SUPREME COURT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue I, 15 October 1878, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

The quarterly session of the Supreme Court was held at Wellington, beginning on Monday last. Mr. Justico Richmond presided. The Grand Jury threw out the bill against Jacob Hebberley lor felony. Henry Aldridge, charged with indecent assault upou Elizabeth 41. Savell, a givi 14 years of age was fouud " no* «uilty," as the evidence disclosed the feat that the girl wus a consenting party. Eliza Broughton, Marian Bradford, and Mary McGee, were sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment fbr the larceny of £7, tho property of a Maori named Himiona 'fe Uha.

Alfred Wm. Thompson^ for receiving threo watches knowing them to have been stolen from the dwelling of Thomas Walker, of Wellington, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. The Judge, in sentencing him, said a meaner or more rascally line of busiuess could not be iin* agined than that of hanging about a drunken man, in order to obtain what he could — for that was wha^ lieL (prisoner) had done. JM ' Wm. Naylor Arnold was charged^ wi&--fc^iftg^tfcompj^^ James Wall, by shooting at him with a pistol. Prisoner >vas calied upon to plead, but, instead of replying, he put a maniacal grin upon his coun* ton ance, and stared round the Court. The Crown Prosecutor then intimated to tho Court that prisoner, was not iv his sano mind. A jury was empaunellfld to determine whether prisoner was sane or not, and after hearing the evidence of Dr John* stou, (iaol Surgeon, the Warder of tho Q&ol, prisoner's uncl j , and Mr Wall, whom prisoner attempted to shoot, the jury found prisoner to be not of sane mind, tlis Honor con* burred in this decision, antl^fe||ally ordered prisoner to be kept lfnKife" custody until the pleasure of her Majesty was known.

George Lorimer, charged with the larceny of a gold diamond .ring;aftd>, gold pin, the property of J. H. Sohwabe, admitted the theft of the ; pin, but said he picked up the xing, which had fallen off prosecutor* finger whilst tho worse for liquor, and as prosecutor had owed him I money, had pawned it. He was sen; ienced' to 12 months' imprisonment. < f Joseph Higginson, charged with J stealing i£47'l'rom JftfeliaKi Mtlfy, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment : f wf Nepia Topitahi, charged witl^ perjury at , Gisbo-vne, was <ijfu?4? #qt V guilty, and -discharged.; . ."J. .J,,'-,-/ Henare Pete aad Piujeamiui Tui

haka were ' charged with tlie! : faifch* ■*' slaughter of a Maori woman named Hina Te Whakarau. Thisi Was the " Waiapu murder , ease, V abtmt which there was so much talk some weeks ago. The evidence disclosed 1 a ■ shocking condition tit morals

amongst the East Coast Maoris. Tlje > prisoners were found '• not guilty^' I