SUPREME COURTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1419, 8 April 1879, Page 2

SUPREME COURTS.

[Bx Telegraph.] ■Wellington, April 7. The Supreme Court, opened to-day. The Grand Jury found true bills against all the prisoners (except Langley, of Otaki, a^ainet whom no bill was returned on a charge of forgery, owing to the absence of a material witness, a Native. Win. Bacon, charged wiih the Anchor Line office robbery, pleaded guilty, and was remanded for sentence. 8. Wagner, an architect, convicted of false pretences by uttering valueless cheques, was alto remanded. W. Parnell, indicted for feloniously wounding his wife, wns acqtulted. Chas. Boss pleaded guilty to two charges of forgery, wjb sentenced to ono year m Cich cuse, the aentences to run concurrently. The prisoner seemed m the lost stage of consumption, and will bo Sent to the hospiial instead of the gaol. Christchorch, April 7. The April sitting i.f the Supreme Court commenced to-day. Dii'ina the day Angelo Borda^so was acquitte I ; Walter Bullivunt, Robert Lee, Rasmus Jurgensen, and Alex. Fitzgerald, were sentenced respectively to six years' penal servitude, twelve months' imprisonment with hard labor, ten years' penal servitude, and twelve months' imprisonment with hard labor. An unusual delay m the proceedings was caused by the Grand Jury B'ljcurning for luncheon without having provided the Court with a sufficient number of true bills. They seemingly forgot that the prisoners against whom they had found true bills might possibly all plead guilty ; but, however this may be, the fact ;was that his Ho".or sho'tly after noon informed thos» interested that they might Ware the Court, and must return by a quarter past one o'clock. A few minutes later the prisoners whose cases had been dealt with by the Grand Jury had been diepoied of, and (he Court adjourned till 1.15. Meanwhile, the Grand Jury had dispersed for lunch, and, having agreed to re assemble at half-pas' two, the Court had no option but. to wait till the time named, when the foreman of the Grand Jury apologised for the mistake, and informed his Honor that before luuch several true billi had been found, but

that he had not brought them m, thinking he coul I defer doing so till the C mrt reassembled. Hia Honor accepted the npo'oay. Ihe Grand Jury found true bills m the cases of Peter J.-.mea Fowler, and Es'her Carr, who will he tried to-morrow. His Honor informed the Gra:id Jury that nothing had as yot been done m the matter of altering the "hour for opening the proceedings m the Supreme Court. It would ha nece-siry, lie s>iH, for ths Government to make the" change by an Order-in-Ciuncil, and, as artangements had to he mad« for tho rest o' the colon? as weU as ChrUtihurch, some, little delay must take place. Edgar Bustings pleaied gu lty to a char»e of f rgery, and was sentenced to a month's imprisonment wih hard libor. Helms been m gaol Bince January 31st. Hcnedis, April ">. At the criminal sessions of the Supreme Court to-day, Judge Williams allud.d t» the alarming prevalence of the crime of incendiarism. None of the caeca before the Court presented features of special interest. No bill was found against Frederick Hencke, cWge'l with obstructing the railway line at Palmerston j and Marion Johnston for perjury. Alex. McLeod and Alfred Shears, charged with stealing from tho person, were found guilty, and remanded far sentence. George Angebury, charged with burglary, plciicloci guilty, and wis remanded for sentence. Win. Power, charged with forging a chequ*, was liberated upon entering into recognisances to appear when called upon.