The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, Thu 12 Mar 1885 1
MAITLAND QUARTER SESSIONS.
————
Following is a list of the cases for trial at the Maitland Quarter Sessions, which begin at East Maitland, on Monday next, before his Honor Mr District Court Judge Wilkinson:—
Daniel McLean, perjury; West Maitland bench.
Frederick Miller, embezzlement.
John Price, attempting to steal from the person; Newcastle bench.
Michael McCarthy and another, assault and robbery.
William Austin and John Fitch, stealing in a dwelling-house to the value of £25; West Maitland bench.
Charles Henry Thompson, assault with intent to commit a rape.
Ivie Boyd, arson; Wollombi bench.
William Chapman, illegally pawning.
John Williams and another, keeping a bawdy house.
Edward Johnson, larceny.
George Beresford Sargent, horse stealing; Maitland bench.
Henry Wooten, bestiality.
Thomas S Harris, embezzlement; Newcastle bench.
John Mowat, larceny.
William Parenell, false pretences (three cases); West Maitland bench.
Carl FW Keichner, false pretences.
Joseph Solomon, horse stealing; West Maitland bench.
Paul Nord and another [Frederick Milton], indecent assault; Lambton bench.
William H Veale, indecent assault.
William Lulhan, horse stealing; Bullahdelah [sic] bench.
John Shiels, horse stealing.
James Campbell, stealing in a dwelling to the value of £5.
Samuel Whitehurst, breaking and entering a shop.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, Tue 17 Mar 1885 2
MAITLAND QUARTER SESSIONS.
Yesterday morning the March sittings of the Maitland Quarter Sessions began at East Maitland before his Honor Mr District Court Judge Wilkinson. Dr EE Wright, JP, acted for the sheriff, and the Crown Prosecutor was Mr WW Tarleton. The other members of the bar in attendance were: Messrs W Edmunds and R Colonna-Close.
JUROR FINED.
Thomas Pearce, of Newcastle, was fined 40s for non-attendance as a juror.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Fri 20 Mar 1885 3
MAITLAND QUARTER SESSIONS.
———◦———
THIRD DAY—THURSDAY, MARCH 19.
(Before His Honor Mr District Court Judge Wilkinson.)
The Court was resumed at 10 o’clock this morning.
A number of civil cases were brought forward, and others allowed to remain over until Saturday morning at 10 o’clock.
INDECENT ASSAULT.
Fredk Milton and Paul Nord, two lads, were indicted for having indecently assaulted a youth named Thos Taafe, [aka Thomas McDonald Taaffe] on 11th February, at Pelican Flat, Lake Macquarie.
Mr RW Thompson appeared for prisoners.
Constable McKenzie, stationed at Cooranbong, stated that prisoners were handed over to him on March 2 by the Police Magistrate, for having indecently assaulted the boy Taafe.
John Taaffel, a butcher at Pelican Flat, remembered the 11th February; that was the day his son was assaulted; made an attempt to catch the prisoners, but did not succeed.
William John Train, nearly twelve years of age, knew Tommy Taaffe, and saw prisoners and two men who were fashing; asked prisoners if they had seen a sheep, and they said “No;” prisoners had a white parcel, and they then chased witness and Taaffe; witness had a black dog, which bit Milton, who then ran after Taaffe and knocked him down; saw them afterwards tucking up their trousers; prisoners chased witness home, who went and told Taaffe’s father of what had occurred; the latter proceeded quickly to the spot, and the prisoners ran away.
Thos McDonald Taaffe deposed to asking prisoners if they had seen a sheep, to which they replied they had not; witness and Train were then going away, when prisoners chased them and succeeded in catching them both; Nord caught witness. (The evidence here was unfit for publication.) Prisoners said, “Come, and we’ll chase the little beggars home and tell on them.”
Mr Thompson was summing up when our reporter left.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Sat 21 Mar 1885 4
MAITLAND QUARTER SESSIONS.
———◦———
(By Telegraph.)
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
————
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
At the Quarter Sessions to-day the following cases were disposed of:—
…
INDECENT ASSAULT.—Paul Nord and Frederick Milton were charged with committing an indecent assault in May last. Nord was found guilty, and remanded for sentence. Milton was acquitted.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, Tue 24 Mar 1885 5
MAITLAND QUARTER SESSIONS.
SATURDAY MARCH 21.
(Before his Honor Mr District Court Judge Wilkinson.)
The Court reopened at 10 o’clock.
SENTENCES.
…
Paul Nord, and 17 years, convicted of an indecent assault on a male person. His Honor said that this case had also given him a great deal of anxiety. He wished the prisoner to understand his reasons for the sentence he was about to pass. If he believed that the prisoner was guilty of the offence in the more pronounced form stated in the information he would have given prolonged imprisonment, and would most certainly order a whipping. The jury, although they had found him guilty, had strongly recommended him to mercy, on the ground that there were no aggravating circumstances. It was evident that the jury intended that he should not look upon it as a flagrant case, from their recommendation. He took that view himself, and would therefore pass a light sentence, simply because he did not think the prisoner was guilty of pulling the boy about in aggravated indecent circumstances. He could not help believing that the prosecutor must have been aggravating in his conduct. The sentence of the court was that he be imprisoned in Maitland Gaol for two months, and his Honor asked that the prisoner should be kept as much as possible away from hardened offenders.
1 The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, Thu 12 Mar 1885, p. 4. Emphasis added.
2 The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, Tue 17 Mar 1885, p. 4.
3 Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Fri 20 Mar 1885, p. 3.
4 Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Sat 21 Mar 1885, p. 4.
5 The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, Tue 24 Mar 1885, p. 3.