WITHIN THE COLONY.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 157, 4 June 1894, Page 3

WITHIN THE COLONY.

NEWS BY TELEGRAPH

(Per Press Association.)

Criminal Session. Wellington, This Day

Charging the Grand Jury this morning the Chief Justice remarked on the fact that although the calender was much heavier than usual it contained no charges of burglary or violence against tho person. It was i almost entirely composed of cases of a fraudulent character. Referring to the charges of fortune-telling he said : it was something extraordinary they | should have cases of these kind before I the Supreme Court. The New Zealand ! Statute provided a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment for every one who undertook to tell fortunes; hut in England these eases were dealt with under the Vagrancy Act. In New Zealand, however, fortune telling is an indictable offence. In the charge against the two spiritualists His Honor said the jury must be satisfied there had been conspiracy between tho accused and that the sister was co-con-spirator with her brother and not his dupe. If they found the woman was a dupe the charge against tho man would have to bo altered from one of conspiracy to falsi* pretences. As to 1 the charge of criminal lilel against I Fair Play the Judge said it was for the I jury to decide whether the charge : made against the prosecutor was j libellous and if so whether sufficient ! severity he classed as an indictable I offence. ■ -las Edmond, charged with forging j and littering a cheque, purporting to |be signed by Jas Brennan, hotel ' keeper, Wanganui, was discharged by direction of tho Chief Justice without j the case going to the jury on grounds that there was no evidence that accused manufactured the cheque or knew it to be forged. Martha Tahinui, a young Maori woman, pleaded guilty to forging Wi Parata’s name to a cheque which shn said she did so under the influence of drink. Case adjourned for evidence i atf to character.