SUPREME COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4730, 12 August 1902, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SESSIONS. Tho business of the criminal sessions was resumed yesterday morning in the Supremo Court before tho Chief Justice. Mr Justice Edwards being uu•able to attend through indisposition. ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE. John McAnliffo pleaded not guilty to an indictment. charging him and Michael Regan with robbery, witih violence, of tlie sum of PI from Andreas .Petersen, a Dane, at Wellington, on the 26th of last May. Tho accused were tried separately in accordance with ■an application previously made by Mr ■ Jellicoe, who is defending Regan. Prisoner was not professionally reprehentea. and exhibited considerable ability in conducting his own defence. Ho had exhausted his right of challenge before the jury was empanelled. Tho evidence for the prosecution went to show that Petersen came to Wellington from Palmerston at about 8 o’clock on the evening of the occurrence. He remained in company with a comrade until about 10 p.m., and was afterwards accosted by tho accused—both of whom he identified —in Taranaki place. They volunteered to conduct him to a board, inghonsc, and on his consenting, they took him up Cambridge terrace, and demanded 2s for his bed. Ho declined to part with the money until ho got to the” house, and on expressing his intention to inquire from a policeman, McAtdilfe seized him by tho collar and rifled Ins pockets. Ono hold him while tho other assaulted him, and both ran away ou the approach of a cyclist. Borne people who came mi took him to a policeman, to whom ho made complaint. A man named Harry Tamm, who had been attracted by a scream from Petersen, saw a man resembling I’lcAulille running away m the direction of Pirio street. Petersen was standing bleeding against jt wall. Both men wire identified by Miss Florence Joyce, barmaid at me -Nag’s Head, as having been drinking there shortly before U o’clock that night, and by Tho. mas Kelly, manager of tho .Shamrock Diningrooms, as having boon thoro in search of a bed. Next morning they worn recognised by Petersen in the street, am| arrested in the Albert bar by-Detectives Bodham and Cassells, when they stated, they bail never met until that morning. Prisoner elected to give evidence on his own behalf, and denied the _occurrence, stat ing he had spent the night. Jn the comnany of a man named! Woodworth. "Replying to Mr Gully, accused said lie was a bookmaker’s clerk, and had been only n week in the colony before the occurrence, having come iiom Melbourne. He luu] boon living ’n Sydney before that, and had never been in trouble. He stated ho had l -con employed by Harry Mace at a boxing competition. ; Mace and r.nodier man named Harry Sapbrooks were called for the defence,'hut their evidence did not throw any light on tjio case. The accused delivered a long address in ins own defence. The jury, aft?r fcnr minutes’ deliberation, rohurncvl ft r “ diet of guilty, and Hcntenco wat referred. . .. Michael Ilcgon vas arraigned tor tno same offence, and pleaded guilty. Mr Jellicoe addressed the Court in mitigation of punishment. His Honor Intimated that he won.a take into consideration the fact tnat Regan had pleaded guilty, anu I,an not attempted to holster up ins robbery by perjury. Hp would defer sentence until io o’clock to-day. The Court then adjourned.