AN OLD, OLD STORY

NZ Truth, Issue 978, 23 August 1924, Page 6

AN OLD, OLD STORY

Love And The Law Witness's Lips Sealed By Marriage , ' ■ : ' '■" ■• ' :' : Vow, " : ■-.; \ : .'■,.■ ■■ ' ' \- .'; "Not guilty! '*' A smiled of relief came over the face of Eric Jones, a sprucely-dressed young salesman, who stood m the dock at the Wellington Supreme Court this week, when he heard, the verdict. V .. It will be remembered that Jones was the hero of a 'little romance when m his previous trial, at which v the. jury, disagreed, it was announced by the Crown 'that he had married the girl who was to be one of the . principal witnesses for the prosecution. ' Charged with receiving goods of atotal value of £20, the property of" Teresa Sternburg. it was alleged thai ; the jewellery, with the exception of. a. r ring, was found m the accused's room ; at Auckland. " ■-. ■■]'[ 1 In a statement the. accused, said he met a man at Palmerston North from whom , he eventually .purchased the : gOOdS.' .. ;/ V\ ..-. -,:..■ . '-.•:'■ ; .: ■ ■'/"... ' , . Lawyer Stevenson, who appeared, for Jones,', said that somebody, without • doubt, 'had committed the , burglary, and some of the "trash" had been Unloaded on the prisoner. Summing up, his Honor, Mr. Justice Salmond, said that it was undoubted that the prisoner received the goods, but the question was whether the -man had become possessed' of the goods m ; a bona-ftde manner. ; Did he honestly believe the goods not to be stolen? Tlie first Observation to make was" 'that it was an "old, old story, 1 ' where a man asserted , that he had purchased goods perfectly honestly from, a stranger he had; never seen before, jt was for the :-.. jury to -say whether they believed him or mot. -.','■■ The jury brought m tfielr verdtctv as above, after a retirement of threequarters of an hour. ; ' .'■■'■."/■