SUPREME COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10231, 14 August 1911, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

CHRISTCH U RCH. Monday, August 14.

(Before His Honor Mr Justice Dennhtoii.) CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

The crinmai session of the Supreme Court opened at II a.m. to-day. The following were sworn as the Grand Jury:—William Tonks (foreman), 11. F. Stevens, P. Fraser, C. W. Priestley, li. R. Peel, H. 0. M'Laren, G. Penlington, W. G. Garrara, A. J. Barrett, G. W. Allan, G. Baker, C. W. K. Allison, J. Way, J. W. Schofield, J. C-. Dalgety. A. F. Carey, J. A. Bos.vell. 0. Baker, F. W. Smith, W. W. Charters, C. L. Milne, T. Gapes and C. Salter.

His Honor said that the offences which were to be the subject of their inquiries were not numerous and in some respc:ts neither were they of a serious nature, .tie reflected that out of the nine charges no less than six arose out of sexual conduct. Some of the cases showed undoubtedly not only t:ie prevalence of that class of crime, but also a painfully precocious familiarity with vice on the part of young girls and children. His Honor then reiorred in detail to the several cases on the list. Referring to the charge of concealment of birth, his Honor said that it was a charge of some peculiarity. It did not necessarily imply that the child had been injured, but it was made an offence for the public safety. Whilst they all .had a natural sympathy with the woman who wished to conceal tha fact thai, she had given birth to an illegitimate child, they would all see the importance of having an early disclosure" of the entrance of a child into the world. PRISONERS FOR SENTENCE.

Robert Meaclem. Edward Stewart Agnew and Samuel Ross, three Burnhani absconders, were presented lor sentence for the theft of a motcr-car, the oroperty of Dr Browne. Mr Leathern appeared, for the prisoner Meaclem.

/lis Honor asked whether it had been explained to the prisoners belore they pleaded guilty that they could not be convicted of the theft unless it had been their intention to permanently deprive the owner of his property. The prisoners stated that this had been explained to them by the Magistrate.

Mr Leathern said that the boys .were under the charge of tho Burnham Industrial School until they were twentyone.

The Crown Prosecutor said that th« Burnham authorities did not want iVleacleni or Agnew back. They were incorrigible, and might exercise a bad influence on the others.

Mr Leathern said that Meaclem's parents thought they might be able to do something for him. They did not wish him to be sent to a reformatory. His Honor said that he was satisfied that the prisoners had had full information as to what was necessary before they could be convicted of theft. Ross would be sent back to Burnham for the balance of his term, as there was a reasonable possibility of his reformation.

The Crown Prosecutor said that Agnew had bad vices and was detective in intelligence. • His Honor said that Agnew required being kept under careful treatment for a considerable time. He would be kept in custody for his own sake for a term of three years for reformatory treatment. Ho would have an opportunity to earn money during that time. The Crown Prosecutor said that Meaclem was also an incorrigible boy, who had induced others to commit offences. His Honor sentenced the accused to three years' reformatory treatment. THEFT. Herbert Charles Wilkins (Mr Cassidy) was presented for sentence on a chargs of theft. Mr Cassidy asked that the accused should be placed under the Probation Act. He had not been before the Court previously, and the offence was an isolated one. The money had been returned. His Honor said that the prisoner seemed to have fallen into temptation, but his previous good conduct was in his favour and had earned him lenienry. He would be admitted to probation for six months and would be ordered to pay a line of £lO. BREAKING TERMS OF PROBATION. Cecil Herbert Jeffries, a youth who was already on probation for three years, was presented for having broken the terms of his probation. The Crown Prosecutor said that the prisoner had been on probation or in gaol since February, 1910. The probation officer said that the accused had broken the terms of his probation, and was at time serving a sen+ence of two months for theft.

