THE CASE OF MR. JOHN MEIKLE.

Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 123, 21 November 1895, Page 2

THE CASE OF MR. JOHN MEIKLE.

The case of Mr. John Meikle is an interesting illustration of what may happen to a man in New Zealand, as may be known from tho following facts, recently disclosed before the Petitiona Committee of the Legislature, and othorwise made known in a recent trial in the South Island. Some seven years ago Mr. Meiklo was a substantial faim -r near Wynduam, in tho Provinco of Southland. Hia property adjoined that of a Land and Financial Company, tho manager of which suspected Meikle of stealing sheep. A private detective waa employed to watch the suspent, with the result that two ahoepskina bearing the company's brand were found in a barn of Meikle's, among othera of his own. An arreat followed, and upon that it was contended that Lam* bert, tho detective, had placed tho akina in the barn of Meikle in order to procure a conviction, to obtain which, it was alleged, he | was promised by his employers a considerable snm of money. Be this as it may, Meiklo was convicted and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, whioh servitude he underwent, excepting that by good-oon-duot marks and a special remission ho was onabled to emerge from gaol aftor the expiration of something ovor five yeara. During his confinement the prisoner rea peatedly, by petition to the Governor and 'otherwise, protested his innoconoc and prayed for a review of hi 3 case, buc could apparently not bo heard, and he served the full term of hi* penal servitude as prescribed by law. Being released, he dovoted all his energies to the vindication of his innocence, and succeeded in procuring a conviotion for perjury against Lambert as to tha evidence ho had givon against him (Meikle), with the result that Lambert has now ontered upon n periol of fojr years' imprisonment for the porjnry ho committed at the trial of Meiklo. Mean whilo Meiklo, who, when sent to gaol, was tho fa'he-r of a veiy largo family of yonug and hclj.-lesa children, petitioned Parliament for such redress and compensation as niight be afforded him for the wrong, sufferii g, tviid loss he had sustained, and a Parliamentary Committee recommended substantial compensation. This matter is under consideration by the Government. In paßEing sentence upon Meikle, the presiding- Judge ia reported to havo said that he regretted that " he could not give credence to mo^t of the statements made by the prisoner. The jury had found the priaoner Guilty, and with that verdict he thoroughly concurred. It appeared from the evidence that for aome time he had been the front of thia offending in his district. He had been, ao to apeak, the head centre of a ring of plunderers, and had relied for immunity from the consequences simply on tho hard swearing he was able to procure. He had trained hia son to perjury and his servants to plunder, and, in hi-) Honour's opinion, there was no honest farmer within ten miles of Meiklo'a neighbourhood but would sleep sounder because of his conviction. Tho sentence to be passed would release them from the fear of his deproda' ions for some years to oome, and onablo his son to reform. The priaoner would be sontenood to Beven years' penal servitude " The son, a delicate lid, dud not long after— hia parents aver of a broken heart. Mr. M.'ikle, as wo havo Baid, ia now a free man, and haa procured the conviction of tho principal witness against him for perjury The Judge who tried him was Mr. Acting Justice Ward, who is said to be the gentleman the Premier intends to appoint ap acting Supreme Court Judge for twelve months, or until such time as Sir Patrick Buckley can assume the dnti a of the office. There are othor facts oonuected with this case that we ghall probably have occasion to refer to later.