SUPREME COURT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10656, 27 May 1913, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

Per Press Association. ~nc!, May 26. A charge of manslaughter was henm at, the Supreme Court to-aay before Justice Cooper against Harold Gladstone Brown, in connection with the "Gqht on the pontoon on April 1S L whereby Manuel Santos lost his life. tfve witnesses described the" fight between the two men. _ Accused himself admitted fighting twice with Santos, the second time resulting in his death. He_ disclaimed any intention ot killing Pantos. " His Honour remark?-- 1 that the evidence seemed to F^,*". 1 ™ act that the second assault nau Leon unprovoked. He ssud that he had i>o doubt Bccnged had no intention of killing Saiiton when he pushed him overboiiri, hut meyerthe-Jen-3 the jurv would be justified in iimhn;, that'pushiny Santoa into the water bad accelerated the huters doath. To accelerate a man's death was to commit manslaughter. The jury, afuar a retirement ot an hour and a half, returned a verdxet of not guilty, and the accused was discharged. Kelson, May ah. The Supremo Court opened to-day L&fore tt-.j Chiti'Justice, Sir Robert Stout. , _, WU'ipm Bromilow, Robert G-rsce, Daniel Uarnon, Robert Ross and James Byers, miners, of Puponga, were charged that on the Bth April, 10153 at Puponga. with intent to intimidate Samuel Walker, they did injure the dwelling of the said Samuel Walker. The case arose out of the recent strike at the Puponga mire, when the whare of Walker, a mills deputy, whs de-troyed by tire Karnro, Grace and Byers pleaded guUtv, and the other two not guilty. JTo evidence was offered against the latter, who were discharged. Tvir P .1 O'Regan, for defendants, pleaded for leniency, as the offence was committed under the influence of liquor aud during a time of excitement rather than with criminal intent. They had offered to recompense Walker. His Honour expressed regret at seeing respectable men in such a portion, and said that if violence was to be resorted to in industrial dispute?, there could be no justice Let civil war aud anxiety. The accused's action was no donbt largely due to drink. He would put the rnon on 12 months' probation, and ' order them to pay £3O damages within 12 mouths and So each towards the expensos of the prosecution. "If von knock oil' tobacco aud beer for "the next year yon can :-uva £5 and you will be better men lor' it," were his Honour's final words to the accused. ■ Adolf Gastav Dencker, charged with indecent'assault and carnally knowing a girl under in years ot age, was acquitted.