R. M. COURT, NGARUAWAHIA. Monday, 27th January, 1873. (Before W. N. Scarancke, Esq,, Resident Magistrate.)

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 114, 28 January 1873, Page 2

R. M. COURT, NGARUAWAHIA. Monday, 27th January , 1873. (Before W. N. Scarancke, Esq,, Resident Magistrate.)

« Canty v 1/ Estrange — Judgment for plaintiff £3 9s. Rehi v Gilmore — Mr Hny for defendant. This was an information laid against Catherine Gihnorc, wife of G. Gilmore, storekeeper, Ngaruaw ahia, for uttering counterfeit coin purporting to bo a half-sovereign. Plea not guilty. The witnessos examined were Rehi, wife of plaintiff, and Paopao. The former two had evidently come to Court with a \ cry well prepared lesson, but in many particulars it failed to stand cross-examination. The ewdence of the latter tended rathe'" to weaken the testimony of the former on some of the material points — Charles Bell was examined as to having had the coin g.ven him by tho natne Rein — Mr Hay then addressed the Bench. He showed that there were a great many discrepancies m the evidence, from which it was apparent that it had undergone the prows of concoction, lie further «»d that there was no evidence that the coin was counterfeit, and that ho would not call any evidence for the defence, fooling confident that the result would be in his client's favour. — His Worship, in giving judgment, took occision to remark that «uch a case as the present was a very dangerous one, nnd any person was liable to bo accused of at onj moment. In this particular instance it was harder than usual, as tho information being laid against the wife of ! a most res] ectablc settlor, thf husband was not qualified to quo evidence in her favour. He said that he did not know how the native came by the half-sovereign, but almost suspected it to have been stolen from Mr Gilmore's store, nnd stat *d that it was a fact of general notoriety that a native could not rcsis 1 the tcmptnfion of stealing. His Worship dismis>e.l the case, nnd observed that he h id known Mr and Mrs (rilmore fora number of year* as respectable and industrious settler-*, an,l that Mrs Gilmore would leave this Court without any btam or blemish upon her character bv icason of having appeared before him.