SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 599, 30 August 1909, Page 11

SUPREME COURT.

THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS.,

■"'■'f. ;;:'L|pSBTo'"F.:'4N/.BXICONTINGENTEfe:; jjohn .;Blackbui«. ; . ; ■■■■ Clqtgii, : .who; was'; found': guilty, on Tuesday ■> ;haying obtained;moneyiby falae pre- ;■• iienoes means'of a; : £10" chequofsigned ,by ' :' ; }blin Raymond Bethwaito, : ironmonger, or ; kelson, was :brought before iiß;Honour;Mr. '•' \■■'■. juStioe. -Ckipman;Jor'; sentence on:; Saturday ~'morning/■■; ■;'•;:'.:." ':' :. ;;> \'■■ , = ■■•' ■.■.■■■• : .■•■.' ■•■ '4ir. F: M. B. Fisher, M.P., who was called ••: b£Mr. Williams, stated that as commander 'i< ■■■'■ .of' , a squadron of- the Seventh.Contingent ho ■•'..■ ■ ! lived 'With' , the prisoner in South .Africa tor ."■ iiVe: , months: 1902. ; His> character was 'of ■ : tlie.ibest, , although;he was too easily, led.to ' :i \ ■■'-bb'iaVgood'lieutenant. : ', : : ■. ; ,;■;,,.,, ' : ;.;'Mr. ! Myers;' Crown- prosecutor, ; said that ■■ .there: wore -no ■ previous eonyictions against <■' ■- ; the;i'prisonor^but ; j;sorao were ' ■ '■• alleged' t<s iaye. listen .'committed- by him in ; •: connection ;-witfl^b# vcheques and with a i'v Savings' Bank;bopl:. • ' : -' :>Mr. Williams pointed out that the prisoner :' : w1« married, in November last, and hislapso^ ' ilite'crime had been caused by his'desire to improve! his funds and make life more cpm.fortablofor his y'ourig.ivife. ■ .. '. . ■ - -' 'His Honour .remarked' that, the: case- was ■■■'.■■• ritfi on« Which could be treated by the first ■'.'••■ offenders' clauses of the Crimea .'Act.. There. ■'■ ■ '-l&d been .so many:- cases -lately of obtaining / : ' ■ 'mbhoy by means of false, cheques. that_ the ': ; - Gburt had found ; it; except in - ' instances,;'to admit• such offenders . to';:iwobdaon.' •'■'■-■ ■;■ ■■"■ '■■ :; '." '. , •;■• : - .'■■'.' • I can "do," continued the Judge; is 'td.recognisethat your general character has .been good, and'that' you have served our ■'■' ' i coiintry ; in war at'.tlo. risk of your Me, but be}'6nd that I cannot go. ■ Under these, cir- ■■'■■": cunietances 'I shall mitigate a sentence"Which woilld otherwise be a severe' one. .1 cannot :' overlook the fact- ''that- this -crime ,was plan- ''■ jied ■' .with delibe-ration. You . ; four'moDths' , lmpnson- ' ;. ineiit'.witii iard^khouiA'...:.—:... 1~.1._:., - ■■'.-■

; ; THE WIMSETT CASES.;. ;. 'i Further evidence was. heard in supportof the- charges against ' Frederick Wim■ikiii'who is alleged'tb have been connected with : the'.thefts.from: the? Wellington parcels' po'st''officer- committed by James /Hemingway dtf.-January H last- The charges were; a) Th'at he .and entered,, by.- day,,;, the parcels:'post office, , stole two. registered pifpys (containing' '■'.(me. silver watch; <: one gdld'chain, one diamond; pin, one gold'signet pinV,'one diamond scarf pin, one silver cigar T efcte.case and;matchboxj one diamond ring, Mi'.- niatchbox/.one , pair; pince-nez), - ono ver : tankardj foui; cashboxes (containing £31 I9a:: : '9tl. iii mohcy, £60 75.; 2d. \in postage stamps, and;.n postal note for 155.), and ,a registered" parcel (containing. 406 cancelled note's of the', Bank of New Zealand); (2) that ho J -aided, James Hemingway (who, is serving av,se'nterice of. five years) to :commit the thefts, having delivered to, him rthe keys, of ;tng/office, : aiidiof the -strong-room, ,in 'order that-' wax 'impressiojis might be made. -The good's, stolenl : were valued at aoout £820. : > : "Mr: Hislop ,iand Mr. .Pethorick; appeared fdr'V-tbe'■'deferice.' , .'-■'. ■■'..' ■■'■'}.'■ \' . ■■.■■.■.'.'■■..•-.

