Supreme Court.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 79, 4 April 1889, Page 3

Supreme Court.

Wellington, April 3. The Supreme Court Criminal Sessions opened this morning before Mr Justice .Richmond. His Honor's charge to the Grand Jury merely referred to the cases on the list. There were seven charges against seven prisoners, which were of an ordinary description. A true bill was returned againut Mary Smith charged with forging the name of her employer, Henry Sullivan, hotel keeper, to a cheque for ten pounds. The prisoner pleaded guilty. An application was made by accused's counsel to have the prisoner placed under the provisions of tha Probation Act. Mr Justice Richmond said that the offence was a most serious one. Be had never applied the Act to cases of lorgery because the act contemplated police surveillance, and he did not think it possible that the police could ■exercise surveillance over persons given lo that class ct crime. To hie mind plaoiag snoh a case as the present one under the Probation Act would Le inviting every servant in the colony to forge the name of her •employer once. The Judges were allowed *• a discretionary range, " but were too oiten asked to make the law rather than merely •Garry out the administration of the law. As in this case there were, however, circumatanoaa favorable to the prisoner, and he was SKft disposed to deal hurriedly with tbe case, he ordered the prisoner to be brought up Again to-morrow morning, Christchurch, April 3. At the Supreme Court the case of the -convict Jno. McManua charged with the murder of a fellow prisoner named William Cody at the defence works at fort Jervois, Sipa island, on January 26 began this morning. The accused pleaded nob gaMy. He is a man of doubtful sanity and extremely reserved taoiturn and sullen, in .prison, he has at times made irrational statements to the gaoler concerning priests and "women who he declared were in the cell, together with other extraordinary stories. When at work the obher prisonera made a Wtt of him with fatal consequences. The principal tormenter was Cody. The defence «tffc up by Mr Russell i 3 that accused ia of unsound mind.