CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1213, 23 August 1911, Page 3

CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

CHARGE RE EDWARD REYNOLDS. FINDING OF "GUILTY." CROWN FAILS IN THE BRITIS CASK. The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court were continued yesterday before Mr. Justico Sim. In the morning the Court was iirst occupied with tho further hearing of tho change of sly grog-selling preferred against Alfred Britis, a, negro lodginghouse-keeper, who res-ides at 82 Taranaki Street. Mr. J). 11. Ostler conducted the prosecution. When tho Court adjourned on the previous evening all the Crown witnesses liad given evidence. Mr. C. li. Dix, who appeared, for accused, intimated that the defence would bo a denial. Britis then went into the witness-box and denied having supplied New with liquor. He admitted, however, that the latter "might have obtained it" without his knowledge. The liquor found in his house was kept for his own consumption. Ho suggested that New could have obtained the liquor from some other man. This might have bren effected in the right-of-way by the. house.

The jury retired about II a.m. and returned in less than an hour with a verdict of not guilty.

ONCE ACQUITTED: NOW GUILTY. Edward Reynolds, who, at. the last sitting of the Supremo Court, had been acquitted on a charge of unlawfully using an instrument for an illegal purpose, was placed in the dock yesterday. The circumstances of the previous acquittal, and tho order for <i new trial, have previously appeared in connection with the trials of Mrs'. Peterson, .in whose case the jury twice disagreed. Three indictments were placed against Reynolds yesterday:—(l) Unlawfully using an instrument for an illegal purpose; (2) attempting to use the instrument for tho same illegal purpose; (3) counselling Annie Peterson to commit the samo offcnce< thereby becoming a party to it and being guilty of it.

Mr. T. Neave conducted the prosecution, and Mr. T. M. Wilford, with him Mr. W. .1. Cracroft Wilson, appeared for the prisoner, who pleaded not guilty. The jury, after retiring for an hour and a quarter, brought in a verdict of guilty. Prisoner was remanded for sentence until this morning. CRIMINAL ASSAULT. William Allman Denning, a young man, was charged with criminal assault on a girl five years of age on Juno 13 last. Mr. 11. H. Ostler appeared for the Crown, and Mr. Y. p. Kelly for the accused, who pleaded not guilty. The court was cleared during the hearing of tho case. After being absent for about a quarter of an hour, tho jury returned with a verdict of guilty. It was stated that the prisoner was a married man, with a wife and four children, living in Australia, whence he arrived five or six years ago. Ho had not previously been before the Court, and was said to bo a hard worker.

A sentence of three years' imprisonment with hard labour was imposed.

CIVIL SITTINGS. When the Supreme Court sits at. 10 a.m. on Thursday next, the order of civil cases for this session will be settled.