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Lake County Press, Issue 695, 13 February 1896, Page 2

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At the Invercargill Supreme Court Henry W. Johnson, alias Ernest J. Everett, 28 years of age, was indicted with having on January 27tb, altered a cheque given him by Daniel M‘Bride, of Queenstown, for the sum of £1 10s to £4O 10s. Accused pleaded “ Not Guilty,” and complained to his Honor that the police had money in their possession belonging to him which he required to aid him in his defence, and which they refused to give up to him. Therefore he was without legal assistance which prejudiced Ins defence. On a recent occasion when Mr Macalister was at the gaol he had said he would undertake the defence, and he (prisoner) had given Mr Macalister an order on the gaolor to receive the money but the order was not complied with. His Honor remarked that possibly someone else had a claim on the money. Mr Macdonald said that the police were not justified in relinquishing money. Prisoner then said : Then your Honor, I am not allowed the use of my money for my defence. Accused ejected to give evidence and said that when he took up the cheque in M‘Bride’s house he did not see the amount, but folded it up and put it into his cigar case without looking at it. Only found it on the Monday following, and it was folded small. Did not look at it when ho presented it at the bank, and believed it was for £1 10a. When the bank clerk handed him £4O 10s he did not make any re mark, but took the money and felt assured that there had been a mistake made by someone, and that the banker had given him too much. His Honor sentenced him to 18 months’ imprisonment with hard labor, and made an order for the refund of money found in prisoner’spossesaion to the Bank of New Zealand.

The Grown Prosecutor said prisoner had arrived in the colony from Victoria in September last and had been convicted and sentenced on a charge of obtaining money by false pretences in Dunedin, to one month’s imprisonment. The information laid against Timothy Hayes, Leonard Smith, John Loughlin and George Campbell for alleged illegal betting on the racecourse at Winton on December 18th last, was dismissed by Mr Poynton. London, February 11.

“ Birdie ” Sutherland, of the Gaiety Company, brought an action for bread) of promise of marriage against the Hon D. O. Marjoribanks, eldest sou of Baron Tweedrnoufch, claiming ,£20,000 damages. The case has been settled by a payment of £SOOO. Monsignor Verdon, until recently President of the the Ecclesiastical College in Manly, New South Wales, founded by Cardinal Moran, has been appointed R.O. Bishop of Dunedin. Shortly after the late sitting of the Synod in Australia Monsignor Verdon proceed to Rome.