SUPREME COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19282, 20 September 1924, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

Friday, September 19. (Before his Honor Mr Justice Sim.) UNNATURAL OFFENCE. Henry James Roskilly, who had pleaded guilty to committing an unnatural offence was brought up for sentence. In reply to tho Registrar ho said ho had nothing to say. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr F. B. Adams) said there was nothing to add to the police report. His Honor: The best course is to order the prisoner to bo detained for reformative purposes. He wil be ordered to be detained for reformative treatment for a period of three years. BURGLARY. John Selwyn Matthews, a Maori youth, who pleaded guilty to three charges of burglary committed at Seacliff, appeared for sentence. Mr B. S. Irwin, who appeared for the prisoner, said the lad was 16 years of .age. For the past 12 months ho had boon living with his parents at Puketeraki, and prior to that in the backblocks of Southland Ho seemed to have taken to reading literature of the “Deadwood Dick” type, and, in the absence of his parents in Southland for a time had started out on a burglary expedition. Some of the goods which he stole he threw away, and afterwards confessed .to having committed the offences. His father, who was iu court, had taken the matter very much to heart, and would take the boy back to tho farm in Southland if he were given a chance. Learned counsel understood that the police had reported that the boy should bo under better, control. tlis Honor said the police reported that the boy was not under proper parental control, and that ho had given way to drinking habits. He would order the boy to be detained for three years for reformative treatment. He also ordered that the sum of £9 12s 6£d found on accused should bo returned to the General Manager of Railways, that sum being part of an amougt of cash stolen from the Seacliff railway stationA DIVORCE CASE. In the case of William O’Brien v. Clarice May O’Brien and Martin Richard M'Alister (co-respondent) Mr B. S. Irwin, who appeared for the petitioner, said that £2OO damages had been awarded, it having been ordered that the amount should bo paid into court. Ho (learned counsel) now applied for a variation of the order directing payment of damages to the petitioner. His Honor asked if the respondent had married the co-respondent. Mr Irwin said that he had not. Ho did not know where the respondent waa. The petitioner’s father was keeping tho children. His Honor varied tho order in respect to the damages as asked by Mr Irwin. A QUESTION OF COSTS. In the case of Hellen Cameron v. John Munro M'Kenzio, Duncan Alexander M'Kenzie, and John M'Kenzie, executors of the estate of the late Sir John M'Kenzie, Mr J. S. Sinclair, for plaintiff, who had applied for an interpretation of a clause in the will, and had judgment given against her. now applied for costs out of the estate. Mr J. C. Stephens, who appeared for the defendants, said his instructions were to consent to an order that each party pay its own costs. Mr Sinclair said that as there was some doubt about the clause the trustees should have submitted the matter to the court on the death of Miss Catherine M'Kenzie. Ho contended that it was a case where all costs should come out of tho estate. • His Honor said the residue from which these costs could have been paid had now been distributed. Delay had taken place in bringing tho matter before the court, and he had decided that the plaintiff should pay her own costs.