THE HOSPITAL INQUIRY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1860, 17 September 1874, Page 3

THE HOSPITAL INQUIRY.

A meeting of the committee of the Tliames Goldfield Hospital was held last evening, for tho , purpose of conducting tho inquiry into tho case of Maurice Power, which has lately excited so much interest.

Mr .Howe, president of the Hospital, presided, and the following members of committee were present:—Bev, Y. Lush, Rev. Father Lonergan, liev. J. [Mil, Messrs. J. Hudson, . Sims, Power, Gudgeon, McCullough, Macnab, R. McDonald, Souter, Kennan, Mcllhono, Prater, Henshaw. Drs. Lethbridge, Kilgour, aud Payne were also present. '

The Chaiujian suggested that it would be well to consider of what course they should adopt on pursuing the inquiry.

After some conversation it was agreed that Mr Berry should be requested to take the evidence on behalf of the committee.

The Chaibjian then asked if any gentleman had any remarks to make as to the course which should be takeu.

liev. J. Hill : Before you enter upon the consideration of the course you should take, I have a little matter which I wish to bring before you, as I think ,it touches our procedure at the very commencement of this re-investigation. As I stated at a previous meeting, some members feel placed in a difficulty, becauso the witnesses have had .the opportunity of reading the evidence that was given by other witnesses, and also that the evidence was given not on oath. As J. stated then, however, 'that difficulty did not seriously lie in our way.. Another difficulty, however, has arisen, of a serious nature lo some of us, and. that.difficulty is, that we have reason to believe that some of the witnesses in this case have been - .tampered with. To what extent this has occurred we are not prepared at this stage to say, but I 1 believe it has occurred to some extent, and I think it is necessary we should ascertain whether this is the case or not before we proceod, because these witnesses have to come before uu again; aud if it is the case that any one has tried to turn them agaiust the evidence produced here, so as .to get them to say that the evidence, as given in our report, was not correct, you will see that the sub-committee is placed in a dangerous position, We want to know to what extent that danger exists. In addition, if any member of'this committee has in any degree tampered with witnesses, I very much question the propriety of that individual being permitted to touch this ease in future, jfh'e witness I allude to is our best witness, Miss Milgrew. It has come to the ears of some of the sub-committee that witnesses have been tampered with, and I think, that Miss Milgrew should be called and questioned regarding a'uy such tampering as that alluded to. I formally make that request of this committee, ;that Miss Milgrow be called first.

Mr Mcllhonb: With regard to the observations of Mr Hill, I think the request a reasonable one, and if it can bo shown by questioning Miss Milgrew that any attempt has boon made to get her to alter the evidence given, or in any other way, I think that would bo a fair ground for at all events taking a different course in the inquiry. lam not prepared to say what is in the rev. gentleman's knowledge, but i do not think he would have spoken as ho has done except : under.very grave circumstances. I think the committee would act wisely by making the' fullest inquiry, and if there is anything in the matter, get to the bottom of it. No doubt Mr Hill has had reasons for putting the matter in the shape he has done. I hope the committee will see their way to accede to the request of the reverend gentleman.

Mr E. H. Poweb thought the meeting was simply to consider the letter of Dr. Lethbridge and the other medical gentlemen, and that it would be premature to call Miss Milgrew till they had disposed of that letter, uf course, he had no objections to the request, but it could be carried out afterwards.

The motion was then put and carried, ten members voting for it. The Secretary then left the room to call Miss Millgrew, but returned saying tbat she was not in attendance. He asked Mr Hill if he had asked her to be present. Eev. J. Hill said ho had not. He thought she ought to be invited, as they had carried that resolution.

Lvev. V. Lush : Do I understand that we are not to proceed till that lady comes? She may not coine to-night, nor on another night, and when are we to get on with the business ?

Mr Sims : If .Mr Hill would state what he has heard, and ask the gentlomau he alludes to what has occurred, and take it for granted

Eev. J. Hill : I object to such a course. If our secretary would go, I believe Miss _ Milgrew would be hero in a very few minutes. If not convenient for her to come, of course she could say so. : Mr Mcllhone remarked that Miss Milgrew was a servaut at Mr Tyler's house, on the beach. •

iiev. V. Lush said thisdelay was trifling with the committee.

Eev. J. Hill: How did I know that the committee would carry the resolution ?

Mr Tyleb said he believed that it would be very inconvenient for his servant to leave the house at that hour, as ho one was in but his wife. If he had known he would have arranged that she should have been there.

Mr Mclihone: If it can be shown that any member ot this committee has attempted to tamper with any witness, that would have a great deal to do with any statements made by such member of committee. Although probably we havo no legal power'to disqualify any member, it would be calculated to throw grave suspicion upon anything he might say, and lapprehend that is the real point in showing that some attempt had been made. If such were the case, the committee would not be justified in going into this matter, having one of its members who made such an attempt.

