COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 51, 23 November 1907, Page 6

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

I CHARGE--AGAINST- TEAMWAYj ■ ■■'- : -;-j-EMPLOYIIESj';;-'-'' (BY- ■ TELEGRAPH—SPECIALi CpaBESPOXDENT.) . '~'•'.; ,: '.:■'.'. 22. Mr! Kettle, S.M., to-day gave his decision on tho point reserved as tp.whcther ho should commit, for trial ,'tho 'threo; tramway employees charged wfth ..assaulting Edmond Ward \ in; thc>. Porisohby'.-.Barn'.'" His Worship: said'.that .ifl'the evidence of Ward.was substantially correct, then a gross and unprovoked assault had been committed by the threo defendants; while,' if tho evidence for the deferice was true, then Ward had been guilty of gross, and deliberate per-, jury.; That was clear. ] It-miist have been evidoht to anybody listening t'p.'the case that gross, perjury- -had v beeir 'cqmhiitted .on one side,or tho other, aud,':in;his;'opinion, that 'was a question, to ; _be.-.iubmitt?d to.a jury, and,'"as a..result, .it.'muSt'' also' almost definitely follow that brie sido'or the other must bo convicted of perjury. _ It was, as laid down by tho late ; Mr.-, Justice Johnston, | clearly his duty under the'circumstances to 'commit tho defendants'fer-.trial-pn tho charge laid .agains.t.Jhpm. .Mr. Kqttk quoted the following of" latb Mr. Justice Johnston. m '.tlio"" New. Zealand Justico of the PeacS"'(second'edition)' on'tho duties of Magistrates' and' Justiccs ; in'tho;m'attcr of in— 'dictab.lc;^a'Ses:'" 'At ,: th'o examination of the. charges for- indictablo offonces'iih'b examining Magistrates often nn'd-it.nbt.a'.'littlo difficult vto decido whether they ought to dismiss tho cliargb bf.'-send'it' fbf.'trial. Now, -they must romember tKat'in "tliis7mattcr r "they aro acting, both -.■Magisterially ''and"-judicially ;■ that 1 the" quesSbn" for them ;is',n'bt'-'whether they are convinced of ! the'guilt" : 6r' : innocenco of the "accused, but whether,' in their opinion, ;tlio evidence is sufJsc;frnt',-t<?;put tho accused upon his trial, qi; ,raises t a strong or probable pres'if m'ption ■ of 'i\io of '"tho accused; that is, ivhe'thei'l'therois'i'aiiy Evidence upon which', the' Tufcv; might' - .'afterwards convict; and that they 'have;, not' i;b:dotcrmine- ordinarily'wnethbrtho wpiglit of "evidence is on the sido'or guilt or^nnbclrtce:"/''Continuing, tho learned JudKO''gqesJon;to;defiiip such "sufficiency.": :!'Tt cerfaijily dbcs"not mean evidence,','- ho]liolds, "ohYwhicii,"according to tho opinion of!'tho'Magistrates they themselves ;would, qbrfvict. him;, but evidence which tends,tq:convict Jhim/ ; aild' should .raise sonic--thing ( nioro tlian-a'.mero^su'spicion : , against him. -If the ■accused -011116'.: witnosscs hefdre the Magis\\rates;in liisVdbfeh'cej.and they, give evidence whigl); disproves., his" guilt, as, fo'f -instancei ii)''th'e'./case of "lecent possession of stolen ."goods,'- "where, the accused giving evi'dencb to,.the 'satisfaction, of tho. Magistrate that- h'otc'ainb lionbstly, they may prop.erly^dischargb-.him;'.. but if tho testimony'-, "of tTio'"witnesses: so' : adduced, whether contradictory 1 p'r,' whether, .inconsistent with :the. bvidehes ,'foV..thd' l pTqscc'utipii, or whether 'oth'erwisb.fl'pea-'to'.'doubt,'tho Justices should forbear.to decide,"and'should'Te'avo the whole caso to a jury." ' .'_ Accused were,then formally committed for trial, bail being' allowed eacli accused In his «wn rccognisanco.'vof-. £50) and, : two suroties each'.of'£so.:•-:■•'■ ..;.-,..-.„';.;..-;.i:;