SUPREME COURT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 103, 21 June 1911, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

NEW PLYMOUTH, TUESDAY. Before His Honour Mr Justice Edwards. The Supreme Court sessions at New Plymouth opened yesterday morning. HIS HONOR’S CHARGE. His Honor charged the Grand Jury in brief terms; congratulating them on behalf of the district upon the continued immunity from crime. Neither of the two "bills to go before vicinity of the jury’s district, one being at Hawera and one at Elt.’nam. Neither case presented the slightest difficulty in points of law, and it was only on points of law that he was inquired to direct the jury. Ho then outlined the cases to be considered by the Grand Jury. The Grand Jury then, retired. [His Honor omitted to mention the case against George Delaney, of Eltham, alleged forgery. ] ALLEGED CARNAL KNOWLEDGE. The first case called was The King v. Lewis John Peppered, who answered to a' charge of having at Toko Road, Toko, in May, J une, and July, 1910, had carnal knowledge of a girl under 16 years. The prisoner had already been charged, and had pleaded not guilty. Air C. H. Weston prosecuted on behalf of die Crown, and Mr R. Spence appeared for the accused. The following jury was empanelled:—David Newsham, S. P. Kidd, E. Clarke, W. H. Dri’nkwater, F. H. Jackson, J. H. Luke, A,' A. Mace, Robert Barlow, Win. Groombndge, 0. N. Firth,™ AU E. Natham. George Hopkins. Air Jackson was chosen foreman of the jury. The Cfurt was cleared daring the hearing of the case. The nr-■ lor the Crown was that the accused resided at various times with a family* on the Toko Road lie became engaged to be married to one of the daughters, who hi chime enceinte. Whilst still engigC to her bo bos' med some atcanoknis mi a younger simer, wbo was iben antler 16 yea ■; age. .'sin, too became enco’iite, ,iiu a baby was I orn teller early in h6r sixteen.h year. She stoutly maintained, but lie denied, that accused was the father of that child, whose birth clearly showed that someone had been guilty of the charge now brought against the accused. The girl alleged that, her improper relations .with fhe accusal were of frequent occurrence, but the Ciown confined itself to three alleged occasions in May, June and July, 1910. The delay in bringing tne case on for hearing was the illness of the girl, the principal witness. The defence was a denial of the offence charged. The jury retired at 3.34 p.m., and at 6 o’clock had arrived at no decision. The Court adjourned till 7.30 p.m. The jury having intimated that there was no chance of an agreement. being arrived at, they weie brought into Court at 7.60 p.m., and the foreman assured bis Honor i bat there was no possibility of an agreement. The jury was then discharged. Air Weston applied for a fresh trial at the present sitting. Air Spence, however, asked his Honor to fix the hearing for the next session. His Honor agreed that the fresh trial should lie taken at the next session. Accused was admitted to bail, himself in £IOO and .two sureties of £6O each. BREAK ING, ENTERING AND THEFT. Mnnga. Waiuonga, a young Alaori, pleaded guilty to having, at Okaiawa, in or about February last, (1) broken and entered the simp of Edgar Norman Olivers and stolen therefrom two Kaipoi rugs, a pair of hoots, a pair of trousers, and 4s in money; (2) with having stolen the goods mentioned; and (3) with having received the goods, knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained. The last two charges were alternative counts. Prisoner was sentenced to be eonlined in the Now Plymouth prison for one year, with hard labour, and thereafter to be further detained for a period not exceeding four years. * A HAWERA CASE. On a charge of breaking and entering and theft at Hawera preferred against Alexander Bine, a man of about thiity years, the jury brought in a verdict of guilty on a charge of theft, and not guilty on the cinmros of breaking ai d entering and theft from a drewwing. Prisoner was sentenced to one year with hard labour, in the common prison .at New Plymouth, and that he should he kept for reformatory purposes for a period of not exceeding three years. ■The Court adjourned till 10 o’clock this morning.