LATE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1202, 15 March 1895, Page 20

LATE COURT NEWS.

SUPREME COURT.

His Honor the Chief Justice took his the Bench Wednesday morning at

# traynor’s case. The jury in the case cf Joseph Traynor, charged with obtaining money by meaps of false pretences, returned to Court at ,10 a.m., after having been locked up all night. As they were unable to arrive at a verdict?, they were discharged. His Honor granted Mr Gully’s application for a new trial, but inter on Traynor pleaded guilty to the charge, stating that .. it was all due to a misunderstanding between Mr Whytock, of Hastings, and°himself a,s to meeting the cheque. Mr T. M. Wilford, prisoner’s counsel, withdrew from the case. At the request of the accused, Mr Whytock was placed in the box, and he stated' that he had formed the opinion that Traynor was one of the steadiest of the horsey men at Hastings, and he had hitherto had implicit confidence in himi He knew nothing against his character, and he thought the sergeant of police at Hastings would support him in this state- • ment. V • The accused asked for probation. His Honor said it would be quite improper to allow probation in this case. However, he was not disposed to give weight to the fact that the accused, had got into trouble when he was much younger. The accused must have had some idea in his mind that he would be able to meet the cheque in some way. . At any rate the crime was not and that was a fact in prisoner’s favour. His Honor then sentenced him to four months’ imprisonment with hard labour. AN ABSENT WITNESS. ‘ ' ' : Charles Gordon Faithfull and Joe Way! v . were charged with stealing goods' from the warehouse of E. F. Hawke. Both pleaded not guilty. Mr J. P. Campbell appeared for Faithfull, and Mr Skerrett for the other prisoner. ' Mr Gully, Crown Prosecutor, asked for an adjournment of the trial, as the principal witness (Hawke) was absent. Hawke had left Wellington without giving notice to the police. 7 • Mr Campbell said it would'be undesirable that the trial should be postponed'"-' until the next sittings. Mr Gully said he proposed to take steps r to compel Hawke’s attendance, whether he liked it or not. '■ .V.v ; Mr Skerrett also opposed the -adjournment. :■ \ In the course of further discussion; Mr Gully said he thought it unlikely .that Hawke would attend unless compelled, , After some further discussion, >' ? His Honor granted an adjournment until Frir - V day,, the accused being allowed out, on their own recognisances. y Later on Mr Gully intimated that in the absence of the prosecutor he intended',,to enter a nolle prosequi in the cases of-rGaiGr- — Faithfull and Joe Way, and C. G. Faithfull and Kwong Wort Sam charged with theft.. ; * u': MANSLAUGHTER. ‘ <' V '" ’ V William Thomas pleaded not guilty ytb a charge of having on the 11th December : unlawfully killed Lawrence Gosling,. •/J ; Mr Wilford defended the prisoherjA'ij Mr W. J. Smith was foreman of the jury.? The evidence for the Crown was to the v effect that Gosling and the accused/ had 3, ; - dispute on the wharf, and Thomas struck Gosling twice, and he fell, striking his head; heavily on the wharf. Gosling was picked"' up in an unconscious state, and was taken to the Hospital, where he died without recovering consciousness. ' The jury retired at a quarter to one and after an absence of an hour and threequarters brought in a verdict of not guilty. - The prisoner was then discharged. *