THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15752, 20 November 1916, Page 2

THE COURTS.

SUPREME COUffT. At a sitting of the Supreme Court on Saturday morning three prisoners appeared for sentence before Mr Justice Sim. Mr S. G. Raymond. K.C., appeared for the Crown. FORGERY AND UTTERING. In the case of Alfred • Sampson, charged with forgery and uttering, Sir Donnelly, who appeared for prisoner, asked for probation. Prisoner's previous character, he said, was good. He was 22 years of age and had volunteered for active service, but had been rejected on account of the loss of a toe. His Honour stated that the probation officer reported that prisoner's character had been good His Honour ordered prisoner to be released on probation for three years, he to pay £3 of the costs of the prosecution at the rate of 10s a month. If tfie military authorities were willing to accept prisoner as a soldier the probation officer was to give him leave to enlist. Arthur Herbert Cooper, charged with forgery and uttering, stated that ho had committed the offence because lie was hard up, and had intended to pay the money back "You seem to have gone in for wholesale forgery," commented his Honour. Mr Raymond said prisoner was 36 years of age and was reported not to have any police record, but was described as a shiftless, weak sort of man Ho had deserted his wife in Australia and was living with another woman by whom ho had had four children. Altogether £22 was involved in four forgeries, three on one dav. and one the dav before. His Honour commented upon the silly manner in which people cashed cheques for persons they did not know. Mr Raymond stated that in the present case not the slightest enquiry was made. His Honour: Tliev deserve to lose the money. In the present case a hotel-keeper for a threepenny drink cashed a cheque for £5 12s. Mr Raymond; He cashed it without making any enquiry. His Honour: A cheque for £5 12<: was tendered him for a threepenny drink. Ho did not know the man and bad never seen him before. All I can say is that a hotel-keeper who behaves in that silly way deserves to lose the money. His Honour ordered prisoner to be detained for reformative treatment for a term of not more than throe vears. Later, he said, the Prisons Board might order prisoner to bo released on probation "AN EDUCATED DEGENERATE." "The only thing to do is to impose such a term of imprisonment as to prevent Wm following these practices for some time to come," said his Honour in sentencing Edward Atherton de Houghton do Latour to seven years' imprisonment on each of three charges of indecent assault on a male, the sentences to bo cumulative, making a term of 21 years' altogether. Mr Raymond stated that prisoner, who was about 43 years of age, had resided here for 35 years. He said he was a widower, and a medical student at one time. He now followed the pursuit of fortune telling. Letters found in his possession showed thai? "he had ! followed the practices he was charged j with for years past. About tweive I months before accused camo to Christchurch from. Dunedin. Full enquiries made in the southern city showed that he was suspected there, and the police had no doubt that a number of boys had been subjcct to the same practices as those described to boys appearing as witnesses in the present case. "He is an educated degenerate of the worst type,'' declared Mr Raymond. CIVIL SITTINGS. HODGES v. HODGES. In the divorce case of Edith Fanny Hodgos (Mr Cuningham) v. Harry Hodges, after further_ evidence had been given, a decree nisi was granted, with leave to make absolute at the end of three months, and costs on the lowest scale against the petitioner. Petitioner was also granted custody of the children of the marriage. A DISPUTED POLICY. After legal argument had been heard in the case of the New Zealand Insurance Co. (Mr Alpers) v. Derek E. Thornton_(Mr Twyncham), and the Tyneside Proprietary Co., Ltd., (Mr Wright) his Honour stated that he would reserve his decision. Tho Court adjourned till 10 o'clock to-day. MAGISTERIAL. (Before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M.) Robert Harneiss, alias Roy Harris, was charged with having between 11 p.m. on November 16th, and 8 a.m. on November 17th, stolen £7 from Herbert Taylor. Tho accused pleaded guilty It was stated that the money stolen had all been refunded, and the Bench inflicted a fine of £5, or in default, one month's imprisonment. The same defendant was then charged with failing to maintain his wife in Dunedin, and was remanded to appear in that city to-morrow morning. ,