Supreme Court.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXV, Issue 3944, 24 November 1908, Page 2

Supreme Court.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night.

The criminal sitting of the Supreme Court opened this morning. Judge Williams, in his charge to the Grand Jury, said the cases were more numerous, and of a more serious nature, than usual. They included attempted murder, assault on a little girl, and a curious case of ill-treatment of a young girl by her married sister. Percy Johnston, aged 18, pleaded guilty to a serious assault on a girl. The police gave him bad character. The judge declined to order a flogging, as he was of opinion a long sentence without a flogging would be better, too, for society, and that persons convicted of such crimes should be kept away for as long a period as possible. He sentenced prisoner to twelve years' hard labour.

Wellington, Last Night.

In the Supreme Court today James Reed, charged with assault and robbery, pleaded not guilty. The trouble arose out of a drunken row, and the jury could not agree, and were discharged. A new trial will be taken on Monday. Ronald Jones, on two charges of breaking and entering, was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment, and ordered that he be kept separated from other prisoners. A sentence of seven years was imposed on an elderly man named Tobias Miller for having attempted to murder Ernest Hight by shooting him with a revolver.