SUPREME COURT. (BY TELEGRAPH.) Dunedin, March 6.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 9410, 7 March 1899, Page 3

SUPREME COURT. (BY TELEGRAPH.) Dunedin, March 6.

The criminal sittings opened this mom* tnj?. Judge Ponnefafchor, uddroflsing tho ftfanrl jury, mid : •! t^rob to inform you th»t the calendar, though fthortorthan fchoao in other towna of tho Hamo fi'sso as Dunodin, ifl a largor ono than thorohaa boon on any previous) occasion daring fcho pant year. Ic would soem tint tho wavo of crime against morality, which ia ftpparonlly pasalngover thncoantry. hianofc lofb this diatriob utUouched, and ib is » mafctor for RorcoiiH contidoration whether Ib is really ovidonco of u fjottoml clobriorfttion of oharao^oc ainonghfc tho community, o« whether it merely is thub attention htw lately been drawn to an ovil which has j long boon lurking in nnr midst. In all offenccrt, and especially ofFonooH of thin kind, tho difllcully arifioB m to tho righb form of puniohmonl in tho c»no of jnvonilo offondoro, and I am worry to hivo to add th*b It. is a problem which ia still unflolved." Jamoa Tiowon Smith, for failing to comply with thetormoof a probation order, waa wontonced 10 b'ix months' imprisonment) on hid original offonoo of fchofb. At tho Supreme Court truo bills woro found in all tho caooh. James liowon Smith, who had boon admitted to probation last flosaion, after boing found guiKy of Hfconllng from tho railway Htatiot), not having observed tho torms of probation, was Hontonced to flix monihs. George Isaac West, aged 15 years, waa ohargod with rape at Byde, and being undofonded, wan BBflignod ooaneol, Mr Hanlon appearing. Tho jury wore nnablo to agree, and woro dtioharRodi Jamoa Oamoron, on two nhargpH of thofc. wag eonconcod to 12 months ; John Morrio, larcony from tho dwelling, 1.2 months ; Jamoa Maogrogor, breaking info a house and ottnling, nlno months; OharlcoJohn M'Lennan, Htealing an ovorcotjf, 10 months ; Robert Oarlylo, a'iaa J»mo8 Crawford, was found f<allty of hotiaohroiklng, nnd remanded lot medical opinion as to hid sanity.