SUPREME COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6585, 1 July 1889, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

Criminal Sittings. THIS DAY. (Before His Honor Mr Justice Dennis ton.) The July sessions of the Supreme Court opened at 11 a.m. to-day. Mr J. C. Martin, Crown Prosecutor, appeared for the Crown in the various cases. GBAND JURY. The following were sworn in as the Grand Jury : — Mr F. Graham (Foreman), and Messrs A. Boyle, E. H. Fisher, T. M. Glasgow, C. Inglis, J. M'Beth, A. H. Turn- j bull, J. L. Wilson, R. A. Joseph, H. P. J Hill, A. Evans, J. Embling, C. Palairet, ! J. S. Monck, W. C. Hill, A. Lyon, T. M'Clatchie, T. Bassett, W. Tonks, F. i Egan, and E. O. Bradley. his honor's chakge. His Honor said : "Mr Foreman and i Gentlemen of the Grand Jury — While I am not able altogether to congratulate you on the numerical smallness of the calendar, I am glad to say that out of the eighteen cases against eighteen persons, the majority are not of the graver class of crimes, to a very few of which I need call your attention." His Honor then referred very briefly to the list of cases, and in the course oE his remarks animadverted on the carelessness of tradesmen in changing cheques without making necessary enquiries, thus putting the country to serious expense. LARCENY. Henry Bermingham, altos Charles Morris, pleaded "Guilty" to an iudictmcnt{charging him with having, on May 4, stolen one ■watch and chain, the property of Henry Cain. A previous conviction was similarly pleaded to. A long list of convictions, dating back to August, 1875, was read by Mr Martin. His Honor sentenced the prisoner to three years' penal servitude. UTTERING COTJNTKKFEIT COIN. John Neilson pleaded " Not guilty " to an indictment charging him with uttering a counterfeit half-sovereign. He said that he had .engaged Mr M'Connel to defend him, but that gentleman was not present. His Honor waited a few minutes, by which time Mr M'Connel had arrived. Mr Martin opened for the prosecution, and called the following witnesses : — Frank Granthain, barman at the Royal Hotel, Lyttelton: Neilson came to the hotel one morning, a little after seven o'clock, and called for two drinks. There was no gold m the till previously. Prisoner paid for the drinks with half-a-crown. Subsequently he called for two more drinks, and put down what looked -like a halfsovereign. Witness gave 9a change. Later on in the day Mr Granthain gave witness a coin supposed to be a half-sovereign. This witness gave to Sergeant O'Malley. In the course of the morning prisoner came back, and witness asked him if he could give change for " this halfsovereigja." Prisoner pulled out five shillings and put them on the counter. Witness said, " I am going to take this, and you can have the coin." Told him that he had given the coin, and witness would lose the amount out of his wages. Prisoner asked what he (witness) meant. Witness took no other half-sovereign that morning. The coin produced was the same. Cross-examined : It was half dark when witness took the coin from the prisoner. Did not tell Neilson it waa a counterfeit coin. Had often seen Neilson in the Eoyal. Ho was half tipsy that morning, but waa not bad. He lodges at the Royal iirhenJn.P.oxt. .^ ? . ...

Robert Waldon Grantham, licensee of the Royal Hotel, gave corroborative evidence, as did Peter Hagland, Sergeant O'Malley, B. M'Connel and Profesaor Bickerton.

