POLICE METHODS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 12016, 18 October 1904, Page 6

POLICE METHODS.

—* i ■ TO Til* EDITOR O* TUB TRESS. Sir,—The police aro no- doubt greatly flattered by tho remarks of Mr Bishop, S.M., as reported in yesterday's paper. '• The detectives as a- rule are a fair lot. of men, and do not unduly stretch facta." Did Mr Bishop know a little mupe of heways the police go to work to coach up evidence Ik> would perhaps hesitate before making such enconiums upon them. Tlus in about the usual .stylo of thing. There is a caw, nay, of furious driving, a boy has been whiles.* of it, and the 'tec' duly mils on boy. "What do you think t!.. p«<_ was?" "Oh," says boy, "about eiirht miles." " Eight! * Noiis**nw; you ride, your bicycle that pace, don't rem? Don't yoti think twelve nearer the mark?" I "Well*" t_ys boy, "perhaps it was twelve." "Will you swear it wasn't ! sixteen?" "I am mrc it wasn't." "Well, will yott sw<ar it iw fourteen ?'' Boy »n desperation, "Yes." And swear he does accordingly, unless coum-fl for defence is up to th» game and "sift*" him. Or some gouts have been stolen. Owner ' tjtk*'ti to view tho goods found in accuseds possession. He identifies a few ■ iirliehs* "What about this pair of trousers: can you swear to them?" "No." :'*Whv. look at tlii« patch, don't you recognise that?" "Well, I fancy they aro mine, but " "Will you swear?" And m> on in the usual rtyle, till the alleged <iW!ier. good ea.«-y man, is often bocussed into wearing Io more than he ever owned in his life. Thw kind of thing does not, always "come off." Counsel aro usually up to the- dodge. But it is not every acriiscd who can afford counsel. Lit it fto thought that 1 exaggerate in these illustrations, which are based on , fact-* within my knnwlegde, let mc remind your readers of the matters that camo to light in a recent arwn, raco in Dunedin. No le*s tlum four d-et-?ctivcp had visited the boy—a weak-minded fellow—in his cell. They professed to sympathise with his loneliness, got him to talk, and wormed out of him "confessions" of having vai>*.'d some half-dozen fires'. One even invited the boy over to tho watch-house, gave him a good supper, offered him cigarettes, and then sat down md wormed more "confessions."* Even Mr Fnw*r, tho Crown Prosecutor,, in introducing this evidence had tho grace to be ashamed of it, and strongly condemned tho conduct of the officer who luul tempted the boy with supper The fact is tho policeman is the worst of all witnesses, and his evidence) tho least trustworthy. The law presumes every man innocent till he is proved guilty. Tliei policeman presumes him guilty till lie is proved innocent, and tometimes after. 1?or nothing shakes lib professional zeal for "convictions" at any price. And Mr Bishop fhnuld know this better than most people.—Yours, etc.. j JUSTICE. ! : | NEW ZEALANDERS AT BISLEY i RETURN OP SERGEANT IRVINE. I (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") j WELLINGTON, October 17. [ Ono of the passengers by the K.ramea, which arrived at Wellington from London to-day, was Colour-Sergeant Irvine, of the Waimea Rifle Club, who was a member of the New Zealand Rifle Team which won the, Kolapore Cup at the Bisley Rifle Meeting. Colour-Sergeant Irvine won £35 in cash, three valuable pictures, and three medals, in addition to.the silver bowl presented to each member of the team which won the Kolapore Cup, the King's badge for sHcth place in the King's Hundred, and tho St. George's badge for sixth place in the St. George's match. Colour-Sergeant Irvine fctates that the New Zealand team was generally acknowledged by leading shots as being the most successful colonial team that has ever competed at Bisley, ana they were well received everywhere. Sergeant Ching, of Nelson, and Private Cox, of Auckland, who returned by the Suez route, intend competing at the' Sydney meeting. Tlie Kolapore Cup is '"■ being brought out by Colonel Collins on the Corinthic. WORLD'S TROTTING RECORDS THREE GREAT PERFORMANCES. ' (Per Sonoma at Auckland.) CLEVELAND, September 17. Three world's records were smashed l.y the Gentlemen's Driving Club here to-day. Tho most remarkable performance was the trial of Dillon to beat her half-mile-record at Brighton last summer, when she trotted the distance in 59sec. With Millard Sanders' in the sulky she turned ibe % track in SBJfec in face of; a strong breeze. 0. K. G. Billings, with his pacing team 'Hontas, Crook,,and Prince Direct, went liko a machine, 'making the distance in lmin ;'; Billing* m the saddle in Charlie Mc, who holds tho world's 'trottaing record |2min l4|sec) in saddle events, clipped his record by one second, making the mile in 2min lojsec. m —i. ■