SUPREME COURT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 8148, 20 April 1887, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SESSIONS. TIMARU. Tuesday, April 19, (Before His Honor Mr Justice Johnston.) The Court opened this morning. Mr E. Elworthy was chosen foreman of the Grand Jury. True bills were returned in all cases. FORGERY. Thomas Rooney, for forgery at Oamaru (two chargee) of cheques cn the Bauk of New Zealand and the National Bank, respectively, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to two years. STEALING FROM A DWELLING. - Eliza Whittet pleaded guilty tc a charge of stealing jewellery over the value of £5 from the dwelling of one Henry at Timaru on March 25. It appeared that she was now serving a sentence of two years for a similar offence at Dunedin, and, with considerable emotion, she now handed up a written document, asking for a remission of sentence on account of the illness of her husband, and the sad condition of her eight children. His Honor, while pitying those, said he had no power to commute the sentence, and the prisoner was sent to gaol for three years, this sentence to take effect at the expiration of her present tezm. BURGLARY. Thomas Qilmour, an old man of G 7, was charged with being in the house of W. T. Serimgeour about four in the morning with a felenious intent. From the evidence it appeared that the prosecutor, a sheep farmer, was awakened at the hour named by stealthy footsteps in the house, anert on opening his door he saw the figure of a man dash past. Hu gave chase into tho back yard, and there collared the prisoner, whom he and a neighbour, who had come to his assistance, identified. Next morning a pair of binocular glasses, which prosecutor had left the previous night on an escritoire, were found near the place where the prisoner was captured. The prisoner exhibited considerable cuteness in crossexamination. His defence was that, on the night in question, being in liquor, be lay down in a paddock near the house and went to sleep, and that on awakening he sought shelter in the bouse, the door of which was open, and that an nobody saw him throw away or drop the binocular there was no evidence of felonious intent. The Jury found him “ Guilty/* He was quite unknown to the police, but his Honor refused to believe this was really his first offence, which indeed his air belied. He was given the benefit of the doubt, and sentenced to a year’s imprisonment, with hard labour. HOUSEBREAKING AND LARCENY. J. Anderson and J. Grant, two ruffianly looking young men, were charged with breaking the house of the Misses Henderson. at Otepopo, on March 24,, and stealing therefrom certain coins and a morocco pocket-book. The prisoners pleaded “ Not Guilty,” and the prisoner Grant conducted their joint defence. Prom the evidence of the prosecutrices, it appeared that they left their house at noon on March 24, and on returning found it had been entered and the articles abstracted from it. Constable Joyce proved the arrest and the finding in the possession of the prisoners a coin marked with initials and bored with a hole, which the ladies fully identified. Grant displayed a great deal of ability in cross-examining the witnesses, and made an artful, though transparent defence. He said they had been hard working men, who had made and spent money in the district, and urged that they might have got this threepenny bit in change somewhere. It appeared that they were ccmparatively recent arrivals from London, who had, however, served 12 months in Christchurch for horse stealing. His Honor said they were evidently a pair of gaol birds. Grant being the worst. They would go to gaol for three years. PERJURY. James Spratley was charged with perjury at Temuka, in connection with an information laid by him in February last against Constable John Morton for assault. The indictment was most voluminous, covering an immense sheet of parchment. The case has been already reported in full. Mr Tosswill raised an objection to the indictment, and His Honor said there was doubt as to the evidence, and directed the jury to return a verdict of acquittal.

[Per Press Association.] WANGANUI, April 19, At the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice, in a brief address to the Grand Jury, merely stated that there were no cases calling for attention at his hands. No bill was found against Johnston, charged with rape, the girl being a consenting party. Angelique Thiressa pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing a watch and chain, and was remanded till to-morrow for the purpose of ascertaining what this historical character, as the Chief Justice called her, had been doing since she was last convicted of petty theft, about four years ago. The criminal business is likely to finish to-day. The civil list is very heavy, and will probably take two weeks. INVERCARGILL, April 19. The Supreme Court sessions opened this morning before Judge Williams. Tho Judge congratulated the Grand Jury on the lightness of the calendar, there being only four cases, one breaking and entering, one receiving, one attempted suicide, and [one rape on a young child. The Grand Jury returned true bills in all the cases. A-h Wahjjwho attempted suicide by cutting

his throat with a meat cleaver in consequence of a quarrel with bis father, pleaded guilty, and was released on his father’s recognizance in ,£3O to keep the peaceforsix months. William Henry Irwin, breaking, entering, and stealing £2O worth of goods from the stores of Whittingham Bros, and Instone, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years. In the charge against Sulieman (a Malay, long resident on Stewart Island), accused of a criminal assault on a Native gitl, eleven years of age, the jury did not agree, and were locked up. Accused’s counsel endeavoured to show that a section of the Native residents on the Island had a grudge against Sulieman.