TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 128, 31 May 1900, Page 5

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

UNNATURAL OFFENCE. A coloured man, Solomon Hiernaudies, was tried for an unnatural offence at the Te Ore Ore pah, near Masterton last Christmas Day. Accused pleaded Not Guilty, and Mr. I. Graves was foreman of the jury. Hiemaudies had the evidence interpreted to him in Spanish by Senor Arenas. Accused made a lonp; rambling state**

ment to the effect that he had lived 24 years under the Biitibh flag and had never had a complaint against him. He asserted his innocence of the charge, and blamed some other person. His Honour directed the jury that there was no proof as to the main charge, but if the jury believed the evidence, they might return a verdict of Guilty either for an attempted offence or indecent assault. The jury found the accused Guilty of attempting the offence, and he was remanded until to-morrow for sentence. ALLEGED THEFT. William M'Phee pleaded Not Guilty to a cahrge of theffc of two suits of c.othes, the property of Alfred Greenwood, on the 6th. February last;. Mr. D. Robertson was foreman of the jury. iUr. Greenwood is licensee of the A 1 Hotel, Wellington, and he last saw the clothes in his Avardrobe on the 6th Feb ruary On the 10th accused pawned part of one suit in the name of Johnston, and on the 17th he pawned part of the other suit witb another pawnbroker. M'Pbee called one. \wiuess, John Bell, ftoardinghouse-keepex , with, whom accused had. lived. Bell said that M'Phee had always paid his way while staying with him, and he had not seen the stolen articles in his possession. Accused said he pawned the clothes for a man named Johnson. The jury, without retiring, found accused Guilty. His Honour said prisoner had added to Iris offence the crime of perjury, and as lie had said in a previous case, he was not going to overlook that. Further, M'Phee had been 11 times convicted of various kinds of larceny during the last eight years. He was therefore an in corrigible thief as well as a perjurer. He was sentenced to a term of two years' imprisonment with hard labour CHARGE OF ASSAULT ON A GIRL. Francis Greer was indicted for indecent assault on a young girl about 16 at Tawa Flat ou the 13th December last. Mr. Skerrett appeared in defence of accused, who pleaded Not Guilty. Mr. T. P. Coveney was foreman of the jury. The offence was alleged to have taken place in a house which the accused, a carpenter, was building for the girl's father. She had gone there with a jug of tea sent by her mother for accused, who is said to have behaved as alleged. (Left Sitting.")