THE CAB MYSTERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14225, 23 November 1909, Page 6

THE CAB MYSTERY.

CASE IN THE SUPREME COURT ' ' J ■ ; SEVEN - YEARS' IMPRISONMENT, 'At the Supreme Court yesterday r before Mr. Justice , Cooper, . James : Giddis, was < charged with having, on. October 29, robbed Evelena Morris of jewellery- and money| and having assaulted her, and on a second count with having, .on or about November. ;4, received i; some jewellery .at Cambridge, | .-knowing the same to have been stolen. The t prisoner was undefended, and pleaded not' guilty. This was a sequel to the mysterious cab case, of which so much has been heard . lately. The accused was, only iv few days ago, committed for trial from the -lower Court. "... * ■■ •;. >*'.■■■_'•■' ■•'■•-:--'-?' :•

* Evelena Morris, the "woman- who was robbed and assaulted, gave evidence. 38 formerly; detailing the movements of % the cab which -was'to have taken her to the private hospital, and' the subsequent robbery and assault near ' Onehunga.!' The witness stated that'after, the robbery, the accused struck her on the head with some blunt instrument. Cross-examined by accused, 'fitness said she had had no drinks -that night,-except-. ing the one he brought her at'her request., She-asked him' to bring her lemonade, into which accused "put something." , ' , Dr., Gore Gillon gave evidence as to, having gone to hire a cab for Mrs. Morris, ( who was his patient. The prisoner "was, the man who was in charge of the cab. Witness gave instructions where the patient was to be driven. After the assault, when: Mrs. Morris turned up, he took her down to the hospital and examined her, She had some bruises on her thigh' and a lump on her head. ■• • '- . ' Evidence was' also given as to the find' ing of the woman on the road at Onehunga, and the vain search • for. a mail named Stokes, to whom accused had 'stated in the lower Court he had handed the cab over at a hotel. , l Accused did not i give evidence,- hut he ( addressed the jury on his own-behalf.' In summing up, His Honor said jfc was I an 1 extraordinary case. J Mrs. Morris had | said that she had £5 in her possession aiM I: 'a number of rings on her fingers, sna.tMj accused, whom she identified, assaulted her, j and took from her every thing she had, «I value. ' Some time afterwards ; accused, <«n0 was found -on & farm, was searched,; anrt fr , his possession was found '■ a V ring--If part of the stolen jewellery. ■ The statement. signed by the prisoned^was'also atvanancej in certain particulars with the evidence m the case. 'That the prisoner took 08 *?" i gion of, the cab without authority **,- yond question, as were several other or - cumstances connected with the case, _ The jury, - without' leaving the wx* brought in a verdict of guilty. . _. ■ His Honor said there could be no Fusible doubt but accused was the ■***■£ had robbed Mrs. Morris. A more flagraao case of highway robbery had never cog under his notice, and .there werejpstiveir mitigating circumstances ini thei case a. all. :■• Accused was liable for the offence » imprisonment with hard labour,for m but the sentence which: he,-would. unpo«» while it was not anywhere.near the man mum, ? would be ; one which might .«£■ other men stop and think before they cob mitted a like crime. The prisoner was *» . tenced to seven years' imprisonment «i» , hard labour. ) j h ,• r

— -~7Y;" ■'■*.■:'<s: ! S y?i An ex-Banker," in a letter in the W* lington Post, says that of five luge * tabUed banks in New Zealand their officers well, the fourth gggggg . and the fifth shockingly. f»is. i» ' the officers of this fifth bank that, aU MJ. letters of discontent which tyP«J l " on i, newspapers periodically must, come, oj ■ to bi contradicted-by an -offinal «»£ ter paying institute, *fg g^ 1 der < . ■ he says, not- only are P®ScerS • . paid, but the managers and *W°j! * receive shocking salaries. j£g*s*« ; country branches on an »■*««■ hem is from £200 to £275 » y^' 1 &tf fp»fl , a. residence attached-to tl«»jgj*j the : £25 to £75 a year is :J manager's small salary far J.FJ?JX Bag tf , are " often instances «g£fS& »1 does not .require,.the.,resßence,^ to the office 4 It is m f gfcfal town, with no ground, 1 dren/and wishes to 1 suburb.- In that , case he is s^,;| do so, but;. the bank off his salary every monjh,.a»a MB* , ; Jus suburban rent M._a?l|ji , • ;..»;.;/ ", j