LAW AND POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11540, 27 November 1900, Page 3

LAW AND POLICE.

SUPREME COURT.—Criminal SITTIWO®. The criminal sitting of the Supreme Court were continued yesterday by His Honor "Mr. Justice Conolly. , .• ;J. PERJURY CASES. Mary Katherine Lock was indicted that at the sitting of the Magistrate's Court in. Auckland, on Sept-ember 22 last, she did commit perjury in the? hearing of a com■<plaint .against' one- Walter Williams, by swearing to the effect (1) that she never saw Charles Peters and' John Hancock previous to that date; (2) that she did not supply two bottles of beer on the night of September 8 (3) that she was not paid 5s for beer that night: (4) that she. first saw the said Walter Williams on the night cf Sunday, September 9; and (5) that the said Walter Williams violently assaulted her and committed rape upon her. The Hon. J. A. Tole appeared for the Crown, while prisoner waa not . ■ represented by counsel. Prisoner pleaded" not guilty, but after evidence in support of the charge had been given by Francis 'James Stewart, Sergeant Forbes, Constables D. C. Eraser and A- A. Mitchell, Walter. Williams, and others, tho jury, after retiring for a short time, found prisoner guilty on the charge that she committed perjury "by falsely swearing that Walter Williams violently assaulted her and committed rape. upon her. Tho jury made a strong recommendation to His Honor to deal leniently with the prisoner, on account of her young family. His Honor, on the application of the prisoner, deferred giving sentence, until the report of tho probation officer had been'obtained. Bella Quintall pleaded not guilty to a charge of perjury committed in the hearing of a complaint against Walter Williams, at tho Magistrate's Court, Auckland, on Sep- . tember 24 last.jhy swearing (1) that on the night of September 9 Walter Williams put his arms round Mary Katherine Lock in Mrs. Lock's house in Howe-street; (2) thai on the same night, in tho said house, Alfred Adolphus Mitchell did assault her similarly and dragged her along the passage; ana (5 that there were no men in tho said house on tho night of Saturday, . September 8. The .Hon. J. A. Tole prosecuted. Prisoner was not represented by counsel. Evidence was 1 given bv Constables Dart and Mitchell. Serjeant Forbes, Maurice Brechelt, Walt&i Williams, and others. The jury, after retiring, brought in a unanimous verdict of guilty to tho charge of committing perjury by swearing that the assaults had been committed. but urged His Honor to give a element sentence, as they • considered that prisoner was under the influence of Mrs. Lock. Probation was applied for, and as in the case against Mrs. Lock, tho report of tho probation officer was asked for, arid prisoner remanded for sentence until Monday.

POLICE COURT NEWS. Mr. H. W. Brabant. S.M., presided at the Police Court yesterday. , T ' Drunkenness: For this offenco Henry Lawson Walker was fined 40s, to be deducted from his bail, and Samuel Given, 20s, or seven days' imprisonment in default. Three first offenders were convicted and discharged, | and James Welsh and David Ferguson were' fined 10s each, or in default 48 hours imprisonment. Assault: Two young men named George Evans and George Murphy were charged wit.b assaulting Edmund Cluett, Annie Carr, ana Richard Carr, at Epsom, on the 18th inst. Accused were defended by Mr. J. R. Reed, and pleaded not guilty. Mrs. Carr, wife of thr licensee ot the Epsom Hotel, said that on the Sunday afternoon in question the two accused drove up to the Epsom Hotel anci demanded drinks, but as they were in an in-, tqxicated condition she refused to admit them, whereupon Murphy started to abuse her, using verv offensive language. Witness then pulled Murphy's hat off and threw it at him, whereupon ho struck witness behina the ear with his fist. The licensee, Mr. Carr, said ho came to his wife's assistance, and received a blow' from Murphy. A boarder at the hotel named Cluett deposed that he was sitting in tlie parlour when the row commenced, and on interfering was assaulted by Evans. Mr. Reed urged for the defence ■' that the accused had received provocation from Mrs. Carr, who had pushed Murphy off the verandah and thrown his hat in his face,and although the assault was unjustifiable, it was not so bad under the circumstances, and thoblow struck Mrs."Carr was not a severe one. His Worship said that striking a woman was not to be tolerated, notwithstanding provocation" had been given, though ho might tako a more lenient view of the case if it had been Carr that was struck. In Evans' case the assault, was not so bad, but. if the men had received no provocation he wovild not have allowed thorn the option of a fine. Sub-In-spector Wilson said that both men had a long list of convictions against them for similar offences. His Worship said he thought it- proper to take into consideration convictions of this kind. Murphy was fined £4 and costs £2 Is, in default one mcath's imprisonment;, and Evans 40s and costs £2 Is, or in default 14 days' imprisonment. Committed for Trial: A young girl named Nettie May Andrews was charged with stealing a letter, containing a cheque for 10s, the property of Samuel Strongman. There was a second charge of forging the name of E. Andrews to an order for the delivery of a post letter containing the same cheque. Mr. Baumo appeared for the accused, who was on bail. Th 3 evidence showed that tho accused had mada the acquaintance of a girl named Andrews and learned from her thather grandfather resided at Warkworth. Accused then wrote to Warkworth. asking the. grandfather for money, and he being illiterate got his wife to write, forwarding a cheque 'for 10s to the post office. Accused then forged an order and obtained possession of the letter thereon. Accused, on being charged, pleaded guilty, and was admitted, to her original bail to appear at the Supreme! Court this morning for sentence. . Alleged Assault: Susan Nelson, who was represented by Mr. Tunks, pleaded not guilty, to a chartre of assaulting Bridget Johnson, i. Mr. J. R. Reed appeared for the complainant.! The evidence alleged that the defendant had' gone to the house of the complainant, who was her mother, and resides in Upper Queenstreet, and committed the assault. His Wor-i ship did not consider that the defendant' should be bound over to keep the peace as ' asked, and dismissed the case.