YESTERDAY'S TELEGRAMS.

Evening Star, Issue 5233, 12 December 1879, Page 4

YESTERDAY'S TELEGRAMS.

Benjamin Duval has been arrested at Auckland for forgery. Te Kuiti news states that Rewi is laying there iIJ, and is not expected to recover. A case of theft, arising from extreme poverty, was heard before the Auckland Police Court. Mrs Maggie Fair pleaded guilty to stealing some small articles from a shop. Her husband was working for Dempeey, the reclamation contractor, and he had not received his wages. Friends had been assisting to keep the family. The magistrate dismissed the prisoner, under the circumstances, with a reprimand. At the Napier circuit sitting a Maori, convicted yesterday of criminal assault on a girl under twelve years of age, was sentenced to one year's imprisonment. Taraia Te Raihe, for perjury, and Hoko Mokia, for aiding and abetting in the same, were sentenced, the former to three months and the latter to six months. Jane Bridge, larceny, six months ; Callaghen and John Thompson, larceny, six montha. In the case of Edward Luering, charged with petting fire tO the Working Men's Club at Norsewood, the jury were locked up for the night. The only case remaining to be tried is that of M'Lellan, for wife murder, which is expected to last more than a week, as there are thirty-three witnesses for the prosecution. In the criminal assault case the prosecutrix was under ten years of age, and the indictment had to be altered, as it was evident that she was a consenting party. The foreman of the Grand Jury (Mr Kinross) state;! that when before them the girl did not appear to understand the nature of an oath in any degree. Mr Justice Richmond personally questioned her, whensheaaidthatsheattended church and school, but had never heard of God, nor been taught morality. His Honor said there appeared to be a most deplorable state of things in the Poverty Bay district. It was anything but creditable to pakeha3, who had occupied the land so long, that ignorance, immorality, and crime of every description should be so rife there. In the case {of J. W. Ivess, for forgery, the jury brought in a verdict of " Guilty, without felonious intent." Mr Justice Richmond said that amounted to an acquittal, and ordered the discharge of the accused. At the Timaru sessions Thomas Hunt, charged with cattle-stealing, was found not guilty ; W. C. Graham, cutting and wounding Thomas Martin with an axe, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment; Edward Jeffrey, attempting tc upßet a train, was acquitted.