>liiibert Edward:BaylifFe,,clerk iu the par-. c.6\i -office, was recalled by.Mi , . Myers:, He .fitted that he .wished to correct his previous evidence. Ho had said'that accused taken the keys of the office awaj fftcl any length of . time. : He: had thought :t!i£;matter over, and iov remembered an occasion on which the accused had taken tlie; keys home.-. -Witness, reported.:the fact tcfjVMr...Crichton, ofiicer-mrcharge, yat tbp time.'v .-■'■:.,: A •-,■-;'.;'-■: '■ l -:'r''\"'.- / y':-. \ ■' yNerman Andrew; (clerk), and::lsaacCrich-tp'fiV(otßcer-in-chafge) were, also recalled., : ■:''H'/H.- : of .Customhouse .Qiiay, 'stated that' a' man .of Hemingway's description brought 'two keys to be.duplicated.: ■;,.-. '■■'';.:■.■■. o. .'^■ i ; : .'.;-;; ■ ■ was;in"tho 'witness-bos hours,: Mry exainiaation .'at ..Z'.fp.nv. thai the 'idea of breaking' and •'entering -the . pbsi office-iwas' first';put' latoii'his mind by a rpffiart-m^de-by accusedj,<.to ithe-effept.vthat. - atltthe "time of :the ; <pos't,office .fire; dishonest. pY.diJle could easily have stolen valuable; insiircrl; parcels'. 'Accused-.told. him. that valuably parcels often arrived by the English mails. He'.spoke of,a parcel ofdiamondo, of ciictages for the'New,.Zealand .Consolidated Uental.: ComplyVina -btit was.at -this tinio.'ihe tliought, 'tKat.-hef might to" work! Winisett .with' some- airran.himself. ■- Ho':-Wa3/. : )iving,\at Seatoun,. bilt'; stayed occasionally:-> ; witn>v accused. ' Hβ - jibjiained two : 'of;.tihe,pfijc6. keys' frtni accused, . eiipgot.duplicates'raad.b' at'-Eklnß' , .s.'.iAcqused miKle iinpfessiqns ..tho safe : : .key,yancl' .witnSsS'.also madc-{aiy;imnr.ession' ini;)ieapg .wax, from, which ■he^ r hi.n!'solf,. ; .ilittdo."a' ■ key,',ha.virig piirehasod ,a biank'';'a Mitls's. ■ : It was understood ■ that-sd(!u.sed?vvas';to,'get ! a-.ah&r« oii anything, stolen.'■.'from'."! the r post otiie'e". - ; '- 'r':"' 7 ?"':']"?'-;!/ .■};'■•";-v-■■'?■■ ■■"'■■ ■ ..

iCfoss-examination was ; begun- at. 3.15 p.m. Witnese said that- he lihrow- , -the duplicate keys' from , a train' on tho : M anaw,l tu lino afteY, he 'had.' used .tltoni.:i .Accused saw :: at hii:.hoas'e:"a:..:ch6.coiiito .box-full pf-fountain■ piSus, which'witiiess informed him had been stolen from ; Whitcombe and Tombs's. cused bought from ■ him a ; length -of tweed, BSjil ho'did not know,\ when purchasing 'it)' thitt it/had been "stolen from. l)ickison!s. ;It yak , true .that accused had., told him'that, on-one £28,000 fpur parcels! of notes) had 'como through the post from. Auckland. .Ho stole the; explosives from a tajik; opposite tho quarry at Seatoun;: he foithd the -door open' one night." i: - ; •'•• : . ' •;.'■ • ■ 6.15 p.m;y.when the Court• rose, cross.ckaniination was hot concluded;'. Hisj Hoiiour s^.id ; ( that Mr., .Hislop /might havo \time,', if it, tp arrange his questions'.'.-,. Mr. MSjjfs 'said'that Hemingway's evidence had ndt ;been given'.in the samp order as obtained in the lower . court, -because'.he (cotlnsel):-vhad"; avoided leading\ .questions. . Cro'ss-exainination of Hemingway,-.will'.there-fofe': be-.T'esumed' this morning; ; : •'..-. ; The Judge,'gave,orders that no one was' to be allowed ;.cbmmuiiicßt« ■..with: 'Heniing , - wfiyi ( and- 'warned' the -jury that; they must permit, no conversation regarding- the case, wen from members of tbeir own families.