SUPREME COURT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIX, Issue 13139, 29 May 1903, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

Thursday, May 28.

(Before his Honor Mr Justios Denniston.)

A SENTENCE. Alfred Ford, who had pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court to a charge of having attempted criminal assault at Amberley on May 11, cam© up for sentence. Accused, a boy of eighteen, asked for probation, on account of his youth, stating that his lifo would be ruined if he were. sent to gaol. His Honor said that if, as accused stated, his life was ruined, it would be owing to •his own conduct. Ho was aged only eighteen, but the offence to which he had pleaded guilty was not only serious in its nature but disgraceful in its incidents. He had gone to the house of a woman aged sixty-two years, attracted her out by a falso storv and then applied all his strength to a determined and deliberate attempt at outrage, accompanying the assault by obscrvations which showed that he knew perfectly well what he was about." It was ridiculous to talk of probation in such a case. The Court had to consider the interests and safety of the public. The Probation Officer, moreover, reported that accused's conduct had been bad, and that he had previously made indecent proposals to oblu-r women. The sentence would bo two years' imprisonment, its' comparative shortness being on account of accused's youtli. IN CHAMBERS. His Honor Mr Justice Demiiston aat ia Chambers at 11 a.m.

Letters of administration were granted in ro Bridget Doyle, deceased (Mr Papprill), and Daniel Flanagan (Mr Cassidy). In re William Mahr, motion to discharge executor (Mr Franks), his Honor said that he would require further information. Probate was granted of the wills of the following deceased persons:—Thomas Chapman- (Mr Papprill), Charles Anderson (Mr Papprill), Ellen Thompson (Mr Papprill), Charles James Young (Mr Papprill), William Wales (Mr Beswick), Joseph Dickinson (Mr Widdowson), Thomas Skollv (Mr Malley), Elizabeth. Hodgson (Mr Crcsswell), Isabella M'Kay (Mr Cassidy), Horace Harris (Mr Widdowson), and A. Donahue (Mr Malley). In Wheeler and another (Mr Harper) v. Blake, summons for interrogation, his Honor heard argument. ' He. then ordered the case to stand over.

His Honor gave judgment in Coates v. M'Millan and the New -ZealandMidland Railwav Company. He 'said that the deed ol release should follow the terms of the decree of indemnity. IN BANKRUPTCY. His Honor also held a sitting in bankruptcy. Eight applications for release by the Official Assignee -were granted. In H. and fl?. Darby (Mr Mills), Ins Honor granted an application for discharge. [Per Pkess Association.] . DUNEDIN, May 28. The trial of Ramsay and Cairns, for robbery and assault, was not concluded today. Evidence was called for the defence to prove an alibi, and the Crown called rebutting -evidence. Ramsay, in his evidence, alleged that a. cardboard box found in his luggage had- been placed there, by someone, presumably -detectives. This box contained material which evidently belonged to a bit found when Herbert Haynes and Co.'s safe was robbed some years ago. A gaol warder gave evidence that the box, or a similar one, was in Ramsay's box when he was in gaol. The case will probably conclude tb-onorrow.