Queanbeyan Age, Wed 2 Sep 1874 1
QUEANBEYAN POLICE COURT.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 31st.
Before the Police Magistrate and Mr M Byrne.
Thomas Large was charged with the perpetration of an offence against nature. The evidence, which was taken with closed doors, was of course unfit for publication. The prisoner was remanded to jail till next day for production of further evidence.
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The Manaro Mercury and Cooma and Bombala Advertiser, Sat 5 Sep 1874 2
QUEANBEYAN POLICE COURT.
MONDAY, AUGUST 31st.
BEFORE the Police Magistrate and Mr M Byrne.
Thomas Large was charged with the perpetration of an offence against nature. The evidence, which was taken with closed doors, was of course unfit for publication. The prisoner was remanded to gaol till next day for production of further evidence.
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Queanbeyan Age, Wed 21 Oct 1874 3
QUARTER SESSIONS.—This court opens this morning at ten o’clock, when all jurors, witnesses and others whose duties require their attendance must be present at the court-house. The following cases are for trial:—William Lawless and Francis Lawless, aggravated assault at Bungendore (postponed from last sessions); Charles Coleman, forgery and uttering; Wm Day, sheep-stealing; and Thos Large, unnatural offence.
DISTRICT COURT.—The business of the district court will commence tomorrow at tem am, the cause list is light, and none of the cases posses any features of unusual interest.
THE WEATHER.—The indications of drought which prevailed lately have given way to a desirable change of weather. Thunderstorms have visited several parts of the district, and the rain which accompanied them must be productive of much good, as the surface of the soil had become very hard and dry. The grass in particular stood much in need of rain, the want of which has resulted in a very spare growth considering the advanced state of the season. A heavy thunderstorm passed over Queanbeyan on Sunday afternoon, throughly saturating the soil, and flooding the streets; but it appears to have been confined to a a [sic] very narrow strip of country as it passed long.
BAND PERFORMANCE.—The following is the programme to be played by the Queanbeyan Band in the Pavilion to-morrow evening—the opening night of the season—at 8 pm:—
Grand Slow March—(Des Puritanis)—Bellini.
Quadrille—(Erin-go-bragh)—C D’Albert.
Waltz—(Adieu)—Snelling.
Selection—(Op. La Vie Parisienne)—Offenbach.
American Air—(Brothers Fainting at the door)—Healey.
Polka—(Echo du Mont Blanc)—Julien.
Scott Air—(Hurrah for the Bonnets so Blue)—Laing.
Schottische—(English Girls)—Montgomery
Galop—(The Foxhunters)—Marion.
TT Laing, Conductor.
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The Sydney Morning Herald, Fri 23 Oct 1874 4
TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES.
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AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS TELEGRAMS.
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QUEANBEYAN.
Thursday.
The Quarter Sessions commenced and finished yesterday. William and Francis Lawless, charged with assaulting their parents, remanded from last Court day, were admitted to bail until nest sessions, to appear if called upon. Charles Coleman, for forging and uttering, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. William Day, convicted of sheep stealing, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. Thomas Large, charged with an unnatural offence, by direction of the Judge was acquitted. This closed the criminal business. The District Court opened to-day, but the business was unimportant, and was finished at noon.
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Queanbeyan Age, Sat 24 Oct 1874 5
QUEANBEYAN QUARTER SESSIONS.
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THIS court was opened at ten am on Wednesday. There were on the bench with his Honour the District Judge, the following magistrates of the territory:—Lieutenant-Col Russell, police magistrate, representing the sheriff; JJ Wright, Esq, JP, and CL Nicholson, Esq, JP. Other justices during the day occupied seats on the bench. Mr D Forbes prosecuted for the Crown, and the other members of the legal profession present were Mr Scarvell and Mr Parr.
NEW MAGISTRATE
JB Burke, Esq, of Bungendore, took the necessary oath of offence as a magistrate of the territory, and directly afterwards took his seat on the bench.
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SODOMY.
Thomas Large stood charged with the above offence.
The prisoner, who was defended by Mr Scarvell and Mr Parr, pleaded not guilty.
The Crown Prosecutor in opening the case addressed the jury in a manner which implied a weak case against the prisoner.
The evidence tendered at the time of prisoner’s committal by the lad Michael Byrne, upon whom the offence was alleged to have been committed, was again given, being of course unfit for publication.
During the proceedings one of the jurors became sick and had to be led out of court; and upon his return, and after the resumption and termination of the evidence.
Mr Scarvell contended that there was no case against the prisoner, inasmuch as that the evidence of the principal witness tended to implicate him as an accomplice, by unresistingly submitting to prisoner’s wishes. Moreover, the act of the prisoner was shown by the evidence not to have been of the character to constitute the offence with which he was charged.
During Mr Scarvell’s address, the same juryman was again seized with sickness, and had to be led once more from the court.
His Honor’s attention being drawn to the circumstance, he suggested that the apparent severe indisposition of the absent juror, coupled with the facts disclosed by the evidence, should lead to the withdrawal of the case from the jury by the Crown.
After some further conversation between the Judge and Crown Prosecutor, and the indisposed juror being still absent from court, Mr Forbes withdrew the case from the jury, and the prisoner was discharged.
NEW MAGISTRATE.
Henry G Powell, Esq, of Turalla, Bungendore, was duly sworn in as a magistrate of the territory.
1 Queanbeyan Age, Wed 2 Sep 1874, p. 2.
2 The Manaro Mercury and Cooma and Bombala Advertiser, Sat 5 Sep 1874, p. 2.
3 Queanbeyan Age, Wed 21 Oct 1874, p. 2. Emphasis added.
4 The Sydney Morning Herald, Fri 23 Oct 1874, p. 9. Emphasis added.
5 Queanbeyan Age, Sat 24 Oct 1874, p. 2.