SUPREME COURT SESSIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVVII, Issue 36, 12 February 1909, Page 3

SUPREME COURT SESSIONS.

CHARGE OF BIGAMY.— "NOT . GUILTY." AUCKLAND, 11th February. At the Supreme Court this afternoon, Albert Ernest Trail was tried on a charge of having, at Coromandel, on 16th July, 1903, gone through the marriage ceremony with a young woman, his wife, Elizabeth Catherine, whom he married at Auckland on 4th March, xB9O. being then alive. The circumstances were that Trail, after living with his first wife for some time after their marriage, separated from her, and in July of 1903 married the second woman The prisoner, when first charged, admitted that he knew the first wife was alive just before he married the second one, but he had not seen her for ten or eleven years, aud had been told that she was dead. He also told the young woman he married that he was not certain whether his wife was alive or not. Chief Detective Marsack stated that when charged the prisoner remarked : "I was suspecting something like this, but I don't call it bigamy, as I had not seen my first wife for ten or eleven years when I married the second." After an hour's retirement the ' jury returned with a verdict of "Not guilty." | ALLEGED ATTEMPTED MURDER. Robert Carr, alias Graydon, alias Kelly, was charged with attempted murder, and causing actual bodily harm with intent, on a river steamer between Mangarata, and Dargaville on 25th November last. Mr. Tole, the Crown Prosecutor, pointed out that the prisoner was a passenger on the steamer, and had a dispute with a fellow passenger. The captain, with the idea of quietening his troublesome passengers, invited them below. The ruse was ' not altogether successful, and while the master of the vessel was still endeavouring to pacify the men he was shot in the back, and a pistol was taken from the accused. As a result of the wound the captain was incapacitated for five weeks. The jury, after an hour's consideration, returned with a verdict of "Guilty" of having caused actual bodily harm under such circumstances that if death had occurred the prisoner would have been guilty of manslaughter. Sentence was deferred till to-morrow..