SUPREME COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4574, 20 February 1893, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

0 Criminal Sittings. THIS DAT. (Before His Honor Mr Justice Denniston.) The quarterly criminal sesßion of the Supreme Court opened this morning at eleven o'clock. The Grand Jury was sworn in as follows : —Mr F: Graham (Foreman), and Messrs D. Bellhouse, E. W. Roper, S. Manning, C. M. Gray, M. Davie, J. Whitelaw, H. Adams, P. S. Murray, J. Connal, A. Chalmerß, F. Ronalds, J. Haydon, C. E. Torlesse, J. Webster, H. J. C. Jekyll, H. T. Winter, G. Hanmer, B. R. Knight, J. Aitken, J. Murgatroyd, and J.T. Grieraon. Mr E. H. Pavitt was fined £5, unless cause be shown. Mr W. White, Jan., was, on the evidence of C. H. Winny, excused on the ground of ill health. THE JUDGE'S CHARGE. His Honor, addressing the Grand Jury, said that the calendar presented nothing of an unusual character, none of the offences being of & serious nature. His Honor then reviewed the various charges to be brought before the Grand Jury, making special reference to those against one Hickman for embezzlement and larceny. His Honor remarked that these were cases that it was desirable should be brought before a petty jury. . During the- swearing, in of the petty jury Mr James Enabling -was excused from attendance on that jury on the ground of .having some important duties to perform, during the next two days with a gentleman from England connected with the Bank of New Zealand. Mr W. Jameson sought exemption on the ground that he was a witness in one of the cases. Hiß Honor said he would be exempted in that particular case, but the reason was not sufficient to exempt him altogether. : TRUE BILLB. * The Grand Jury brought in true bills against Frederick Cooper (forgery and uttering), Ellen Taylor (larceny), Henry Jensen and Thomas Downs (burglary), Charles Allen (indecent assault), and Samuel Thompson (sheep-stealing). NO BILL. The Grand Jury brought in "No bill" in the case of Margaret Isles, charged with aaeault. FORGERY. Frederick Cooper was charged "that, on Dec. 3, 1892, he forged an order in the name of W. Gerard, which he issued to E. Recce and Son with intent to defraud." Prisoner pleaded " Guilty," and handed in a lengthy plea in writing. Hib Honor, having read the document, said he could not take into consideration the plea of drink being the cause of the offences. A lengthy record of imprisonments, chiefly for false pretences, was read by the Crown Prosecutor. His Honor said he should give the prisoner the benefit of having been out of gaol for some time, and sentenced him to three years' penal servitude. LARCENY. Ellen Taylor pleaded "Guilty" to an! indictment charging her with the larceny of a large quantity of jewellery and sundries, the property of Mary Ann Cookson. His Honor, having heard the record of prisoner's former sentences for larceny, &c, remarked that she had practically been in gaol since 1879, and he sentenced her to five years' penal servitude. BUBGLABY. Henry Jensen pleaded "Guilty" and Thomas Downs pleaded "Not guilty" to an indictment for burglariously entering the house of Robert Craddock Davie, of Christchurch, on Nov. 10, 1892, and stealing therefrom one pair of trousers. The prisoners were tried separately, the charge ! against Downs being heard first. j Prisoner was undefended. j Mr Martin opened the case for the prosecution, and called E. C. Davie, William Jenpen (brother of one of the prisoners), Annie Walls, Detective Neill, and Henry < Jensen (one of the prisoners). ! The accused, being sworn, Baid he had been working at Mr Hegarty's, and Henry Jensen, who also was working there, had told prisoner that he had been working at Mr Davie's, and they had gone together to see Davie about a job of work after they knocked off work that night. Jensen showed him [the house and j he knocked at the door. Got no answer, so went back and told Jensen that he would leave it till the next day, and proposed to go back to Hegarty's. Jensen said he was going the opposite way, so they parted. After getting three or four chains from the Prince of Wales Hotel, Jensen caught up to him with a bundle, which he understood Jensen to say were his working trousers that he had fetched from Davie'a. He (Downs) went home, but Jensen turned down the next corner. To Mr Martin : He did not walk extra fast. Jensen did not tell him that they were his (Jensen's) working trousers. The prisoner's depositions in the Court below were here read over to the jury. The statements were contradictory to his present evidence. Mr Martin cross-examined. The prisoner then addressed the jury in his own defence, and the jury found a verdict of " Not guilty." The prisoner was discharged. Henry Jensen, who pleaded "Guilty," was ordered to Btand down, awaiting the report of the Probation Officer. INDECENT ASSAULT. Charles Allen pleaded " Guilty " to a charge of assault with intent. | Prisoner was sentenced to two years' j penal servitude. I SHEEP STEALING. ] Samuel Thompson pleaded "Not; guilty" to a charge of killing one sheep, ! the property of Richard May Morten, on j Jan. 28, with intent to steal a portion of it. Mr Kippenberger appeared for the prisoner.. J Mr Martin opened the case for the prosecution, Bhowing that the prisoner, who lived at Coreair Bay, had ah enclosure, in which, on the day on which the offence was alleged to have been committed,, were several of Mr Morten's

: sheep. One sheep had been killed and j lamb was lying with its back broken. Th sheep had some shot in its head. Ther i had been no meat in prisoner's houße 0: ; the previous day," and the Lytteltoi butcher had refused to supply him wit] i any. Evidence would be led to show tha ; prisoner had brought home the hind ! quarters of a sheep that day, an< when arrested and charged with thi offence he Btated that he had got thi mutton from Wilson, a slaughterman a JLyttelton, the man who had refused tc supply him with meat. The gun usec by the prisoner, and found in his house, had recently been discharged, and the wat found corresponded with paper founc within the prisoner's house. Evidence for the prosecution was givei by R. M. Morten, John Weir, John Spenst Weir, Kate Perham, William Owen, Jamet Wilson, Joseph Simmons and Constable Fitzgerald. This closed the case for the Crown, ano Mr Kippenberger opened the case for tht defence. [Left sitting.]