SUPREME COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4823, 28 November 1902, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS. Tho quarterly criminal sessions of tho Supremo Court, wero resumed in Wellington yesterday morning, before Mr Justice Dcuniston. THEFT FROM THE PERSON. Ralph Gibbous pleaded guilty to a charge of . having stolen £2O and a watcu and chain from Robert Bell, at Foatherston, on 14th November, 1902. Tin stereotyped excuse about drink was tendered by accused. Ho was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment, the offence being his second one. AN OLD OFFENDER. Charles Henry Newton, alias George Murray, alias George Newton, was charged with having, at Mastertou, stolon 15s from Eugene Ford on the sth November, 1902; also with having attempted to steal £ls from the same man at tho same time and place. Mr Myers prosecuted for tho Crown; prisoner was undefended. The evidence showed that Newton, Ford and others were drinking in a Mastertoni hotel, and that Newton picked up and retained possession of a halfsovereign that Ford drop pod. A witness gave evidence that he saw Newton put his hand into Ford’s trousers. pocket, whereupon the witness interfered. Newton cross-examined this witness with a view to establishing that accused’s hand had slipped accidentally into informant’s pocket. Accused, according to further evidence, was sober, though ho had had some drink; informant was throe-parts drunk. The jury returned a : verdict of after an absence of five minutes. His Honor, after having inspected the previous criminal record of accused, remarked that ho was evidently a determined member of the criminal class. He would bo sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. USB OF THE KNIFE. Daniel Mahoney was charged _ with having wounded Edward Whitueld Gunther (at Mastcrton, on the 25th August last), with intent to do grievous bodily harm. There wore also two alternative charges brought against tna accused of less grave nature than the main one. the Grand Jury had found no hill on the chief charge of attempted murder. Mr Myers was for tho Crown; accused was defended by Mr O. Pownall. The following jury was empaneiied: — Reginald A. Back, Frank Curtis, John Ballantyno Stewart, James Flaws, Edwin Biilmau, William Alexander Tomlinson, David Duncan, Walter Boot, Alexander McLaren, Claud Malcolm Banks, Henry Wright, Osmond Vincent Knapp. Mr Back was chosen foreman of tho juryThe case was fully rpported in the “Times ” when it occurred. 'Briefly put, tho facts are that, in tho Occidental Hotel, Mastertou, Mahoney and one James Reside had a drunken row. In the evening further developments came, and the father of James Reside (Alexander Reside), accompanied by Gunther, got into a fight with Mahoney on the verandah of h boarding-house. Other men followed up Mahoney, Gunther and A. Reside, allegedly to “ see tho fun," but it was established that thought they followed him with more serious intentions. Tho evidence for the prosecution alleged that in the second fight Mahoney made some vain efforts to stab Alexander Reside with a large pocket-knife, whereupon Gunther interfered to avert serious trouble. Gunther soon afterwards fell, seriously wounded in tho abdomen. The defence admitted tho wounding of Gunther by Mahoney, but alleged that Mahoney had been unfairly attacked by Reside and Gunther together, and that as a consequence of this combined assault, bis life was endangered, wherefore the use ijy him of a knife was justifiable under section 56 of the Act. The hearing of the eviucncc occupied •the time of the Court until 5.25 p.m., at which stage an adjournment was taken until 10 o’clock this morning.