SUPREME COURT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume L, Issue 14697, 31 August 1915, Page 7

SUPREME COURT.

THE WANGANUI SESSION. (Before his Honor, Air Justice Edwards.) The quarterly session of the Supreme Court commenced at the Courthouse this morning, presided over by his Honor, Mr Justice Edwards. 'criminal CHARGES. Six persons were indicted on criminal charges, including charges of theft, sheep-stealing, unlawful assembly, and riot. The following grand jury was chosen;—C. J. McCarthy, T. H. Battle, J. Williams, A. G. ■•Bignoll, R. AV. Groan, K. Laird, D. Cullinane, W. L. Bakewell, J. AV . Alderton. A. E. Frost, J. Butcher, A. Howarth, J. Thorpe, \V. D. Preston, AA r . Tucker, F,.- D. Banks, A. Burnett, A. S. Burgess, J. Sted, AV. E. Morgan, G. B. Benge, L. R. Haughton. Mr Bignell was chosen foreman.

In addressing the grand jury his Honor said there wore bills of indictment against six persons, but they were for the most part quite common—there were three charges of theft of various degrees, a charge of sheep-stealing, a charge of indecent assault and last of all a charge, quite uncoi I .on, and one he believed to be the first he had. met with in his experience—a charge of unlawful assembly. AVith regard to the charge of indecent assault, it certainly was not one of the most serious of the class. There, was a charge of breaking and entering against a boy; it was a trivial matter, breaking into a neighbour’s house and stealing a few books. Tile only case that might cause trouble was the charge of, unlawful assembly against four persons. After explaining to the grand jury the legal meaning of unlawful assembly, his Honor said the occasion was one where hatred of members of the German race (which was not surprising when events in Europe were rem ! abered) had been given vent/' to bv means of a demonstration against a person, a naturalised German. There was really cause to be indignant with the race, but that did not justify the disturbance against a naturalised German who had for many years lived in Wanganui. Although tho German race, bv any means in its power, was endeavouring to overcome the British race, there were many thousands of Germans who had received the benefits and blessings of British rule who wore not ’ in sympathy with their compatriots’ methods of warfare. TRUE BILLS. The Grand-Jury brought in true bills in the following cases; —Roydon Frank Goddard, breaking and entering; R. W. S. Orr, theft; T. D. Harvey, theft; J. Kirwagg, indecent assault; S. AVilson, sheep-stealing. NO BILL. I« fine case of T. McLean, J. King, A. Haie, it. Harrison, alleged unlawful assembly and riot, the Grand Jury brought back no bill and the. accused were discharged. REX v. GODDARD. In this case, accused, a boy a little ever sixteen years of age, pleaded guilty to theft of four books from a dwelling house at Marion. Upon the father of the boy agreeing to take him back with him on his farm, his Honor ordered the boy to come up for sentence when called ✓.pon. . .. i c REX v. ORR.

R. AA’. S. Orr was indited on six charges of theft from his employer, R. and E. Tingey, Ltd. Accused pleaded not guilty to the indictment and was defended by Mr. Treadwell. The thefts .were alleged to have extended over a considerable portion of 1912 and portion of 1913. The articles alleged to, have been stolen were several dozen paint brushes, some tins of paifit and a bale of serin-.. ’■

Formal evidence was given by a postal official producing money orders and money order telegrams issued from New Plymouth by Nippert Bros, to Bert Orr, Wanganui, w’nieh were receipted and signed by Bert Orr, P. E. Tingey, manager of R. and E. Tmgev and Co., Ltd., said accused ‘was employed by him three years, ago and left his service in November 1913. Accused was employed as salesman, and all goods sold by him had to he entered,pit to sales dockets. After beingfwutljfthe/firm for a time accused wasf put’ iff charge of the wholesale department. The luncheon adjournment was then taken, A PECULIAR INCIDENT. A peculiar incident occurred after the luncheon adjournment. His Honor, after the adjournment, addressing the jury, said that it had become known that one of the employees of the prosecuting firm was a member of the jury. He did not think there was the slightest danger of this affecting the verdict of the jury, hut in order that there might lie no reflection on the administration of justice, in tire event of a verdict of guilty being returned, tho only course would 'be to discharge the jury and to empanel a new one. The jury was accordingly discharged, and the case will be re-com-menced to : morrow morning. AT AUCKLAND. (Ter United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, August 31. A full-blooded Maori named Harry Kelly was before the Supreme Court charged with breaking and entering and theft. It was stated that prisoner had been induced to plead guilty, hoping to get away with the Maori Contingent. Mr Justice Cooper said the accused had previously served a month’s imprisonment, and would now be sentenced to twelve months’ hard labour. “If the authorities think you can safely be released in order to serve your country.” the Judge added, “they may possibly like the responsibility.” ■