SUPREME COURT TRIALS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10131, 2 September 1898, Page 6

SUPREME COURT TRIALS.

(PKKSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAMS.) WELLINGTON, September 1. In the Supreme Court, to-day, a young man, named Peter Olsen, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for assault at Pahiatua. W. D. Hartley was acquitted oi procuring 3401b of grass seed by false pretences. Henry McLaughlin, an old offender, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment for picking a Maori's pocket on the way back from the races. The case in which Mrs Amy Stewart was charged with having murdered her four-year-old daughter, near Kaikohe, in June last, was before the Supreme Court to-day. Accused is twenty-five years of age. It transpired that she and" her husband had lived in very poor circumstances. " The plea of insanity was set up, and accused was committed to the asylum pending the Colonial Secretary's pleasure. DUNEDIN, September 1. At the Supreme Court, Francis Heriot* Laing was charged under the Bankruptcy Act with, having failed to keep proper books of account. It transpired in evidence that when the Official Assignee sent to Young, who had taken over Laing's business, for all the books belonging to Laing, the storeman packed up and sent to the Assignee about five sacks of papers, books, &c, but the Assignee refused to take them. They were all dirty, being an accumulation of four or five years. Several minor books used , were not before the Court. The jury, after an hour's retirement, returned a verdict oi not guilty, adding a rider that the Assignee made an error in not examining the bag to see what books were in it. Laing was arrested again as soon as discharged, on the ground that he was about to leave his residence with the view of defeating, delaying, or embarrassing the proceedings. He was admitted to bail.