LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9775, 23 March 1895, Page 3

LAW AND POLICE.

SUPREME COURT.—Criminal Sittings. Friday. (Before His Honor Mr. Justice Conolly.] " CATTLE-STEALING. Frederick Edwin Good, who on Wednesday was convicted of killing a cow and stealing the carcase, was brought up for sentence. Mr. Cooper addressed the Courb in mitigation of penalty. The prisoner, he said, was a married man, with a family, and his father, an aged man, was living with them. He was practically the breadwinner of the family, and he had never before been convicted or charged with any offence. He asked His Honor to admit the accused to probation. He had already offered, and was still, willing, to pay for the cow, and if His Honor could not admib him to probation, he would appeal to the merciful consideration of the Courb bo deal with the accused as leniently as possible. Mr. Cooper did nob call witnesses. His Honor said the First Offenders Probation Act was a very valuable Act, and he gave effect to ib whenever he could, bub ib was not intended to apply to every ease of a firsb conviction. The sentence of the Courb was that accused be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for 12 calendar months.

THE J DRY CASES. Before resuming the hearing of the charge againsb Ah Mow, the charges of perjury against five accused persons were called, and they were charged separately. The charges arose out of evidence given by the accused on the 18th of December, as witnesses for the defence in the trial of Abraham Bowden on a charge of perjury. Thomas Kerwin swore thab at the time the assault on Dawson was alleged to hare been committed, Bowden could nob have struck Dawson. William Courtney, Roberb Guy, and Albert Dryland, swore that they saw Given, not Bowden, strike Dawson, and Samuel Given swore that ib was he and nob Bowden who struck Dawson. All the prisoners pleaded gcilty, and His Honor ordered thab they should be bronghb up for sentence in the afternoon. Subsequently the prisoners were broughb up for sentence. Four of the prisoners— kerwin, Courtney, Guy, and Dryland— wore nob represented by counsel. Detective Chrystal gave evidence as to their characters. Mr. Baume appeared for Given and addressed the Court in mitigation of sentence. His Honor told the prisoners thab the offence to which they had pleaded guilty was a very serious one fl for which they might be severely punished. He had sentenced Bowden to twelve months' imprisonment for a similar offence, and thab was nob the extent of the sontence which might have been passed on him, but believing as he did thab they were led away by a foolish notion of standing by their employer or companion rather than by a criminal intent he would not send them to prison bub admib them to probation for a period of twelve months. There being no obher cases for trial, the jurors, with the exception of those empanelled for the trial of Ah Mow, were discharged from further attendance.

UNNATCKAL OFFENCE. The hearing of the Jcharge against Ah Mow, a Chinaman, of having attempted to commit an unnatural offence sit Devon port, which had been partly heard on the previous afternoon was resumed. Mr. Tole prosecuted on behalf of the Crown, and Mr. O'Meagher appeared for the accused. The examination of the witnesses for the prosecution was continued. After the case for the prosecution had closed Mr. O'Meagher called evidonce as to character, the witnesses being the Kev. Canon Bates, Messrs. Oliver Mays, R. Duder, C. Bartley, and P. Peterson, all residents at Devon port, and all gave the accused arroxcellent character. Mr. Tolo did not reply. After the adjournment, his Honor summed up the case. The jury retired at three o'clock, and the foreman returned at '25 minutes to 4, saying that the jury was unable to agree, and desired to see the ground. His Honor said he could not consent to that, the jury must not separate. The foreman again retired. The jury announced at a late hour that they were unable to agree on a verdict, and "they were loeked up for the night. His Honor will attend at half-pasb nine this morning to receive the verdict of the juiv, or to discharge them if they have not agreed.