SUPREME COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXX, Issue 14523, 22 March 1916, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

MASTERTON SITTINGS

(Before His Honour, Mr Justice Chapman.)

Perjury Charge.

Tho hearing of the evidence in tho case in which Svcn Poison, of Greytown way charged with . having committed perjury during the hearing .of a case in tho Magistrate's Court tit Greytown, was concluded in tho Supreme Court at Masterton yesterday, and was published in yesterday's issue. After tho luncheon adjournment, counsel addressed tho jury, and His Honor summed up. After a retirement of about fifteen miuutes the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and the accused was discharged. Breaking and Entering. Charles Morven, William David Creamer and Peter Bradley, members of tho Reinforcements, who appeared in the King's uniform, were charged with breaking and entering a storeroom attached to tho Greytown Hotel, Greytown, iv .January last, and stealiug a quantity of liquor, the property of Alfred Goodwin. Tho following jury was empanelled: —Messrs A. T. Dickason (foreman), if. ,1. Smith, .1. Dowell, J. Kennedy, R. Church, H. J. .'Jackson, T. W. Barnes-, p. J. Percy, 'W. Welch, P._A. Cole, A. r_. Williams, and J. B. Iliggins.

The accused pleaded not guilty, and were represented by Mr S. d. Moran. Mr A. R. Bunny (Crown Prosecutor) opened the case for the Crown. Alfred Goodwin, licensee of the Greytown Hotel, Greytown, stated ho had a liquor store adjacent to tho premises. He had occasion to visit the store on the evening of January 15th, and the [dace was securely locked. Next morning he discovered the lock prized and an axe alongside. Liquor to the value of about £:"f was missing, comprising champagne, brandy, etc. Ho immediately apprised the police of the burglary*. He never knew how many ilasks of "brandy were taken oxer from the previous ownoi Constable I.arkin, stationed at Greytown, stated that Goodwin reported to him on the morning of the 16th that his storeroom had been broken into. He continued his inquiries throughout the day, and towards evening empty ilasks we're picked up resembling those missing, near Anderson's boarding house, lie heard noises coming from an upstairs room in Anderson's. In consequence of what Anderson told him he (witness) went down the street and brought along Corporal Dunning, of the military police. He found two brandy ilasks near Creamer's bed, both empty. Creamer denied any knowledge of them. Morvan, who was in the same room, woke up, and used some abusive language, .thinning, who hail gone after" Bradley, then came and arrested Cheamer and told Morvan to put his boots on. He (witness) asked Morvan where he procured the brandy, and he replied, "'Go and find out-.-" Morvan picked up n full flask that had been hidden by his boots, and threw it out of the window. Morvan was then arrested by yer._eant Dunning, and the three men were eventually taken to the police cells. Ho th«-u charged the men with breaking .and entering the store und the theft of liquor, and each denied the charge. The men were all more or less* drunk. Eventually nine of the missing (tasks were discovered. He examined the stocks of the different licensed aud wholesale houses and found that the Greytown Hotel was the only place that stocked brandy in flasks the same as those produced.

Scrgt. James Dunning stated that he knew the three accused, who were attached to the military camp. Ou the date in question two of the men were absent without leave. Ho detected Bradley rushing from Anderson's when ho (witness) and Constable Larkin came along. He followed Bradley and arrested him for breaking camp. The two others were subsequently arrested and taken to tho police cell. Two of the men were the wor.se for liquor. Creamer might have been sober.

W. Anderson, boardinghouse-keeper, of Greytown, recognised the accused as men who came to his house on Sunday at- 7 a.m. and ordered a room. The men were sober, and the room he gave them contained three beds.

The depositions of Mrs Anderson, who was unable to appear owing to illness, ami given at Greytown, were

read. Private Coyle stated that he was one of the arresting party, ami went to the police cell. :iu charge of the accused. Creamer and Bradley v.-ore placed in one apartment, and ho overheard one of them say, "It's all up now." The other replied, "I did not pinch any of it," to which the other stated, "but*you helped to drink it. "

Scrgt. George Betid said ns a result of information from the .0.0. he had asked Creamer and Bradley, who were in a tap-room of nu hotel on the Saturday, to get back to camp. Neither appeared the worse for liquor, and left tho place. Later on he saw T Morvan at the same place under the influence of liquor, and requested him to leave for camp.

This closed the evidence for the prosecution, and the case was - adjourned till this morning at 10 o'clock/

(Continued on page 5.)