LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9153, 7 September 1888, Page 3

LAW AND POLICE.

SUPREME COURT.—Criminal Sittings. Thursday. [Before His Honor Mr. Justice Gillies.} Charge of Arson against Mrs. Mahony. —Ann Mahony, a middle-aged woman, was arraigned on an indictment charging her that, on the '23rd of August, she feloniously, unlawfully, and maliciously set fire to a certain dwellinghouse, the property of James Mahony, situated in Clyde-street, Parnell, with intent to defraud the Colonial Insurance Company. There was a second count, charging her with setting fire to a building, and a third count, charging her with setting fire to certain matters and things within the houseto wit, rags on which kerosene had been poured —under such circumstances that if the house had caught fire it would have amounted to a felony. Mr. Hudson Williamson prosecuted, and Mr. Madden appeared for the prisoner, who pleaded not guilty. At the request of Mr. Madden, His Honor permitted the prisoner to bo seated. 'I. j circumstances of this case are so recent, the whole of the evidence taken in the lower Court having been published last week, that a very brief outline of it will be sufficient to refresh the memories of our readers. The accused resided with her husband, Thomas Mahony, the owner of the house, at Waikomiti, but came into town on the 22nd. She was seen to enter the house at about three o'clock on the afternoon of the 23rd, and half an hour afterwards the house was discovered to be on fire. As to motive, the house was insured for £100 in the Colonial Insurance office, and prisoner it was who negotiated the insurance, and generally looked after the property. A few months ago she endeavoured to have the property sold by auction, but it did not reach the reserve, and she bought it in. The house was mortgaged to another, Mr. Mahoney, for £100, and he would receive the insurance, but the benefit to the accused was that the land would then be free from incumbrance, so it would be some gain to prisoner' and her husband. When Mrs. Mahonv arrived on the 22nd, she went to a neighbour's, Mrs. Cronin, and stated that she intended to come to reside in the house for some time, as she was near her confinement, and her husband was to bring some furniture on Saturday, and she asked to be allowed to stay in Mrs. Croiiin's in the meantime. She slept there that night, and at about nine o'clock she went to her own honse, as she said, to clean it, and took a tub with her. She returned to Mrs. Cronin's at two o'clock, leaving again at half-past two o'clock, and she was seen to enter the house a little after three o'clock by a Miss Pigott, and about half -an - hour later she and others observed smoke issuing from the house. The house was burst open, and it was then seen that there was a fire over the mantelpiece which had no connection with any lire on the hearth. Some of the lining boards were cut out, and there was a strong smell of kerosene, and traces of kerosene having been liberally spread over the boards, and in a few minutes more the house Mould have been in flames. The accused did not come on the scene until after the fire was extinguished, and she then volunteered the statement that the house was not insured, and also made a number of contradictory statements. On the '2oth Mr. Graham, agent for the Colonial Insurance Company, in company with Inspector Broham and Constable Hobson, went to the house, and they found behind the lining boards a child's pinafore, and this was identified afterwards by the prisoner's daughter as hers, and she said that her mother brought it from Waikomiti when she came to town on the 22nd. A plan of the premises, prepared by Mr. James Slator, was put in, and evidence for the Crown was then given by the witnesses examined in the lower Court when the prisoner was committed for trial. After hearing the evidence for the prosecution, Mr. Madden opened the case for the defence, and called Mr. James Slator and Mr. Hogan to give evidence as to the faulty construction and state of the chimney. He then addressed the Court, and the Crown Prosecutor replied. His Honor summed up in favour of the prisoner ; and the jury, after an hour and three-quarters deliberation, brought in a verdict of "not guilty." The prisoner was discharged. This brought the criminal sittings to a conclusion, and the Court adjourned until ten o'clock next morning, when the civil sittings will commence. R.M. COURT.—Thursday. [Before Dr. Giles. R.M.] Judgments for Plaintiffs.ln the following undefended cases judgment was given for the plaintiffs : A. Cairns v. James Watson, £7 lis 9d, costs £1 12s ; T. Slater v. John Craig, £1 3s Id, costs 6s ; T. Slater v. W. G. Parker, £1 12s 3d, costs 6s ; H. A. Hoffmann v. the Dargaville Public Hall and Masonic Lodge Company, £45, costs £.3 ISs; E. Porter and Co. v. George Stokes, £5 lis sd, costs £1 12s; J. Hill v. J. Harper, £7 16s 2d, costs 13s ; W. J. Napier v. J. C. Cooper, £5, costs 18s ; A. Heather and Others v. P. J. Perry, £5 3s 6d, costs £1 lis; W. Rout v. T. Chappie, £1 6s 3d, costs 6s; D. Parker v. J. Haig, £1 Is, costs 6s ; C. G. Andrews and others v. I. Rout, £5 14s 9d, costs £1 lis; 1). N. Carter v. J. McKenzie, 9s, costs 9s; A. McClymont v. H. Ellis, £15 Ss 9d, costs £2 Is ; J. Smyth (Mount Eden Sawmills) v. J. Bound, £6 5s Bd, costs £1 15s; M. A. Hobbs v. I). Callaghan, £5, costs 18s fid ; Murray and Spencer v. Redfern, £3 13s sd, costs £1 8s (evidence for the defence was given at Christchurch) ; T. Slater v. T. O'Connor, £4 18s lid, costs 7s; T. Slater v. J. Howell, £1. 16s 3d, costs 7s. J. McDermott v. J. H. Dalton.—Claim, £19s 6s, for repairs to a building. Mr. Cotter appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. T. Cooper for the defendant. Evidence was given at considerable length, when a settlement was arrived at between the parties to the action. MANGAWAI COURT. August 24. [Before Messrs. Farrand anil Coutts, J.P.'s.] William Mackay was charged with the larceny of a bottle of J.D.K.Z. gin. A case came by the last steamer for Mr. N. J. Sarah, and was found on Monday morning opened and seven bottles gone. Suspicion fell on prisoner, who was seen drunk on Monday evening. He was seen to go to the tea - tree, and bring a bottle of J.D.K.Z. therefrom. Eventually he was charged with the theft, which he denied, but said those who had a drink out of the bottle with him had " rounded" on him. Constable Sturch arrested him, and found another bottle in the tea-tree. Prisoner said he had found his bottle in the tea-tree. He was a stranger, and had only come to Mangawai a few days. Sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour.— [Own Correspondent. J