SUPREME COURT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 29, 4 February 1907, Page 8

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS. The quarterly criminal sittings of the Supreme Court opened this morning, before Mr. Justice Cooper. THE GRAND JURY. The following were sworn in as a grand jury: — Messrs. W. Cable (foreman), A. P. Webster, W. Ferguson, J. Myers, A. Hobson, W. Hendry, H. J. Shelton, J. H. BaTkpr, J. Smith, H. G. Clapham, J. J. Roberts' A. Duncan, J. P. Brandon, J. Pettit, R. Levin, D. A. Abercombie, E. G. F. Zohrah, J. S. Jameson, Thomas Warren, H. Crump, C. E. i'ordham, J. Scott, and J. H. Mentiplay. His Honour then charged tho grand jury at considerable length. His remarks were of exceptional interest, and are dealt with at length in other portions of this issue. TRUE BILLS. True bills were returned in the following cases before 1 p.m. : — Joseph Kelly, breaking and entering and theft; Alexander M'Lean, breaking and entering and theft'; James Boyle, theft (two charges) ; Noon Assad, theft ; Rhoderick M'Kenzie, breaking and entering and theft ; KenBeth Harold Kidd and Michael O'Donnell, assault and robbery. ALLEGED liiIbAKINU AND ENTERING. •nrtcr a short retirement the grand jury returned a true bill against Alexander M'Lean, charged with breaking ing and entering and theft. M'Lean was then put on trial. Mr. Myers appeared for tho Crown ; accused was undefended. ,Mr. R. A. Wright was foreman of the jury. The charge against accused was that at Martinborough he did enter the dwelling of James Adams, licensee of the Club Hotel, and steal therefrom £1 in money, six bottles of brandy, four bottles of whisky, and ten flasks of whisky. Accused, who was employed about tho hotel, left it on 27th December last, and on the nigno following the bar was broken into and the theft charged Was committed. Accused was found next day with a bottle of whisky and a bottle of brandy in his pocket, branded exactly as the stolen spirits wcro branded. When asked where ho got tho bottles from he said he bought them from Mr. Butler, licensee of another hotel. Evidence was given to establish that this statement was untrue. After an absence of a quarter of an hour, the jury brought in a verdict of guilty against M'Lean. His Honour reserved sentence until this afternoon, when M'Lean was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour. . ALLEGED THEFT. Joseph Kelly was charged that on 6th June last, at Featherston, ho did steal a pair of riding boots, an overcoat, -»ivJ some articles of household use from Herbert James Fowler, formerly of Featherston, and now of Uppar Hult. Mr. Myers appeared as Crown Prosj(,utor. Accused was undefended. Tho ovidence showed that Mr. Fowl»r was transferring his quarters from Featherston to Upper Hutt, and left his belongings to be consigned to him. The house at Featherston was broken into that evening and the articles named in the charge wore stolen. In a second-hand shop at Wellington Fowler some time afterwards saw a pair of boots which he recognised as his stolen property. His name was in the boots. Enquiries by the police showed that the boots were sold to the keeper of the shop by accused Kelly, end (his vas admitted by Kelly himself, who asserted that they ware "given to him in Queensland by Dan Fitzgerald, for whom he used to ride." Kelly was found guilty of "receiving," and sent to gaol for 12 months. THEFT.. James Boyle, indicted for theft of a bicycle from Jeremiah John Mahony, and of a horse, dray, and harness, from. John Hamilton, pleaded guilty,

and was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment.. (Left sitting.)