SUPREME COURT. CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 130, 30 November 1893, Page 3

SUPREME COURT. CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

This Dat. (Before Hi 9 Honour the Chief Justice.) The quarterly criminal session of the Supreme Court was opened this morning, with 23 oases on the calendar. THK O BAND JURY. The Grand Jury was chosen as follon-s : — Messrs. J. G. W. Aitken (foreman), W. T. Hildreth, B. F. Whittaker, D. S. Gray, J. D. Baird, W. Clark, J. H. Plimmor, J. Coombes, B. Cross, A. H. D.iiff, S. S. Prouse, L. Blundell, W. Boya, F. G. Woollams, F. Townsend, C.'Plimmer, W. Haymond, D. J. Bremner, W. D. Lyon. W. Atack, W. E. Woods, W. J. Hariond, G. H. Cuningham. his honour's charge. His Honour, in his charge to the Grand Jury, said that the calendar presented some oases of a more serious nature than had usually been the cose in this district. Tho most serious case was one in which a woman named Blake was charged with having administered poison to aef husband, with intent to take his life. The man Blake, it appeared, had been a patient in the Hospital, from which he was discharged by the medical authority in a fit condition to return home. Very shortly after returning home he showed symptoms that he was 'suffering from mercurial poisoning. Enquiries being made, it was ascertained that Mrs. Blake had merourial poison in her possession in the form of a, mixture of ohalk and mercury, wliioh could-be bonght at any chemist's for application to children's heads Mrs. Blake stated that she had bought the mixture for the purpose of cleaning her children'^ beads. Evidenoe wonld be led to show that the ' children's heads were not needing thiß application, and there was nothing to show that the article had been used for that purpose. Mra. Blake had attempted to conceal the foot that she bad this poison, but it was discovered aboat her person. The jury wonld have before it the medical evidenoe that Blake was discharged from the Hospital showing no symptoms of mercurial poisoning, and that soon after reaohing home he showed symptoms. Mrs. 'Blake kept no servants, and she personally attended upon her husband and administered his food, except perhaps on an odd occasion. There was the fact of her having had this poison in her possession under circumstances which showed that .she was desirous of concealing the fact, and of her giving a false aooount of the reason why aho became posaeseed of it/ There was other evidence to show that there was a feeling of illwill on her part towards her husband. He Was in ill-health, and muoh older than his wife, and she had on various occasions expressed ill-will towards him, and he was jealous of the visits of a male person to the Lonao. All the jury had to do was to find whether there was a case to go before a petty jury. The next case was one in which a man was oharged with having attempted to commit an offence upon a boy 12 years of age. The offence appeared to be one of a most open kind. The indictment charged the prisoner with attempting to commit the offence, and with assault with intent to oommit the offence. The jury need not trouble themselves to moke any nice distinction between the two charges. His Honour pointed out that as the boy was stated to be ignorant of the act to be performed upon him, it did not matter whether he had consented to it or not. The .Legislature had given new jurisdiction in bankruptcy offences to Criminal Courts, and there were charges against a man named Kirk in this connection — first, of not having kept proper books ; secondly, concealing the nature of his transactions ; and thirdly, incurring debts without reasonable probability of his being able to pay them . It would be f onnd that defendant was not very largely in debt at the time he incurred the debt with Messrs. Nathan & Co. The only other case he wonld mention was an indiotment for libel against the proprietor of a country newspaper, who was oharged with having published a libel regarding a person named Clarke living at Pahiatua. It was said that tbe article conveyed a chargo against Clarke that he poisoned certain food. The publication of the artdole was merely a matter of technical proof. The jurors would have to consider whether the article complained of was defamatory, and whether it conveyed to the mind of ordinary persons tbe idea tho,t / Clarke was the man who poisoned the food referred to, It was not their business to enquire whether there was any justification for the charge. TBUB BILLS. " , True Bills were returned in the following cases : — Joseph Knight, burglary ; E. Cloke v and W. Burton, five charges of larceny; James Mannix, larceny; fiiehard Coyne, •>■' maliciously wounding ; Daniel Phillips, indecent assault; Frank Philpott, aiios Smith, false pretences; Wm. Thomas, perjury ; W. Teversham, unnatural offence ; H. Valeille, }arceny : D. Driscoll and J. Morris, uttering counterfeit coin ; Edward Wade, demanding liquor with threats. NO BILL. No, Bill was retnrned in tbo case against Joseph 0. Ward, indicted for alleged false pretences. ,"•<■. BURGLARY. .N. N Joseph Knight pleaded Guilty to a charge of having entered the dwellingliouae'ofcA. C. Matherson, at Fielding, on tbe 7th October, with intent to commit a felony, and was remanded until to-morrow morningfonßentence ■. * EXTENSIVE LARCENIES. Edward Cloke and William Burton, the lads who committed a Series of small robberies in August and September last from the premises of Meswa. J. C. Gavin, H. P..Hig(riuson, It. Pharazyn, D. Williamson, and J. Stark, pjeaded Guilty, and waß remanded „ until to-morrow for sentence. * BOBBERT FROM TITE PKKSON. James Mannix pleaded Guilty to an indictment charging him"' with having robbed Patrick Leahy of .£3 at Pahi^na on tbe 21st August. ~ Prisoner said that he bad only^aken £2, which he gave back to Leahy^the following morning . Drink was the cause of 'his trouble. His Honour-pointed out to the prisoner thai; he had' previously served a term of 12 .' months' imprisonment .for stealing, and he Bintenced Mannix to alike term with bard ÜBour. " ' AILBGEIS' INDiECBNT ASSAULT. Daniel Phillies pleaded Not Gnilty to a charge of having committed on indecent 1 assault upon a little girl named Phoobe Alice , Scholes, under 14 years of age, at the Lower * Hutt on'the 24th of the present month. The Cose was before thgj Magistrate's Court last ... week, and' there(Q?e' it is unnecessary to repeat tho detaiU) , Mr. H. S. 5100^6 was foreman of the jury.*" -Mr. Gully prosecuted on behalf* of the Crown, and the prisoner was undefended. - fLeft sitting.!