SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3219, 16 May 1911, Page 2

SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

CRIMINAL SESSIONS IN CHRISTCHURCH. “A REGRETTABLY HEAVY LIST.” LPEE PEESS ASSOCIATION.J CHRISTCHURCH, May 15. The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court opened this morning. In addressing the grand jury, Mr. Justice Denniston said he regretted the list of cases was heavy. Of the fifteen charges requiring investigation, five were concerned with sexual offences, and two persons were charged with murder. True bills, were found in the charges against Lam per and others, theft of cargo; Jas. Mitchell, carnal know.edge; Lily Casey, alias Smith, theft; Robert Paurini, attempted rape; Henry George Carlyle, incest; Fred. Chullen, false declaration of marriage; Andrew Craig, indecent exposure; and the case Henry Alexander Jack and Walter Richard Sadler, alleged murder of Ethel Bradley. Bertram Stephen Lambert appeared for sentence for carnally knowing under the age of 16, and was ordered to come up for sentence when called on. James Leslie was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for arson, and to two years’ reformative detention.

SITTINGS IN WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, May 15

The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court opened to-day. In his charge to the Grand Jury the Chief Justice mentioned that there were nineteen prisoners committed for tidal, but none of the cases were of a very serious kind. Unfortunately there were no less than five sexual cases, and he regretted to see that interference with little children by young men and old men were not uncommon throughout New Zealand, a fact which was a great disgrace to our civilisation. The sentencing of a young man named Frederick Hunter on a charge of indecent assault was deferred till Wednesday. Later. WELLINGTON, May 15. At the Supreme Court to-day Charles Guroto, a cabdriver at Masterton, was convicted of the theft of chaff. The prisoner, against whom there are 18 previous convictions, was remanded for sentence till Friday. Three young men, named.' Michael O’Brien, Frank Vcss, and Thomas Lane, were charged that on April 18th at Wellington, they stole 3s in money, and two railway luggage receipts, from the person of Leonard David McCracken, and further, that they stole a Gladstone bag and the contents thereof—clothing, etc. All three accused pleaded “not guilty,” and the case had not concluded when the Court rose for the day. CASES AT DUNEDIN. DUNEDIN, May 15. At the criminal sittings, opened today, Arthur Robert James Cant pleaded guilty of theft of £lO9 from the Union Steamship Company, with whom he was employed as paymaster of casual hands at Port Chalmers. It was stated that he had married when unfinancially able to do so, and borrowed at a usurious rate of interest to pay for furniture. He took the company’s moneys to pay his private debts. He was admitted to probation for two years and ordered to pay the costs, £B. Calin David McLean pleaded guilty to two charges of thefts from the D.I.C. and Mrs. Dreaver’s drapery establishment. He was ordered to be detained for reformative treatment for a term of two years. John Aloysius Campbell was brought up for sentence on three charges of theft from the Bank of Australasia. Prisoner, who had been addicted to gambling on horse-racing, was in receipt of a salary of £2OO per year from the Bank. He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. John Rov Belford, on a charge of receiving stolen property at Dunedin, was admitted to probation for two years. John Taupoki, a Maori, for breaking, entering, and theft at Riverton, was sentenced to six months’ hard labor, thereafter to be detained for reformative purposes for three years. Later. Robert Young pleaded not guilty to a charge of committing perjury at Oamaru on February lltli. when charged with committing an indecent act in the street. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty. Annie Margaret McKay, aged 17, was brought up for sentence on a charge of theft from a postal packet, from which she extracted a bangle, and Charles Edward McKay, aged 19, was brought up for sentence on a charge of opening a oostal packet. He saw a registered packet in the post office, opened it, and tied it up again, but without taking anything. The father of both the acciised was a ganger at Hillgrove, and kept the post office. The male accused was fined £5, and ordered to be kept in custody until the fine be paid, the term not to exceed two months. The girl was ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. Thomas Ross pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to steal gold tailings, valued at £23, at Munro’s Gully, and was remanded for sentence, to allow evidence of character to be called. John Holland and William Quan were acquitted on a charge of stealing a bicycle, the jury being of opinion that though the machine was taken away, there was no intention of theft.