A CONSPIRACY CASE.

Evening Star, Issue 7875, 6 April 1889, Page 4

A CONSPIRACY CASE.

The Christchurch criminal sittings were concluded last evening, when John Carter, Arthur Harrison, and Thomas Diuard were found guilty of conspiring to falsely accuse John Godfrey Cook of obtaining L 25 by false pretences at Kaikoura, and were sentenced to two years' hard labor each. The case was a somewhat curious one. Cook (prosecutor), who owed an account to Carter (one of the accused), who was a storekeeper at Kaikoura, could not pay ; and Carter, with Harrison (his shopman) and Dinard, trumped up a story that Cook had obtained L 25 from Harrison by calling at the shop in Carter's ab~ence, and telling Harrison that his employer wished the money to be paid to Cook, who had given a receipt for it. Cook was charged with false pretencss at the Kaikoura Magistrate's Court and discharged. During the case D ! *nrd swore he lrird Harrison counting out L 25 in notes ti Cook. A receipt for this sum was not produced, but Carter's books contained an ent y of its having been paid. The jury were absent an hour and forty minutes, and then fourd all three accused guilty. Their counsel asked for thsm to be placed on probation. Mr Justice Deuniston said the case was clearly not one for prok.Lion, and sentenced each of the accused to two years' hard labor, expressing regret that, as the cii; 3 was one of common law misdemeanor, he considered he was unable to give them penal servitude.