BIG COURT CASES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18322, 12 August 1921, Page 9

BIG COURT CASES

NOTORIOUS CRIMINALS. MURDER, OUTRAGE, AND SCANDAL Tho extraordinary interest which has been shown during the week in what has come to be known as the Sister Liguori case ■e -a'.'s a number of other famous cases heard in the Supreme Court, King street, Sydney, and at the Central Criminal Court (says the Sydney Sun). The trial of Louisa Collins, in 1889, on a charge of having poisoned her husband, Michael Peter Collins, created unusual in terest. Stic was first arnigned at the Central Criminal Court, before the late Mr Justice Foster and a jury of 12. Tho trial lasted several days, and the rourtvnvd w’* thronged with excited crowds endeavouring to secure seating accommodation. There was also considerable excitement when the jury disagreed. She was again put upon her trial, the popular excitement was revived, and the jury again disagreed, ine late Mr Justice (Sir William) Windeyer then presided. But she was not yet out of the toils. She was next tried at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of another of her husbands, Charles Andrews. On this charge she was found guilty, and sentenced to death. She was executed on January 8, 1889—tho first woman to be hanged in tho old Darlinghurat Gaol. Another case which created much public excitement, in 1889, was that of Ernest Buttnor, a German restaurant keeper. He was chirged with n capita! offence unon a woman who had recently arrived in Sydney from Queensland. The evidence, of a pecu- >! • -cl ---v,-. • ■ •' ’1 ■ aMentier,. and crowds flocked to the Darlinghurst Courthouse. Mr Justice Foster heard the ease The jury found Buttner guiltv, and he was sentenced to death. The date of execution was fixed, when certain information came to the knowledge of the Crown, and he was reprieved. In that case the late David Buchanan (instructed by the late Mr W. P. Crick) appeared for Buttner, and Mr Coffey (afterwards Judge Coffey) prosecuted. MOUNT RENNIE OUTRAGE.

During the year of the jubilee of the late Quce- Victoria 11 youths were indicted for a capital offence upon a girl at Mount Rennie. The trial commenced at the Central Criminal Court, Darlinghurst, on November 15, 1887, and lasted during a period of great popular excitement. Mr Justice Windeyer was the judge. Four youths who had not attained their majority were hanged, and another four sentenced to life imprisonment. Earl Carrington was the then Governor of New South Wales. The extraordinary public excitement lasted up to the day of tho execution.

Intense public interest was created by the triai of the criminal Frank B the ;• 'RQ 7 He was charged at the Central Criminal Court with having murdered a man named Preston on the Blue Mountains. Sir Frederick Darley, tho late Chief Justice of New South Wales, presided, and after a trial which attracted thousands to the Darlingburst Court. Butler was found guilty and sentenced, to death. Ho was also charged with having murdered Captain le Weller, of Glcnbrook. Butler paid the last dread penalty of the law. The late Mr J H. Want K.C., was the leader of the Bar for the Crown pn that memorable occasion. GEORGE DEAN. Few cases in the history of the criminal annals of Australia created more intense public excitement that that of the trial of George Dean, in 1896. Dean was charged with having administered poison to his wife, with intent to murder. Mr Justice Windeyer presided. During the progress of the trial and the subsequent proceedings—the Royal Commission and the public meetings relative to Dean’s guilt or innocence—the excitement amongst all sections of the community was extraordinary. The crowds which followed all the court proceedings relative to Dean were enormous, often blocking the traffic in the vicinity of the courthouse at Darlinghurst. Another cause celebre which drew great crowds to the Central .Criminal Court in 1893 was the Makin baby-farming case. Still another famous criminAl trial, at the Darlinghurst Central Criminal Court, was that of Digby Grand and Henry Jones for the murder of a constable at Auburn. Tho late Mr Justice G. B. Simpson presided, and the late Mr Hugh Pollack was the Crown Prosecutor. Therp were many dramatic scenes during the trial, both in and outside the court, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the police could keep the crowd back. Grand and his confederate were hanged. THE OONINGHAM CASE.

Leaving the criminal for the civil side, no case ever heard in divorce jurisdiction in Australia created such widespread interest as did the Coningnam case. Arthur Coningham, a famous cricketer, levelled charges against his wife and a prominent Roman Catholic churchman. During the series of trials before the late Mr Justice G. B. Simpson, and the late Sir William Owen, the Supreme Court day after day was besieged with tremendous crowds of excited people, who mixed their religion and politics. Repeatedly tho traffic in King street was blocked, and innumerable pugilistic encounters took place in the vicinity of tho court. All kinds of devices were resorted to to secure admission to the court, and every second man tried the dodge, ‘‘l’m a barrister; I’m a solicitor!” There was an extraordinary demonstration when the late-Cardinal Moran left the court on one of the heated dajs of the trial, and there were also daily demonstrations in favour or against some prominent person in the case. The were closely guarded by the police.

MONTGOMERY AND WILLIAMS.

The most desperate ught ever put up by feytlnoy jwlice took piaoe in .Bridge street more tnan 20 years ago, when one of several policemen was seriously injured in an attempt to arrest three Victorian criminals who were disturbed while brea«. mg into large business premises in that tnoroughtare. A running light ensued between two of the burglars, Montgomery and Williams, on tne one side, and a ooupie of police officers on the other. The police at that time were not armed, while the burglars, who carried • revolvers, did not use them, because it was believed they were alraad the reports would attract other police to the scene. Iho men, evidently not knowing fclydney, ran up Bridge street, and then turned towards the Water Police fetation, which act proved to be their undoing, for they ran right into the arms oi me officers from the waterside. Tire third man, who must have known Sydney well, got into the Domain, and was never afterwards captured, neither was hie identity ever divulged. Montgomery was a man ol lino physique, and ho used a heavy jemmy to such purpose on the head of a young constable wno put up a great fight ui on effort to capture the desperado that the unfortunate officer never properly recovered. The two burglars in due course were found guilty of attempted murder, and were hanged. Tho result of the affair was that Sir George Dibbs, the then .Premier, gave orders tor the arming of the police. Twenty-one years ago Jimmy Governor, one ol tho Breeiong blacks, was tried at the Darlinghurst Central Criminal Court for murder, and in view of tho remarkable exploits ot himself and his brother, Joe Governor, big crowds attended the trial. Jimmy Governor was hanged. Tho I.W.W. trial of a few years back occasioned great interest. “LAND SCANDALg.” Tho late Mr W. P. Crick was a prominent figure in what came to be known as tho land scandals. The Royal Commission, presided over by. the late Mr Justice Owen, arose out of a certain suspicious land transaction. The importance of the commission daily grew with the revelations of tho evidence. The late Mr C. E. Pilcher, K.C., was the leading counsel for the Crown, and he had a difficult task in cross-examin-ing Mr Crick, who had been the Minister for Lands in the See Administration, and Mr W. N. Willis, a former M.L.A. and land agent. The interest of the public in tho proceedings was extraordinary, and many of the principals often had to seek police protection.