This was the case for the prosecution. Mr M'Connel called no evidence, bnt addressed the Jury, who retired and after a brief absence returned with a verdict of "Not guilty." FORGERY. Norman Gustavuß Hall pleaded " Guilty " to an indictment charging him with, on April 5, forging and uttering a cheque for £'& 10a ; also, on April 2, forging and uttering a cheque for <£3 103, on lie Bank of New South Wales. Mr Martin Btatedthat prisoner had been previously convicted of forgery. Hia Honor sentenced the prisoner to three years' penal servitude, concurrent on each indictment. LARCENY. Augustus May pleaded " Guilty " to an indictiaeut charging him with, on March 9, stealing a number of articles from Henry liichard Webb. Mr Stringer appeared for the prisoner, and, at his request, his Honor postponed passing sentence till ten o'clock to-morrow. FORGERY. William Rose pleaded "Guilty" to an indictment charging him with, on April 20, forcing a cheque for £9 on the Bank 1 of New South Wales ; also to an indict- j ment charging him with, on May 6, forging j a cheque for £5 Qa on the Bank of New j Zealand. Mr Martin read a long list of previous convictions, dating back to 1807. The prisoner, on being called upon, produced a written document, which wa3 handed to his Honor, who said there was nothing in it to modify the sentence. * His Honor passed a sentence of five years penal servitude, concurrent on each indictment. LARCENY. Rasmus Jorgensen pleaded " Guilty " to an indictment charging him with, on April 13, stealing a coat, &c. Mr-Martin read a long list of previous oonvictious, dating back to 1874. Hia Honor sentenced the prisoner to three years' penal servitude. BREAKING INTO ETC. James C. Bagnall pleaded " Not guilty," to an indictment charging him with breaking into and entering, on May 24, the shop of John Goodman, and stealing therefrom fourteen pairs of Bhoes. He admitted having had the shoes in his possession. Mr "Martin opened for the Crown, and called the following witnesses : — John Goodman, bootseller : No one lived on his premises, which he left about three o'clock on May 24. Next morning found that the premises had been broken into j and some boots taken. Identified the boots produced. Lost about fifteen pairs. Cross-examined by prisoner : Had no Bhutters to his window. It was not likely that a man in a state of intoxication would fall through the corner window. James Virtue, foreman for the previous witness, gave corroborative evidence. James Lynch, cabman : About 11.30 p.m. on May 24, saw prisoner with n big parcel of boots. After selling some to people on the cab-stand, prisoner returned and gave witness a pair. He S3id they were not stolen, but that he could " fit us all up 1 ■with, boots." Returned the boots (produced) to the police. William Goodwin gave corroborative evidence, as did William Whelan, William Woodhouse, Jamea Fergussou, George Munro, Charles Samuels, Alfred Edwin Nicholls, Detective Robert Neill. This was the case for the Crown. The prisoner called no witnesses, but addressed the Jury. The Jury, without leaving the Court, found a verdict of " Guilty " of larceny. Mr Martin read a list of previous convictions. His Honor sentenced the prisoner to two years' imprisonment with hard labour. FORGERY AND LARCKNY. Lilian Eansley pleaded " Guilty " to an indictment charging her with, on June 12, forging and uttering a cheque for b£4 3s on the Union Bank of Australia. She also pleaded " Guilty " to an indictment charging hec with stealing two blank cheque forms. Mr M'Connell appeared for the prisoner, and asked to call witnesses as to character, as he submitted that it was a case for probation. The prisoner had forged the cheque to give the money away, and had received no consideration whatever for it. Alfred. Rausley, prisoner's father, gave the girl a good character. Mr Martin said her parents were people o£ the very best character. His Honor, under all the circumstances, admitted the prisoner to probation for Bix months. DISCHARGED. John Warren, in whose case "No biil " had been found, was called up and duly discharged from custody. TRUE BILI 4. ■"■"" In the course of the day the Grard Jury found the following true bills : — Henry Bermingham, larceny . John Neilson, uttering counterfeit coin ; Norman Gustavus Hall, forgery (two charges) ; William Rose, forgery (two charges) ; James C. Bagnall, breaking into and stealing ; Rasmus Jorgensen, larceny ; Augustus May, larceny ; Frank Reeves, rape ; Lilian Ransley, forgery j Luke Perham, burglary. NO BILL. The Grand Jury found "No bill " in the case of John Warren, accused of forgery. At 3.55 p.m. the Court adjourned till 10 a.m. to-morrow (Tuesday). [Per Phess Assqciation.] WELLINGTON, July 1. Judge Richmond, in his address to the Grand Jury at the opening of the criminal sessions, said the chief cases of interest were charges against a farmer of burning his own stacks with alleged intent to defraud an Insurance Company, which cams under the heading of arson; the robbery of the safe from Feilding Post Office ; and tha Kaiwarra murder. It was many years since so grave an offence as the latter had occurred in the district. The only question would be who did it. He would not attempt to go into evidence, believing it would be better to bo silent on the subject. The Jury would have to confine themselves to such, evidence as was brought before them. As developed before the Magistrate, the case was one of circumstantial evidence only. In most murder cases of the worst class, there was seldom an eye-witness, and evidence was, therefore, purely circumstantial. The charge against Henry Duncan of trying to paes a silvered penny as a halfcrown, and JEmily Olsen, is now proceeding. DUNEDIN, July 1. Harry Conn was charged with infringing the conditions of probation, and had his term extended for another four months. Otto ßeincke pleaded "Guilty" to housebreaking at Purakanui. Sentence wa3 deferred. James Johnson received two years' hard labour for uttering a forged cheque for <£7 on the Bank of New Zealand. The Jury threw out the bills charging Alexander Campbell with c»ttle-stealing, and William Gardner with house-breaking (three charges). Marshall French was convicted of forgery, and sentenced to four years' penal servitude. George Palmer and John Fitzgerald are now being tried for larceny. This is the last case on the list.

Death from Croup. — A child named Thomas Henry Bannett, four months of age, son of John Bennett, a platelayer, residing at; Hornby, died rather suddenly on Saturday morning, from the effects of a severe attack of croup. It had suffered from the complaint for some days previously, but waa taken worse on Saturday mowing, when Mrs Bennett became alarmed and gave it a hot bath, which, apparently had no effect. She then sent her brother-in-law for medical aid, but the child died before tho doctor could arrive. An inquest will therefore be necessary, and Mr Beetham will hold it at 4.30 p.m. to-day. r The quarterly summoned meeting of Court Star ,of Canterbury Lodge, A.0.F., will bd held, this