SUPREME COURT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 170, 5 July 1911, Page 2

SUPREME COURT

NAPIER CRIMINAL SESSIONS. (Before Mr. Justice Chapman.) Tuesday, July 4th. ALLEGED THEFT. Frank Oakley Skelton, who was j charged on two counts of theft of | bicycles from Hastings, appeared I this morning to stand his second I trial, the jiuy having disagreed in I the first. » Ac-riised pleaded not guilty, and j was defended by Mr. Dolan. j The following jury* was empauI piled : —G. Frederick Neilson, Jolm. P. Smith, William H. Piatt, M. Lauersen, C. Colhouu, W. Saunders, T. Bulled, F. Connor, C. Cecil Smith. W. Warren, F. J. Griffin, and I). Byford. Mr. J. P. Smith was elected foreman. The charge was amended by order of his Honour, from one of theft to one of receiving the 1 icycles knowing them to have been, stolen. Mr. Cornford then addressed the. jury. He said that the accused was a respectable man, but it was well known that there might be a lapse from the straight path. In most cases this declension was due j to drink, and appeared to be so in i the present case. The facts were i tlien recapitulated, as in the previ- ’ ous case. The story, of the meeting with a stranger that the accused told, who gave him two bicycles to paint, was gone over. The question of the receipt was then discussed. The value of the wife’s evidence in this case was gone into at some length. Evidence was then taken. The jury again disagreed. They retired at 1 o'clock yesterday anil returned, by order of his Honor, at ) 4.30 when they stated that there j was no chance of their agreeing on the matter. Justice Chapman pointed out that he had no power to discharge them and sent them back to deliberate. At 5.25 they returned with the same result as before.