REGINA V. MOLESWORTH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 237, 7 October 1890, Page 2

REGINA V. MOLESWORTH.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,— In your issue of the 29th August you give a reporb of the evidence (?) taken at Whangaroa in the case of Regina v. Molesworth, a case of supposed attempted suicide. The evidence as given by your paper is much in error, and has evidently been penned by one who desired the public to conclude that there had been an attempt made to commit suicide, whilst in reality the case was dismissed without any evidence for the defence being heard, the evidence for the prosecution showing the whole thincf to have been a farce. To deal with a few of the ipaccuraciesof theevidence as reported to you: In cross-examination it was elicited from J. H. Mason that, from the time of my supposed taking the poison to his return from Whangaroa " an interval of more than an hour and a half had elapsed, and that on his return with others from Whangaroa I met them on the wharf, appearing none the worse for the poison.' 5 ! ! This was omitted from your report, leaving only what was damaging to me. Again, you give F. E. Fairbnrn'e evidence as this : "On the 23rd of June I met the accused, who, showing me a bottle, stated that he was going to see Magger, and if he could not come to some satisfactory arrangement with him, he was going to take a dose of it." Now* Fairburn's evidence wa3 this :— That he met me on the morning of the 23rd Juno at Waipuna, that I said to him, " I am going to have a satisfactory explanation with Hagger or (showing him a bottle) here is a dose." Cross-examined by Mr Wilson as to what he did then, Fairburn stated-that he " rode away." Mr Wilson: " Would you have ridden away had you thought he was going: to poison himself ?" Fairburn : " No, .aad I felt sure from Molesworth's manner that he was not going to do so," Now, unless words have changed their value and meaning of late, there is a vast difference between a satisJactory arrangemeiit and a satisfactory explanation, about as much difference as there is between Fairfouin's evidence as given in your issue of the z9th ultimo, and that which he gave in Court. H. W. Bishop, Esq., his concluding remarks said that a "pretended attempt such as this was very undignified, etc." To all that he said I cry " Peccavi," but had it been possible for me to make a statement in Court, I would have shown my motive for acting this farce ; as ft is, I merely state that'l bad a. motive, and I believe that I was justified ml my subterfuge.—l am, etc.,

" 'D. N. O'D. Moleswoiith. Totara North, September 29th, 1890.