Mr Tyler : The resolution passed is, that my servant should be sent for to appear at a moment' 3 notice before the committee. I say, as that servant is under my control, that it is not convenient for her to attend. I think it would be improper for any member of this committee to insist upon that girl coming hero. I am quite aware that this rcquost is directed at me, because a member of the committco has been alluded to, and the girl is my servant, and lives at my house.' This courso appears to havo been taken for the purpose of shutting ray mouth. 1 can say that sinco the resolution has, been passed to havo another inquiry I havo not uttered one syllable to that girl, about her evidence. Before I moved that resolution I did speak to her about it. I read the ovidence' to hor, | arid asked her if sho said that P I If that is tho tampering alluded to, I did

that. I did not ask her to alter the evidence in any way. That is the whole of the conversation. When the time comes I shall dispose of that case. If I had attempted, when T knew that another investigation was to take place, to influence her as to the evidence she should give, I should have been guilty of a serious offence in the eyes of this community. I think I have a little more honour than that, notwithstanding the hints of the rev. gentleman opposite (Mr Hill). I defy any man, sincol have been in the district, to fix me with a dishonourable act. I have always done what' is just, fair, and upright, whatever the rev. gentleman, the bellicose parson opposite, chooses to say—Mr McTmone : I rise to order, and I say that Mr I'ylor should retract what he has said.

, Hov. J, Him: I will let it go for what it is worth.

Mr Mcllhone: I think wo ought not to go on if such language is to be permitted.

TheCiuiEMAN:lthink the language used by Mr Tyler is wrong, and is calculated to excite angry feeling. I think the words ought to be withdrawn. Mr Tyler: As you have said that— no man under the sun is more inclined lo obey any person in authority than I am, but to be charged with tampering with evidence is a serious charge—Mr Mcllhone :. Mr Tyler was never referred to. If that sort of thing is permitted to go on, I would not have anything to do with the inquiry. Mr Tyler: When a person is charged, or conceives he is charged— Mr MclLtioNE: A guilty conscience! Mr'fyiiEE: This is not the first time that Mr Mcllhone has made impertinent observations. Before I had been in the room five minutes, he hinted that I was feed to be here.

"Mr Mcllhone : I never used your name.-

Mr Tyler : Labouring under these feelings, I became excited, and made use of an expression which was not, to say the least, Parliamentary, and which you say was improper, and calculated- to, create ill-feeling. I unhesilatiugly withdraw it because of your ruling. I am always incliued.to bow to persons in authority, and therefore I do withdraw that expression. iiev. J. Hill : I rise not to make any allusion to what Mr Tyler has said. I rise to say that Mr. Tyler's remarks with regard- lo his own household are fair and just, and are what we ought to bow to. At the same time I am anxious that this matter should be probed to the bottom; I did riot make any.-'charge agaiust Mr Tyler, nor agaiust any member-I merely said I had heard it, and whether it is true or noli, I want to find out. If it is not convenient to have Miss Milgrew here, I think we ought to appoint three gentlemen to : go : arid see her tonight, aud come with a report in regard to that matter.

Mr' Tyler: I must object to that course. This is a matter which the committee ought to decide. -It seems that I am implicated, and I would prefer that she should be called before the committee, and let them judge whether she has'been tampered with or not.

' Mr Sims moved, that after the explanation' given by Mr- Tyler, it would be inexpedient to defer the business, and that it be proceeded with at once.

Mr Kenyan seconded the motion. He thought that the explanation of Mr Tyler with regard to the alleged tampering had been satisfactory.

Eev. Y. Lush : Have any other wit nesses been tampered with ?

Eev. J. Him : I want to find that out, I have heard of her, but of none other.

Mr McItHONE: As one of the subcommittee, 1 have reason to believe that other witnesses have been tampered with.

Eev. J. Him said he would take Mr Tyler's statement as perfectly satisfactory, as Miss Milgrew could not come there, and as Mr Tyler objected to a deputation being sent, and would agreo that they should proceed.

Mr. Mcllhone : contended : that Mr Sims' motion stultified the previous resolution; He moved as an amendment, " That no business be transacted by the committee till Mißs Milgrew be examined."

Eev. Father Loneegan seconded the amendment.

Mr Eenshaw thought it a pity that they should all lose a night.

Mr Fbater wished a statement inserted in Mr rims' motion to the effjct that Mr Tyler objected to threo gentlemen going to his house.

Mr Sins objected to having this in> serted in his motion.

Rev. V. Lush hoped they would vote for the motion, if only' to show Mr Mcllhone that they were not entirely to be guided by him.

Eev. Father Loneegan hoped every member would give his vote fairly, so that there should be a full investigation.

Mr Macnab said he was anxious to have the fullest investigation, and he was sorry to hear. Mr Lush' dictate' to the committee how to vote on that motion. 2\ T eitner Mr Lush nor any other person had a right to dictate to the committee. For the sake of the public, for the Hospital, and the officers of the Hospital, it was uecessary to have the fullest investigation. He, for one, would sit after night to get at the root of it. If they would get this witness first, perhaps it would facilitate matters both for the officers of the Hospital and the committee.

The amendment was then put, when 10 voted for it. For the motion 6 voted.

Some discussion then took place as to when the meeting should be adjourned, when it was decided to adjourn till Wednesday evening next at seven o'clock.