OFFENCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8883, 20 May 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

OFFENCES.

THE HELENA BAY TRAGEDY. Inspector Broham and Detective Chrystal went to Kamo on April 23 to inquire into the Helena Bay murder case. The Inspector and Constable Sheehan returned in the afternoon, with Butler, the accused man. He was lodged in the Whangarei lock-up. The coroner's inquest was held at Helena Bay on April 21,- when a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against Butler was returned.

At Whangarei on April 26, before Messrs. Jos. Bell, J. I. Wilson, and R. Reyburn, J.P.'s, Robert Butler was charged with the wilful murder of Arthur Kettan, at Helena Bay, on the 21st April. Inspector Broham conducted the prosecution for tho police. The prisoner was defended by Mr. E. Clendon, of Devore and Cooper. A large number of witnesses gave evidence of the offence having been committed, and tho admission made by the accused ; also of a bad feeling long existing by Butler against the deceased, and that deceased had several times told his neighbours that Butler had threatened to shoot him. The inquiry concluded on April 23, when the prisoner was committed for trial.

An audacious and successful robbery took place at Remuera on Thursday, May 5, between the hours of twelve and two p.m., the premises of Mrs. Haywood having been entered between those hours and a lanre quantity of jewellery abstracted during the absence of the inmates, in fact, a clean sweep was made of watches, bracelets, and jewellery of all descriptions, valued at about £50. On Friday, May 6, the residence of Mr. W. Morpeth, Dunedin-street, Ponsonby, was broken into and entered in a somewhat similar fashion. The articles missing from the residence are : One diamond ring, value £16 ; four diamond studs, £5 ; two pipes, four silk handkerchiefs, and a pair of boots, of tho total value of £23 16s. On May 10 Constable Foreman succeeded in recovering the diamond ring. A mysterious robbery has been perpetrated on board the s.s. Tarawera, of £160 from the cabin of the purser, Mr. Henry Taylor, and it is believed the affair took place while the steamer was lying alongside the wharf in Sydney, prior to her sailing for this port. The money stolen was nearly all in gold, but the silver, consisting of a few pounds, was all nearly now, being got from passengers by the P. and O. line.

The hearing of a certain charge of a serious character, brought against Mr. E. M. C. Harrison, tho well-known and highlyrespected head-master of the Beresfordstreet Public School, was proceeded with by the Board of Education on April 25. _ Tho charge was first brought under the notice of the Board at its sitting on Friday, April 22, and further consideration was postponed until Saturday morning, when the parties concerned were present. The whole proceedings were carried on in committee, and were, of course, strictly private. Monday, April 25, was occupied with the hearing of the evidence of three boys and their parents, each witness being very carefully examined. Mr. Harrison, and his solicitor (Mr. Edwin Hesketh), were in attendance. After the adjournment for luncheon, Mr. Harrison was heard in defence, and Mr. Edwin Hesketh addressed the Board at some length on behalf of his client. The parties then retired, and the members of the Board proceeded to discuss the charges. It was finally resolved, " That the evidence taken, together with Mr. Harrison's statement and his defence, bo forwarded to the District School Committee for their information, and for any suggestions thereon ; and that in the meantime Mr. Harrison besusponded from his duties as head master, pending further resolution of the Board." The committee refused to undertake the enquiry, and the Board adjourned the further hearing of the case to enable Mr. Harrison to prepare a defence.

At the Police Court on the 17th May, before Dr. Giles, R. M., the details of a sad case of wife desertion were touched upon. It appears that a man named James Arthur Stitchbury, who was holding a good position here in the employ of Messrs. Ehrenfried Bros., eloped by the Mariposa on the 23rd of April last with a certain woman, leaving an invalid wife and five children behind him, in utterly destitute circumstances. Fortunately, however, this man has left some property behind to which he is entitled under his father's will, and Dr. Giles was able to make an order that the executors should set aside a sum amounting to £1 a-week for the maintenance of the wife and her family. Dr. Giles stigmatised the case as a gross and scandalous one. At the New Plymouth Police Court 011 May 2 John Hay Green, grocer, of Waitara, was fined £25 for having tobacco j in his possession for which Customs duty had not been paid. Defendant's son stated he bought the tobacco from a hawker in I Lyttelton for 3s (id per lb.

A number of rather serious charges were heard at the Police Court on May 16 before Captain Harris and Mr. W. Dinniston, J.P.'s. Several charges of juvenile crime were" dealt with, two little boys being punished for breaking into a shop at Ellerslie and stealing some cigarettes, oranges, and lollies. Ernest Lawson, charged with having committed certain thefts at Ponsonby, was committed for trial. A Maori woman, Aretakunu, was received into the Hamilton Hospital on Friday, the 13th May, in a very critical condition, the result of a murderous assault of her husband, Te Miri Rangi Toheriri, a chief of the Nsatiwhairansri. Dr. Kenny is fearful that blood poisoning may supervene, he husband was arrested at lvinikihi, where the occurrence took place. Bail was refused by the police, and the prisoner was brought up before the Te Awamutu Bench on May 14.