The Crown Prosecutor said that the accused preferred the society of undesirables to that of honest people. His Honor said that the accused had shown himself unworthy of probation and would have' to be dealt with more severely. Pie would be sentenced to sis months' imprisonment, and at the expiration of that sentence would be detained for twelve months for reformatory treatment. THE IRONSIDE CASE. Alexander William Ironside (Mr Donnelly) pleaded guilty to tJ a theft of £7OO, the property of the Public Trustee.

Mr Donnelly said -"ho Bemused, nho was only twenty-three years of age, hrd unfortunately become associated with those whose means were more than his own, and in his extravagance had fallen. The accused had paid back all the money which had been in his possession. He had also transferred back the equity in his houre to the Public Trustee. He had friends who were prepared to lind work for him on a station in the country as soon as his sentence should have expired. The Crown Prosecutor said that the amount unrecovered was over £4OO. Hr could see no extenuation whatever for the offence. The defalcations had taken place over a period of eighteen months and on one occasion tlie accused had destroyed all the records of a defalcation and the fact had only Invn discovered by the parties concerned making complaints to the Public Trustee. His Honor said that tho accused stood convicted of a gross offence. Hi age was the only thing in his favour. He wonhl be sentenced to imprisonment, with hard labour for eighteen months.

ALLEGED CARNAL KNOWLEDGE. Archie Panier (Mr Donnelly) pleaded not guilty to a charge,' of having had carnal knowledge of a girl under sixteen years of age. Sir Stringer, Iv.C., appeared for the Crown. H'« Honor had the Court cleared. The jury returned a verdict that Parker had reason to believe that the girl was sixteen years of age, and recommended that the girl should be sent to a reformatory. Mr Donnelly said that the girl was alre-'dv in a reformatory. Parker was discharged. ALLEGED CONCEALMENT OF BIRTH. Mary Brown was charged that on Anrl 17 she had disposed of the dead hr.dv of her child with intent eoncrtl the f-ct. that she had beer) delivered of a child. Mr Hunter for premier, who plead°d not fruity, The for the was' tbnt nr'soner had ndmittH liiv'ne; b"en dpl:"°red -f n male chi'd, w 1 • i'-h wa" der.rl. h. • d A b"rvwn it into the Avon. fe-r.jde cH'd li~d been f«u«d in t'-" V'on rtbout 4 bnt t'mo. It nv'-vlw-h'"(> l'--m the child of ."revel. Irr' that did not fV--t tbn fnct r'">t con conl'opnt of birth bad taken place. William C'ollie, cafe proprietor, crave evidence that the woman had been employed by him. She had staved away from work on Easter Monday, and returned on the Tuesday. A Uiu- dars later he had con.

eluded that the girl had been delivered of a child.

In reply to Mr Hunter, witness said j that the girl was hard-working. I Detective* Ward gave evidence that ! when he was making inquiries regarding the child found in the Avon lie had interviewed the prisoner, who had made a statement to the effect that she had concealed the body of her male child. Mr Hunter submitted that the case was not one in which the jury could convict, as the body found had not been identified, and the prisoner had said that her child was a male. [PER PHTNS AssociATTOsr.] DUNEDIN, August 14. The criminal sittings of the Supreme Court opened this morning before Mr Justice Williams. There were only three cases, none of them, being of a serious character. WELLINGTON, August 14. The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court opened this morning. Mr Justice Chapman, in charging the Grand Jury, said that, though the greater number of cases were of the most ordinary kind, there were some cf a serious nature, and one or two of an exceptionally shocking kind. He was sorry that session after session he saw the same feature in a very marked derrree, and in a more marked degree than in some of the southern provinces, of cases of sexual crime. Severe sentences passed did nbt seem to reduce the cases. There had been too many such cases, and there must be a verv unhealthy state of affairs morally speaking. What was 'described by Mr Justice Chapman as one of the most shocking eases that- had been before the Con\fc was heard. Roy Lawton, fourteen years of age, was charged with committing a rane on a girl of fifteen. The boy_ did not blame the girl. Accused snid he wns tho son of a widow, ;:'' 10 Vft- with seventeen children. Tho boy was committed to an industrial school.