ECHO OF THE WESTPORT MURDER TRIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 13102, 7 November 1908, Page 1

ECHO OF THE WESTPORT MURDER TRIAL.

HEAVY BILLS OF COSTS. [Special to the Stab.] mi WESTPORT, November 7. Mayor of Westport informs me that he finds himself in a quandary over the proposed presentation to which the public subscribed in recognition of the services rendered by Mr M'Donald (solicitor) in his defence of Halinen and the late Anders Andersen in the Westport murder and perjury trials. During the progress ol the trials it was freely stated ““-,V" e foreign seamen for whom Mr M Donald appeared in the lower courts were practically penniless, and it was known that the latter undertook their defence with the sole determination to see justice done. It was therefore decided at a recent meeting to present Mr McDonald with a tangible expression of appreciation of liis humane action, and as a result of a canvass nearly £6O was collected. It was resolved at a meeting of the Committee the other evening to present Mr M’Donald with a gold watch (suitably inscribed) and chain, a set of the Consolidated Statutes, and an illuminated address. But it has now transpired that «n , Donald lias presented to Mr R R Whyte, the local Vice-Consul for Norway for presentation to the Government through the Norwegian Consul at Wellington, bis account for legal services rendered in connection with the trials. The sum tol-d £’727 5 ?55 1 10d 8d | mad f I! 1 ’ ** follows .1 l*’ claimed by Mr M'Don-ibl himself; £485 10d {I Mr Herman (who was prosecuting counsel in the dpiw ry urf 1 of , Coolly); £214 Is IQd P for Mr Wilson (who did some work for Mr i n with tlie case whxb the latter was attending the Supreme Court trials) ; and £94 Kfc l r Mr B^ solicitor of Hokitika. His WrLhiTri now wondering, and the subsciibers share his astonishment, how much real sentiment about the defence of a case which is likely to bring so much grist to the legal mill. And His f ur ther perplexed about the fitness of making a presentation in the form decided on m circumstances above nUn-