SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14446, 12 February 1909, Page 6

SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

(Pur United Press Association.)

. . AUCKLAND, February 11. M the Supreme Court to-dav Robert , " > alias Uraydon, alias Kelly was charged*with attempted murder and' causing actual bodily harm with intent on a river steamer between Mangarala and JJ.ugiiville on November 88. M r fole tlis Crown Prosecutor, pointed out thai, tne prisoner was a passenger ou the steamer, and foul a dispute with a fellowpassenger. The captain, with (lie idea of quietening Ins troublesome passenmrs reMm t Tl llle l>xpe(li '" nt of inviting Vhem belo , Ihe ruse was not altogether smcesstul, and while the master of the vessel as still endeavouring to pacify the men he was shot in the back, and a pistol wes taken irom the accused. As a resul; of the wound the captain was incapacitated for live weeks, rile jury, after half an hour's ronsc erarion returned will, „ verdict of wuilt} of having caused actual bodilv harm under such circumstances that, i'f death had occurred the prisoner would have bepn guill-v ot manslaughter." Ren. tence was deferred till to-morrow. A Maori named Wharematangi, who was convicted yesterday on a charge of abducting a gn-1 under the age of 16, and with haying entered ; nto improper relawith her, was sentenced to two J ears hard labour.

Albert Ernest Trail was tried on a ir 10%; llavin ?' at Coromandpl on .Tulv 1903 -, S°»e Hi rough the marriage ceremony with a young woman, his wife. LlizabeMi Caiherine. whom he married at Auckland on March 4, 1890, bnintr then anve. Ihe circumstances were that Tivil alter living with his fiwt wife f 0! . lime after their marriage, separated from her. and in July. 1903, married the second woman. Lhf accused, when first chared admitted that he knew the first wife was alive, just oefore lie married the second one. But he had not seen her for 10 or U years and had been told that she was dead. He also told the young woman whom he married that lie was not certain whether his wifo mis alive or not. Chiefdetective Marsaok slated that when charged the accused remarked, " I was suspecting something like this, hut I don't, call it. bigamy, as I had not seen mv wife for 10 or 11 years when I married the .second." After an hour's retirement. the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

WELLINGTON, February 11. At the Supreme Court to-day Edward John Searl was brought forward for sentence. but a,s his counsel asked that Searl should be allowed to peruse papers in the case sentence was positioned till Saturday. The hearing of the charge of stealing three owes and a lamb preferred against John 0 Keefe, of Otaraia, Wairarapn. was concluded, and the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.