SUPREME COURT.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2685, 25 September 1871, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

CIVIL SITTINGS. Saturday, (Before His Honor Mr Justice Chapman.) Wilson v. Gilmour Brothers.— 'ibis case, in which William Wilson, of Dunedin, sued the defendants for L 143 10s, for machinery supplied, advanced another stage, Mr Macassey, instructed by Mr Harris, for the plaintiff; and Mr Barton for the defendants. Additional evidence was given by plaintiff, and three other witnesses were examined. At five o’clock the Court adjourned to to-morrow week. CRIMINAL JURISDICTION. This Day. (Before a Special Jury.) CHARGE OF ARSON. F. W. Reichelt was again put upon bis trial for feloniously, unlawfully, and maliciously setting lire to bis j>remises in Princes street, with intent to defraud the New Zealand Insurance Company. As in the first case, there was a second cmint charging him with setting fire to his premises with intent to defraud different Insurance Companies. Mr Smith for the prosecution ; Mr Barton, with him Mr Stout, for the defence. On the names of the jury being called, Mr Barton objected to Mr Rutherford going into the box, bn the ground that he had been heard to express very strong opinions regarding the case. His Honor said he could hardly imagine any person under direction of the Court would give effect to any preconceived opinion, and that unless he had some specific evidence justifying a contrary course, he thought he ought to be allowed fo sit on the jury. Mr Rutherford then entered the witnessbox, and said that he had no preconceived opinion on the subject; that in fact the only opinion be had formed was based upon the newspaper reports of the trial; but of course he would not allow such opinions to influence his judgment in the present case either one way or the other. His Honor said as the counsel for the defence had objected, M? Rutherford had better be allowed to retire, but in doing so there was not the slightest imputation by the Court that he would net have fulfilled his duty as a juror impartially. During the impaneling of the jury some other names were objected to. The names of tho jurors are; Hugh M ‘Demid (foreman), William Barron, Donald Borrie, George Blyth, George Duncan, Sydney Hodge, Robert Howlison, Kenneth M'Leod, Henry Morrison, John Nichol, John Keith, and James H. Smith. Mr Smith intimated that in making bis statement he did not propose to go minutely into the whole of the case, but to confine himself mainly to the evidence on which the Crown proposed to base the charge against the prisoner. Mr Barton objected, saying be wanted the case to be fully and fairly stated. Mr Smith then proceeded to state the case, and merely detailed the facts with which our readers are now so familiar, that they need not be repeated, (Left Sitting.)