DISTRICT COURT, REEFTON.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1065, 24 March 1882, Page 2

DISTRICT COURT, REEFTON.

•*> Thursday, March 23rd, 1882. (Before His Honor Judge Broad.) Criminal Sittings. malicious injury to private property, Silas Gibson was charged with having between the 29th and 30th August last, *ut away the punt at the Inangahua landing, the property of Mr T. A Archer,

Mr Perkins appeared as Crown Prosecutor ; the prisoner was undefended. Thirty jurymen were summoned, and the following chosen :— Messrs J. Stevenson (foreman), Moore, Emanuel, Roberts, Anderson, Smith, M'Murray, Rees, Cochrane, Ching, Ross, and Smith. The whole of the circumstances are fresh in the memory of our readers having been fully reported during the last fortnight, and do not need repetition, the only remarkable fact about the prosecution being that it was only on the voluntary confession of the prisoner that proceedings were initiated. The only additional evidence on that given in the R. M. Court was that of Constable Bamford, who said that on conveying the prisoner to the lock-up, the latter said that his confession had been added to since he signed it. On being asked if he had anything to say in defence, he merely said he did not do it The jury found prisoner guilty r and his Honor, after remarking on the nature of the crime, sentenced him to three years' imprisonment.