SUPREME COURTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13487, 14 May 1907, Page 6

SUPREME COURTS.

CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

["BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

CANTERBURY^

CiiEiSTCHURcn, Monday. The Supreme Court criminal sessions opened this morning. Mr. Justice Chapman, in charging the grand jury,' said that crimes were not more serious nor more numerous than one could expect >in : a large district. Though' some of the cases were of considerable /public importance, none presented any difficulty to a grand jury. TWj charge of abduction, which stood over from the previous session, was; withdrawn, the accused having since died. A stay of proceedings was entered in the case of George. White on,a charge of i perjury, two juries having previously disagreed. V Thos. Coogan, charged with breaking and entering! a shop and dwelling, was found guilty, "arid was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment. s ; .'_--■ Walter Lewis Smith pleaded hot guilty to assaulting and robbing Polly Money on board the Waikare on March 29. Accused, it was alleged; entered the woman's cabin at four o'clock in the morning, assaulted her, and stole her purse containing £3 3s 6d. He was sentenced to three years' bard labour. He had served sentences for assault in Australia. Andrew Edward Ward was found guilty of obtaining sums of £5 and £14 from a woman by false pretences. As there was another indictment against ■ accused, the judge deferred passing sentence. The grand jury found no bill in the cases of alleged ■:-■ manslaughter against William Barnard Rhodes Moorhouse and Edith Matheson . Malzard. -v. '■;■ WELLINGTON. ■ -. [BY TELEGRAPH. ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Monday. At. the sitting of the Supreme Court today the. grand jury returned a no bill ' in the case of Matilda Moms, charged with child murder at Otaki. George Ernest Kelly, who has previously been convicted of being an idle and . disorderly person, pleaded not guilty to being a rogue and a vagabond and the companion of reputed thieves. : The jury returned a verdict, of guilty.,. Prisoner, who had been in : gaol, awaiting, trial for two months, was sentenced to four additional months' imprisonment. ~ , - Ada Smith was found guilty, with a recommendation to, leniency, on a charge of receiving stolen property. ':'}. She was, remanded till to-morrow. . . • GISBORNE. • [BY- TELEGRAPH. —PRESS , ASSOCIATION.] , '„"'''"' . Gisborne, Monday. , A*- ; th© ; Supreme, Court to-day Rutene, aged ;14 years, came up for sentence for an unnatural offence.; The judge said he . regrettedhe could not order a sound flogging, which .was the ■ proper course. .; Accused would riot be sent to gaol or to ! a reformatory! •He was convicted, and' ordered to com©/, up : .'or '■. sentence when called upon. , Joe Riley, ;a : Maori, : was acquitted on ; a charge of stealing a horse, valued at £7. ; ' David Blythe McEwan was found guilty of. stealing , a horse, .saddle,; and; bridle, valued at £14, and was to leniency *by the ; jury. ' ; He will be sentenced to-morrow. : ' ' '