CRIMINAL CHARGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15562, 20 March 1914, Page 8

CRIMINAL CHARGES.

PUNISHMENT OF ARSON.

"THE UNWRITTEN LAW."

[BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] : ' Gisbornu, Thursday. Is the Supreme Court to-day Eustace George Fannin, charged with arson at. Tolago Bay, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, the sentence being go light in view of accused's own disclosure of his offence. ) Michael Mannix was found guilty of shooting with intent to maim- Prisoner, an elderty man, made an. impassioned appeal to the jury, stating that he had been tormented by false accusations on the part of complainant, and after consulting a lawyer, and finding the. Jaw ineffective, was constrained by the belief tlut the only action left him as a poor man was to shoot complainant in order to get him into Court and have the case ventilated. He had to stand up for his character, even if he hung for it. He knew he would have to face a jury, and perhaps join the company of criminals, but a... man who would not face these things when his honour was at stake was scarcely a man at all. Mr. Justice Hosking said that attempts to rectify grievances by the " unwritten law" ought not to be allowed to prevail. There was evidence that accused was a hard working man, and that the man he shot had not a very good character. They were not called upon, however, to decide whether accused had a grievance, and the fact that accused had shot another man was a case for the law to step in. Sentence was deferred.

Mannix was regivded an a second-class misdemeanant and was sentenced to six months' in prisonmcnl, without hard labour, at Auckland gaol. Tepu Maurere, for as».anlt and robbery, was ordered to receive 12 months' reformative treatment and Robert Walker, lor a similar offence, three years' reformative treatment. Hugh Stanley McLean was acquitted of a similar charge. Thomas Wontworth Martin was acquitted of a charge of attempting to procure arson.