"NOT GUILTY."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14453, 20 August 1910, Page 8

"NOT GUILTY."

CHARGE OF PERJURY FAILS

["BT TELEGRAM. —PRESS ASSOCIATION'.]

Wellington*. Friday. On mills' No din r. stood his trial in the Supreme Court to-day, before. Mr. Justice Chapman, on a charge of perjury. Mr. H. H. Ostier appeared as Crown Prosecutor, and tho accused, who was not represented by counsel, conducted his own defence. The indictment charged tho accused with • ommitting jwrjury at a. hearing of a civil action in the Supreme Court of New Zealand on June 1. 1910, in which one Hannah was the plaintiff and Nodine the defendant, by talsely swearing, when shown a. certain agreement between Robert Hannah and "Vodino (1) that he did not sign the agreement: (2) that the signature attached to the agreement and purporting to be his signature was not his.

The Crown Prosecutor, in outlining the o!' the action, said that accused negotiated with iioht. Hannah, father of plaintiii' in the civil proceedings, for the lease - ; Hannah's buildings on Lainbton Quav. An agreement was drawn up bv Mr. W\lic, oi the linn of Chapman, Skerretf, Hylic, and I'ripp. The agreement wi.a s-igned by both parties. hut the accused re--lu>ed ii» exci.u!<• tho lea.-e. Proceedings m. re taken, and the accused (the defendant in tise civil ncti'Ui) <!eni<-d that the signature t , the agreement was Li*. The jury, i: e CrcWii fio.-ei. mi tor said, would be able I t •*m:i p.ir« tne wiitirigs and papers for C ;.eii:.-( !vc'-'. His Honor here i.-iterpcvod and informed the iown Pro;-realtor tnat the writing could not he suomitted to the jury without tin .-uppmt <>:' expert c.vidence. It was a mere tech meal matter, inii under the cir- « uin.-lances it wouhl be we'll to adhere to it. Continuing, counsel said that, accused denied tlu- signature on oath. Tie was 7)or, hurried or feowbe-iten into denying it, itnd the Chief Justice had given him until Ihe end of the week to consider his oath, if ho .".polotrised. His Honor had promised that- nothing more would be heard of it. The accused, however, at the end of the week still persisted in his statement. Kvidence was taken at considerable length, and the case lasted until well on in i-'r.e evening. The jury returned a verdict of not-guilty, .being of the, opinion that Xouine had believed what he said.