LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 823, 23 May 1910, Page 11

LAW REPORTS.

CRIAUNAL SESSIONS. THE DIALECT OF THIEVES. "DIVE WILLING." Charged with having assaulted one Cioorge Jl'Alister, with intent to rob him, Edward William Kelly and Alexander Driscoll eamc before his Honour tlio Chief Justice (Sir Koliert Stout) qnd a jury on Saturday for trial. Mr. -\I. -Myerr, conducted t!io prosecution, and Jlr. A. L. Herdniau appeared for the two. accused. Jl'Alister stated thai on the night of April 20 ho was entering the Dixon Street gate of the Nag's Head Stables, behind the Alhambra Hotel, where ho was employed as a driver, wlien Kelly accosted him. Kelly ashed for sixpence, and witness said that he had no money. Kelly thereupon turned to Driscoll, who was a yard or two away, and said, " Dive willing." The two men then attacked him, Kelly catching him by the throat, and went through his pockets. He had no money, except a sixpence in his hip pocket, which the accused did not find. A man named Burke came out of the harness-room, and the accused let him S°Detective Hammond supplied an interpretation of the words "Dive willing," ail expression which, ho said, was commonly used among thieves, lie said that the words meant "Go through his pockets, and be quick about.it." The accused denied having attempted to rob M'Alister, but admitted the assault. A verdict, of guilty was returned by the jury, and sentence was deferred until this morning. A WATCH THAT WAS STOLEN. Two ship's firemen, James Gummings and John fennessy, weiv. charged with having assaulted one John Joseph Patterson on tlio night of-Saturday, arch 19, and stolen from him u silver watch.Air. 11. H. Webb appeared for the accused. ■The evidence for -the prosecution was that Patterson, who was a labourer, and lived at tbo Mult, was assaulted by two nion, apparently firemen, at the corner of Lambton Q'uay and Hunter Street. He was knocked down and hia assailants niado away with his watch. The watch, which had been bought by Patterson at Lit.tlejohn's, was pawned for UOs. at Smart's Loan Office by the two accused. 'J'hcy were then arrested. The two accused made statements to the otl'ect that the watch came into their possession by honest means. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and sentence was deferred until this morning. FORGERY AND UTTERING. A young man, Herbert Bridge Thornton Sherman, who had pleaded guilty to a charge, of forgery and uttering, was brought up for sentence. His Honour remarked on the. fact that the prisoner had been once previously convicted, and for this reason probation could not be granted, but the sentence would ho light—three months' imprisonment, with hard labour. Another young man, Douglas Leighton, alias Douglas Stirling, alias Oscar Eairey, who had admitted a similar offence at Napier, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. Both prisoners were already serving sentences for other offences.