SUPREME COURT TRIALS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9862, 11 March 1896, Page 5

SUPREME COURT TRIALS.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAMS.) AUCKLAND, March 10. The Supreme Court criminal cessions opened to-day. Judge Connolly in charging ' the Grand Jury said that a cousiderable number of indictments would be presented to them. Most of the charges were of the ordinary nature. There were a few violent crimes, but none which had occasioned loss of life. His Honour referred to the carelessness of hotelkeepers aud storekeepers cashing fcrged cheques, aud said such persons deserved part of the punishment and rightly deserved to lose their money. Forged cheques were cashed with little or no inquiry. Isabella Danpey, on a charge of forgery, was admitted to probation for twelvemonths. Alfred Adams, who pleaded guilty to forgery and uttering, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment; and James Rotche, for forgery, uttering, and theft, to three years. WELLINGTON, March 10. C W. Brown pleaded guilty to haviug an illicit still on his property atTutaekara and was fined £50 and his plant ordered to be confiscated. John J. Ingram was charged with having forged an order on the Customs Department for the delivery of certain goods, and stolen a cheque for £9 4a. He was found guilty of the, theft of the cheque, but acquitted,on the charge of forgery. Sentence was deferred. OAMARU, March 10. At the Supreme Court to-day Daniel Spcnce and Geo. Smart pleaded '" Guilty " to a charge of stealing from dwellings, and the former (an old offender) was sentenced to twelve months and the latter to three months. Henry Sutherland, aged sixteen, pleaded " Guilty " to nine charges of breaking and entering, and W, J. ■W. Anderson, aged sixteen, to two charges The Judge, in consideration of their youth, and the circumstances, bound them over to come up for sentence when called upon. The Grand Jury found no bill in the case of Herman Sawer, for housebreaking. The jury brought in a verdict of ** Not guilty" in the oharge3 against Price and Davis for breaking into a house at Weston. In the case of King, for an unnatural offence, the jury could not agree, and were locked up for the night.