mr. Justice Herdman and -Mr. Justice Stringer, yesterday, the second day of the session. ASSAULT ON A CHILD. A revolting offence of unlawful knowledge with a little child of seven years was preferred against James Baldwin, before Mr. Justice Stringer. Prisoner pleaded not guilty. A Mr. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, explained that the offence took place when the child, with some others, was coming home from a country school. Medical evidence showed that the child had sustained slight injury. The child, in evidence, stated that amused had threatened to kill her if she called out. When she cried out, he placed his hand over her mouth. Prisoner was found guilty and sentence was deferred until Monday. TROUSON THE .MASQUERADES. Arthur Trouson (Mr. Blakey), who masqueraded about the city as a representativeof a mysterious cable board, and who also assumed other roles, all part of a plan to press an assumed affection for a Sydney girl, holiday-making in the city, .pleaded guilty to five charges of false pretences. Sentence waa deferred until Monday. ABSCONDED FROM BAIL. David MeArth&r Todd, a man who had absconded from bail when awaiting trial for the theft of a portmanteau and contents, valued at £50, pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Mr. Justice Stringer. The circumstances, outlined by Mr. Paterson for the Crown, showed that the portmanteau was left at the railway station by a man named Driscoll. Two men — Todd and another, Hagan — got into conversation with him, a bottlo of whisky being the convivial medium, and before long the man from the country had lost his luggage ticket. Hagan was sentenced some time ago to a period of reformative detention for the theft. In evidence he stated that Todd gave him the ticket and he obtained the luggage from the station. Evidence was given by the detective who had a trip to Australia to bring Todd back to stand his trial,, and then accused personally put hie case to the jury. He contended that they could not accept the evidence of an accomplice unless it were corroborated by come other person. His Honor said the real question waa whether the jury was satisfied that Todd was implicated in the theft as a confederate of Hagan. A verdict of guilty wae returned, and sentence was deferred until Saturday.