SUPREME COURT.-CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 1, 3 January 1881, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.-CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

TBftBDAT. f «»~J!*-j : [Before his Honor Chief. Justice Pren^efaast.l The criminal sittings opened at lOrd'olock this morning. . <i -- J" ¦•.••' , „ THE GBAND JUBtf. • ' 1 The following gentlemen -were sworn tn as the Grand Jury :— Messrs. C. D. Bai^aud (foreman), H. Barber, G. M, Kebble, G. W. •Dutton, James Jaijsen, J.L. Moffit, T. E. ¦ Gillon, J. M.' Riohrirdsdn-, Andrew Compton,' H. Gabio, T. Turnbull, T S. Dixon," J. H. Bethune, Robert Clelland, W. Le^reri, W.; Widdop, D. T. Stewart, J. J^ M. Hamilton, A. R. Hislop, B. Somerville, R. Greenfield, R. Leary, and 0. A. Baker. His Honor, addreaaing the Grand Jury,, said — Mr. Foreman and gentlemen of the, Grand Jury: So far as I am aware there is but one ease for your consideration— a matter that I think I need not address you about, as it is merely a robbery frbm- a brothel, presenting no feature in particular. I must therefore ask you to retire to your room to consider this matter. ! . The Grand. Jury accordingly retiredj and in the course of half an hour returned, &to Court with a true bill against the only prisoner named on'fcho criminal talendar; LABCBNY. Sarah Ballinger was arraigned upon an in* , . <h'otment charging her with having, on the , 27th December, stolen one Bilver watch and . "chain, the property of John Parris. JThis i j ease was investigated at the R.M. Coirt.a. few 'days age*. The Crown Prosecutor *(Jtr,' Izard) said, the prisoner, on the 27th December, beckoned prosecutor into her house, aid - asked him to' M BhoutJ' He declined,^ and left the house, bnt sSoß^afterwards miss^cr his watch and chain.- He returned tbjfte.; house, but the prisoner was gone. , Prisoner' had in the meantime gone to, a pawnbroker and pawned a watch and chain for, ss. When ! arrested shetold the constable that she knew . nothing'abcut the property, bnt subsequently said prosecutor had giyen.it to her. The prosecutor, gaVe evidence in accordance with the opening as to his being " decoyed" into prisoner is 'h»use, 'and missing his watch and chain. A man named Harper deposed to seeing a watch in prisoner's possession on the day in question. ; also to seeing prosecutor coming out of prisoner's room with Mb coat and hat off. Morris Hyams, pawnbroker, identified the watch as one the ... prisoner pawned on the 27th ult. for ss. * Unstable Shea deposed to arrestingLPrisoner 1 in Cuba-street, when she denial? alP'knowledge of the watch and chain, buftaf terwards said prisoner gave her the watch to^pledge. Prosecutor was ' ' nTaddled" " at " thdyfcime. Prosecutor said ho did' not want to prelPihe oharge, as he had got his watch and chain' back. Prosecutor, re-called, denied having 1 MS coat off. "¦ ¦ Prisoner then addressed the jury, stating that prosecutor came into her house loafing. ' over' a pint of beer, and! -remained from. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. She was sorry Detective ' 'Brown was absent, or '(/he would refer to him for a character, as he had known her for 15 years, and sheliad never been in gaol before. ' , c „ His Honor, in summing? up, directed the jury that if prisoner did know what she was doing at the time, they ought not to convict her of larceny. If they believed that prosecutor was without his hat and coat, that of course would throw discredit upon his story. After an hour's absenoe. the jury returned to Court with a verdict of guilty. Prisoner had nothing to say agairist the passing of the sentence. His Honor th^a sentenced prisoner to six months' hard labour.