SUPREME COURT. CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 30, 5 February 1908, Page 8

SUPREME COURT. CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

A CARTEiiTON CASE. The criminal sittings of the Supreme Couit were continued yesterday afternoon before Mr. Justice Chapmen. John George Coulson answered to his bail on an indictment charging h.m ■with the theft of a horse, trap, and harness, on 16th October, 1907, at Cari torton, tho property of Cico. Hy. Perry. Accused, for whom Mr. Morau appeared, pleacieci ijot gtu'Hy. Mr. G. A. Biuley was foreman of the jury. The" rate for the Crown was that last year Perry handed over a carting ■contract to accussd, tosethor with certain plant, incJnding a horse, trap, and harness, for which ho was to pay £15 at tha rate of .^3 a month. The ptu--th.iss monty was not paid, notwithstanding whii'h accused sold tho horse, trap, and .harness to a third person., Tho agreement between Coulson and Perry specifically stated that the hone, imp, and harness, were not to become Coulfun's property until the purchase money was paid, but- when the sale to the third ' person was made accused stated that the were hio prc^ pert}' and not Perry's. Giving evident .: ou his own behalf-, the priEoner slated that the agreement in question "was dissolved >,a week after it was made. When at was being prepared he stated that all' the property in dispute belonged to hib, but Perry denird that, and there j.he matter ended. Tliu jury returned a verdict of 1 not guilt:.". Accused also pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing two pigs,, the property of Geo. Hy. Perry. By his Honour's direction ths jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and the prisoner was discharged. The court then adjourned till this morning. ■ t TO-DAX'S PROCEEDINGS. Tho crimincl sittings of the Supreme Cou.t were resumod this morning. PLEA OP GTJILTWj Adeline Lilian May Frances pleaded guilty to a charge of Having . on l?th November, at Wellington; iorged an acknowledgment of receipt of a registered lotter containing £A. Mr. Wilford asked for, leniency on bekclf of tho accused. Sn6 was at the time of the offence, he said, living with a m*tt' rtattwd litfwian, and gotiig by kis name.. Whan jn the post office 'she heard a wounn asking for a registered latter for Maud Tierncy. The letter was not there them, buo prisoner conceived the- idea .that she could get the money, as she thought the woman had *sked in the name of Tiernan. When the levtur arrived she received it, and signed for /it in the name of Maud T?evney, and cashed the enclosed money erder. He urged that sho should ' be convicted and ordered to come up for aentenco when called ujion, a course which he regarded as a great deterrent to fiuiher cun.e. Ke added that prisoner nad already been two months in gaol awaiting rrial. His Honour imposed a sentence of three months' impiisonment in Wellington gaol, with hard labour. ALLEGED ASSAULT. Phyllis I'crrnra, a young woman, was charged that ou,j.st January, 1908, she did wound Gustav % Tamm viith intent to do grievous bodily harm. Prisoner, who pleaded not guilty, was not represented by counsel. Mr. p. A. Hurley was foreman of the -jury. \ 'ihe main features of. the case- have already been reported. Prisoner was living with Tamui'at a house in Drtun-mond-stvest, occupied by one Trainor. On the night of 51st December accused, Tainm, and tho other occupants of ihe house stayed up late, and prisoner, and Tamm went to their room abput 2 o'clock on the morning of the Ist. Trouble occurred subsequently in the room, which culminated in Tamm being wounded in the neck 'in two places with a razor. Tha prosecution alleged thac the wounds were inflicted by prisoner. Tamm had evidently been drinking, and Msid he did not remember anything about the circumstances of the case. At fche police station prisoner Enid that when she nnd Tamm were in the bedroom ' Trainer came into ! the room and itsked her if she had any money. She said no, whercupon«he (Trainor) hit her, knocking her over. Tamm said, "Servo you rignt ; you deserved all you got." She got a razor and cut his neck. ' Spaaki.ig from the dock in her own behalf, prisoner said that Peter Trainor knocked hor down and also knocked Tamm down. Tamm also assaulted her, and sho could not sse out of her eyes. Trainor was the cause of the whole trouble. They / were all against her, and she had tc/ do something. After a hifet rotiremerit, tha jury returned with a verdict of guilty of unlawfully wounding/ but recommended the prisoner to mercy on the ground of the unreliable nature of tho of two of the Trainbrs and Ihe general condition of muddle of tho whole party through drink, which rendered the act the act of a momont and not one of premeditation. < , . His Honour rsmanded prisoner for , sentence until to-moirow.