SUPREME COURT.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 2864, 15 November 1898, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, November 14. The criminal sessions opened to-day. Mr Justice Edwards addressing the Grand Jury, said the calendar was light but the offences were serious. None presented any unusual features. In the attempted murder cases, if they found there was no intention to murder they would probably find evidence of aggravated assault. There were several forgery cases of the usual description. He supposed these would go on as long as fch«>re were such things as banks and people who cashed cheques without enquiry. All he could say was that if such people lost their money they deserved to I'fO SO. Norman G. Hall, with along list of previous convictions, pleaded guilty to forging a cheque for £2, and got three years' hard labour ; James Hart, alias Kadcliffe, pleaded guilty to forging a cheque for £6 15s, and got two years' bard labour. In the Supreme Court this afternoon, m the case of Thomas Henry Baker charged with the attempted murder of his wife at Silverstream, the Grand Jury found "no bill," but returned a "true b~ill " on a charge of aggravated assault. Edward Ooyle, alias Fred Nugent, was found »o$ guilty on a charge of forging a cheque. Two Jads named Walter Looney and Joseph L^oney were charged with stealing a pig at Feildjjig. The jury returned a verdict of gnilPf against the former, and not guilty againsttfre latter. The lads were then charged with maiming and killing a number of sheep, and were both found guilty with a strong recommendation to mercy on account of their youth, Xbye prisoners were re-

manded for the report of the Probatiou Officer. A young man named Ernest Maginnity, a foundry hand, was charged with carnally knowing a girl under the age of consent. The girl admitted that she had told the prisoner that she was 16 years of age. The jury found the prisoner not guilty.