CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIX, Issue 250, 30 October 1884, Page 2

CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

(YESTERDAY.) Embezzlement. Hugh Jones, la'.e legal manager of tinGreat Republic Gold Mining Company at Westport, was charged with stealing a cheque of the Company's payable to J Frank or bearer for &4lisGd, on the 18th April last. — Mr Fell appeared for the prosecution. The prisoner w;is undefended. The priucipal witness in this ea^c, Frank, had died since tlio case was heard before the Magistrate, but he had then sworn that he had not been paid the amount of his claim, £\ 1 Is (id, for which the cheque was givi-n. — The agent for the Colonial Bnnk at Wcstporb stilted th.-it the accused had paid into his own account in April last tho sum of £5 (!s (Jd, which included a chequo in favor of Frank for £\ 1 Is (Jd. — Under cross examination the witness staled that he did not think ifc v/cs anything very remarkable that the cheque of a Company should be paid into a private account.— The evidence being concluded, the Crown Prosecutor said he did not consider it, necessary to sum up The piisoncr then addressed" the jury, He said that the evidence simply had' reference to a chequ-j for £1 11s Gd. '1 hero was no proof whatever thafe the amount had not been paid to the man in whoso favor in had been drawn, and unfortunately he w:is since dead, and ho had no opportunity of cro.'Sexamining him. Surely there was nothing extraordinary in a cheque drawn by the directors of a Company being paid into a private account, so that unless they had positive proof th;it the money was stolen by him they should sny he was 'not guilty. He was at a great d isad van b.ige in not beirg defended by a solicitor, but he trusted they would weigh the evidence and give him the benefit of the doubt, which most certainly existed. His Honor briefly summed up. and stated that the man Frank, who was the most important witness, had died since the committal of the prisoner, but in such cases the law provided that the depositions made before the Magistrate might be reedy, d in evidence provided that the prisoner had full opportunity of cross-examining- the witness at, l he preliminary hearing. He then read the depositions, which showed that Frank had not been paid up to that time. The jury were then sent to their room, and after an absence of ten minutes returned with a verdict of Not Guilty. The Crown Prosecutor then said there were five other indictments. His Honor asked the prisoner if his recognisances were here, and on being answered in the negative said that he would have tc be placed in custody until to-morrow. The prisoner said that two charges had been preferred against him ac Westport: on one he had been committej, and the oihci had been withdrawn. He should like tc know what charges there were against him His Honor said he would be supplied with full particular?, and as he was undefended by counsel it would be his (the Judge's; duty to see that the indictments were properly drawn.