SUPREME COURT.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 3, 4 July 1881, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS. This Dat. (Before his Honor Mr. Justice Richmond.) The criminal sittings of the Suprene Court commenced this morning before) hi« Honor Mr Justice Richmond. The Court having been opened with the usual formalities, the following gentlemen were sworn on the Grand Jury ■ — Messrs J. D. Baird, A. Braithwaite, W. Boyd, J. Cattell, J. J. Casey, R. Ewing, J. H. Evanß, H. Gaby, R. Holliday, U. Jackson, R. W. Kano, J. Kirkoaldie. W. Littlejohn, J. Look o, J. Mngiunity, J. K. Nathan, G Pir c. N. Reid, J. Staples, W. H. Waters, A WaTbnrton, T. "Whvtohouso, and H. Wilcox. Mr. Nathan was ohosen foreman of the jury. His Honor .in charging tho Grand Jury, said :—": — " Mr. Foreman and gentlemen of the Grand Inquisition — When I entered this building this morning, I was propured to tell you that the present calendar did not oontain any charge of very great gravity. I have since learned, I am aOrry to say, that in tbo case of one of the offences ohargod the resuits are likoly to be much more soriona than was at first apprehended. It is probablo that, in oonsequence, the Crown will ask for the trial to be delayed until the event is known. The charge is one of stabbing, and I am eorry to loam it is possible that the consequences may be fatal. Besides that, tho calendar contains one other charge of violent assault, in which, like the me I just referred to, it appears- on the face of the depositions that drink was tho cause of the offence, both the offondor and the person offended against being in liquor, as so often happens. There is ono other charge of a somewhat unusual nature— it is preferred against the late keeper of the Lunatic Asylum hero. It excited considerable publio interest, and tho Government thought it their duty — after tho lapso of two years, I think — to prefer a chargo against the lato Superintendent of the Asylum of cruelty towards a particular lunatic patient. That oharge is preferred under a particular section of tho Lunatics Act, whioh makes such conduct a misdemeanour. One can see that in a charge of this kind there may be very sufficient grounds to prefer it after a considerable lapse of time, becauso from the nature of the case, complaints of this kind may be kept in the back-gronnd for years. With that, however, gentlemen of the jury, you have nothing to do ; it will bo your duty to return a true bill if, upon the face of the depositions, you think there is a I'vimd facie case against the prisoner. Tho other three ohorgos on the oalendar are meroly cases of what 1 may call potty depredations upon property." His Honor explained, in regard to the one in which a person was charged with converting to his own uso a piano which had been lent to him, he could, under tho oommon law, be iudiotod either for simple larceny or larceny as a bailee. With a few further observations, his Honor then dismissed tho Grand Jury to their duties. TRUK BILLS. The Grand Jury brought in true bills in the following casos s — Henry Ferris, laroonj ; Jessie Thompson, wounding with intct ; Walter Dickons', larceny; Honry Walters, housebreaking. LARCENY". Walter Dickens was charged with having on the 25th April, stolon from a dwellinghouse a Bilver watch and chain, value £6, the property of Robert Luhning. The facts of tho case, as deaoribod by the Crown Prosecutor, were these s - Luhning was sleeping oil the 24th April in the Woloomo Restaurant, and aext inoruing miesod his watch. It was found the next day on prisoner, Who was arrested on tho charge. Subsequently ho gsked Sergeant Anderson -what would bo done if he pleaded guilty. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and prisoner was discharged. HOUSEfiREAKINa. Henry Walters was arraigned on a, charge of having on the 24th Juno last, broken into the honse of John Francis Robinson. Tho faots of the case have been published fully in the Post, and noed not be rooipitulatod. The oase was still proceeding when wo went to presst \bx tblegrafh.J Chbistchuhch, This Da*. rho criminal sessions of tho Supremo Court opened this mormng. There are 19 prisoners for trial. In his charge, Judge Johnson said ho regretted not to bo ablo to congratulate t'lo jury on any decrease in orime, whioh, according to population, was now greater horo than in England. Muoh of this, he added, is due to tho drinking habits of the community and to the incomplete nature 6f the penal system of tho colony, more especially as affecting the classification of prisoners. John Murphy was brought up, and the judgment of tho Court appeal in his case being road, his original sentence of four years' penal servitude was repealed. John Soott, for forgory and uttering, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. Dr/NEDIK, This Day. The Chief Justice's oharge, in oponing tho criminal sittings of the liupromo Court today, merely referred to tho indictments for hearing. Moritzon, who was convicted at the last sittings for embezzlnmont, and -whose conviction had been affirmed by the Appeal Court, made a long statement complaining that at the trial Judge Gillies had improperly ruled as to the rights of hia counsel to cross-examine witnesses, which ruling prejudicially affected his oase, and asked the Court to suspend passing sentence until *«, petition, which had been numerously signed, respecting him had gone before the Governor. The Chief Justice deferrod sen* tanco until Thursday. The (irand Jury found no bills against Henry Mead for attempted snioido, John M'Gregor for laroeny, and Cloment Bushnell for attempted rape. William Casey, for larceny, pleaded guilty sentence was deferred. The Grand Jury threw out the bill against Peter Hannah for manslaughter in connection with the Roslyn tram accident. This Dat. At the criminal sittings of the Supreme Court this morning, Judge GIIU9B, in hia oharge to the Grand Jury, said tho coses were of the average number and usual charaotor. Eighteen persons were charged with 20 offences, four of the prisoners being natives ; six offences were against the person, nine against property, and three mixed cases of libel and perjary. None wereof an aggravated character, still some were of a grave nature. He deprecated the action of R.M.s in sending for trial casos which they might have dealt with themselvc3. He referred to the difficulty of proving a charge of arson, but if a reasonable supposition were shown the Grand Jury were bound to send the case for trial. He explained tho law of libel in its bearings on the cases against Wickham, of the b ree Lanse, and said that while the publio aots of public men were open to fair comment, the private character of a man was not to be so commented on, unless the publisher of tho disparaging statements was prepared ts show they wero true. One of the oases on the calendar appeared to come under the latter category. He referred in complimentary terms to the new Registrar and now Crown Prosecutor.