AUCKLAND SUPREME COURT

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14148, 25 August 1909, Page 5

AUCKLAND SUPREME COURT

ARSON AT HAMILTON.

A VINDICTIVE SON-IN-LAW. /

An elderly man named Thomas Brown was charged at the Supreme Court yesterday*,, before His Honor Mr. Justice with setting fire to a shed on the outskirts of Hamilton. The Hon. J. A. Tole, K.C. (Crown Prosecutor), conducted the prosecution, and accused was not represented by counsel.

Samuel Foulsham, a dealer, of Hamilton, and father-in-law of the accused, said that at eight p.m. on June 16 accused came to him saying, " See what a state I am in trying to save your shed." Witness asked what he meant, and accused said witness' shed, which contained several tons of hay, was on fire. ■ '

Leonard Samuel Peat, a member of the Hamilton Fire Brigade, gave evidence that he was passing the shed on the night of the fire. He heard a match being struck, and the hay flared up. A man emerged from the building, and by the glare of tho fire witness recognised accused, who went towards his home.

Arthur Samuel Burgess, lieutenant of the Hamilton Fire Brigade, said that as he was proceeding to the fire he met accused, who refused to assist in salvage work, and said. "The fire served the old right; he kept too much rubbish about."

To Accused: Prisoner afterwards assisted to salve some iron.

The jury returned a verdict, of guilty, and the judge deferred passing sentence till this morning.

THREE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT. The hearing of the charge against Jofrn Reed, alias Albert Reed, that he assaulted ft girl of 11 years of age, was concluded. Prisoner made a stubborn defence, denying his guilt, and called several witnesses as' to his movements on the date of the alteged offence. . - -

The jury found him guilty, and sentence of three years' imprisonment was passed by the Court. The judge said the offence was a very shocking one, and it wa« committed under circumstances that n>ade it rather more shocking, in that the parents of the child must have thought her perfectly safe, and that there was no need to protect her. "NOT GUILTY." Samuel John Thorn was charged with two acts of incest with his 16-year-old sister in October and November, i9OB, at Hunua. The Hon. J. A. Tole., K.C., appeared for the Crown, and Mr. J. R. Lun- ; don for the accused. v Evidence was given by the girl that the acts were committed against her. will, and that accused was the father of her child.. Without calling on the defence, His Honor directed the jury that, as there was no evidence to corroborate the testimony of the girl, they could not convict. A verdict of not guilty was accordingly re-' turned.

SOUTHERN COURTS. WELLINGTON. [BY TELEGRAPH. — .ASSOCIATION. ] Wellington*, Tuesday. At the Supreme Court to-day Peter Williamson Tait was retried oil a charge of seriously assaulting two per; ore in a Wellington boardinghouse. He was first tried yesterday, when the jury failed to agree. To-day the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. Edgar John "B. dough was 'found guilty of obtaining money under false pretences. Sentence was deferred. CHRISTCHURCH. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Ciiristchurch, Tuesday. In the case Cooke v. the Kaiapoi Trading Company, which was heard at the Supreme Court to-day, a claim for £501 damages was made for injuries sustained while unloading the Wootton, at Lyttelton, in February la6t. The jury awarded £300 damages.