SUPREME COURT.—CRIMINAL SITTINGS

Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2568, 7 September 1867, Page 7

SUPREME COURT.— CRIMINAL SITTINGS

(Before llis Honor Mr Justice Johnston) . The province of Wellington, Now Zealand, Spring Assizes, were opened on Monday, the 2nd inst., and continued for -throe days, there being a calendar rather heavier than ordinary. There were three casos of horse and one of cattle-stealing ; one of keeping a houeo of ill-fame, one of bigamy' two of faUc pretonces, oue of infanticide against two women, one of larceny, ono of robbei-y from the person, one of forgery against two porsons, and four of robbery with violence. Of this list only fpur camo from Wellington, two from the Wairampa, and tho romainder from Wanganui aud the West Coast. The Grand Jury having returned truo bills against all the prisoners, the first ease taken was one of robbery in which the accused, Jumeß McCauley, pled guilty of robbing a drunken man of £14, and was sentenced to be imprisoned and kept at hard labor for the space of six calendar months. William Oharlton, alias Simpson, who also pleaded guilty to two soparato charges, and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment on tho first, and four years' penal servitude on tho second. Eoberfc Shannon, charged with robbery, afc his own request was remanded for trial at the next sessions, his witnesses not having been subpoßiied. Patrick Eyan, a private in the 18th U.I. Eeet., was next; placed in the dock and pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting and robbing a •stone mason named Thomas Kennedy, residing at Waiganui. The evidence was most conclusive, and the prisoner was sentenced to undergo imprisonment with hard labor for the term of two years. Fanny tHovor alias GKbbs, an interesting looking woman, who bore tho appearance of being enciente, was then charged with the serious crime of bigamy, and it having been proved that she on the 19th June, 18GI, was legally married at Christchurch to a man named Glover, and that she subsequently, Glovor being still alive, went through tho ceremony on the 15th May, 1867, with a man named Gibbsi, a sentence of nine months imprisonment was passed. Edward Roe, a youth aged seventeen, was next placed'in tho dock to answer a charge of stealing a horse from an aboriginal native, and the jury having returned a verdict of guilty, ho was sentenced to undergo two years' imprisonment with hard labor. This concluded tho list of cases heard on the first day, and on the following morning,' Smith Orton was found guilty, on two charges, of obtaining money under false pretences, and sentenced to undergo two years' imprisonment on each charge, tho sentences not to bo concurrent. James Wheeler wna then brought up for trial on a' charge of stealing a, horse froiu tin aboriginal native, and the evidoneo being incontrovertible, was sentenced to undergo imprisonment with hard labor for the spsico of two, years. David Johnston^ a butcher, residing on tho West Coast, brought up and. found guilty of stealing tho cattle of the. neighboring settlers, was also sent to gaol fo,r two years. Simon Dolan and John Dnsroll, privates of (ho 18th Royal Irish, for forging 1 and uttering a false cheque, were eftcli sentenced to undergo nine months imprisonment 'with hnrd labor. Elizabeth Pepper, a well-known prostitute, for keeping a house of ill-fame, was sent to gaol for six mbnths. . ■ . ■ Margaret Smith, alias Quinty, for stealing a purse from a man whom she met in the street, boing a very old olleiuler,' with endless previous convictions, was sentenced' to two years imprisonment with hard lub'or. ' Tho remainder of tho prisoners were acquitted, Thomiis Watson and Kdwiird Filzgeruld, privates of tho 18lh Royal Irish, charged with robbery with violence, fur want of evidence; and Maria Baker and lilizubnth Lorkyer, jointly charged with concealing the birth of a child borne of tho former, through a 11. iw in tho indictment. This concluded the list of cases, und l,bo Court adjourned on the aft.ernoon of Wednesday last. Odd Fkllows — An application for opening a new h>rlgtj of Odd Fellows' at. Pahaiitaniii having been granted at. the last, annual district meeting of the order, tho " Luyit ( l >Sl- George Lodge" Imb been duly opened in the district with the usual formalities. Several members were initiated in their respective situations by the Grand Master tind officers appoihte'd. ' 'Tins lathe second lodgo which bus wiiliin the last few months been opened under the auspices of the Wellington Diatrict, which now consists of nine lodges, and six hundred members.