SOCIAL & GENERAL.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7382, 7 August 1889, Page 2

SOCIAL & GENERAL.

The Kaiwarra murder case has continued to occupy a large share of the public attention during the past month. The jury found the prisoner Chemis guilty of wilful murder, and he was accordingly sentenced to death. The evidence against him was purely sircumstantial, aud a strong agitation was got up in his faffor, on the ground that the evidence was not sufficiently convincing to justify Jjs being hanged. The Governor and his advisers have taken the cas c into special consideration. They have not only caused stringent enquiry to be made into the facts of the case, but have adopted the unusual course of hearing counsel on his behalf at a meeting of the Executive called for that purpose. A painful feature in connection with the trial was the death, almost immediately after its conclusion, of Mr Bunnt, th e solicitor, to whom his defence was in the first instance entrusted. This gentle" man kept up a gallant fight on behalf of his client to the last, even when he was so ill that he ought to have been iv his bed instead of In Court. When at length he put himself jn the hands of his doctor, it was found that he was suffering from typhoid fever, io which he succumbed, as we have already Baid, almost immediately after the trial was There is no doubt this painful incident considerably strengthened the public interest in the case, and materially aided the movement made on the prisoner's behalf. The Executive finally same to a decision on the matter yesterday, when it was decided to commute the sentence intc penal servitude for life.

One of the principal social events in _3_ri-tchurch during the past few weeks ____ been a complimentary luncheon tendered to Mr John Cooke, the local Manager of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, on the occasion of his departure for Australia to take charge of the Melbourne Office. There was a large and influential gathering, and •Some iiiieresting speeches were made. All *—c speakers referred in the warmest erms to the value of Mr Cookdb's services not only to the Company but to the Jtown and district, and some interesting particulars were given reg—rding the progress of de colony in general, and of the Canterbury districj; J£ particular.

The obituary record of the past month Includes the name- of Mr Justice Gillijes, who died suddenly at A-~kland a few days ago from apoplexy. In early days he was a _poUt_cian of great energy and ability, and in addition to being a clear-headed and weU-inforxaed Judge, took considerable interest in scientific subjects. His ■uocessor on the Supreme Court Bench baa not yet been chosen.