THE MURDER OF ROBERT STREETER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 483, 22 July 1890, Page 2

THE MURDER OF ROBERT STREETER.

THE CASE BEFORE THE COURT. REMANDED TILL THIS MORNING. INTEREST IN THE CASE. The large interest taken in the murder case was shown by the enormous crowd collected outside the Court for some time before the doors were opened yesterday morning. Many people had probably gone early with a desire to get a good view of the prisoner before he was taken in to the dock. For fully half an hour before the time set down for hearing the case (half-past ten), groups of people had gathered, and the circumstance! of the affair were the subject of animated discussions. It was generally agreed that whatever Streeter might have been the murder was horribly shocking. To kill a man when in a fit of passion or even in cold blood is terribly bad, but the mind revolts at the after circumstances connected with the murder of Streeter, such for instance as the crushing of the body in a hole much too small for it, and the secresy that so long shrouded the affair seems to present itself in many ways to the public mind. THE CONDUCT OF THE CROWD. It was pretty clear from the large number of people congregated outside the Court house that it would be impossible for even half of them to be accommodated in the Court room, and those eager to gain an entrance closely watched for the opening of the door, and the minutes were counted and other symptoms of impatience shown, some of the more knowing ones keeping close to the door to be ready for the first rush. No one was permitted to enter at the door of the little room in which prisoners are allowed to sit until they are called on, but a solicitor coming forward he gained permission to enter and then before the door closed again a number of citizens to ik advantage of the occasion and also got in. One gentleman, however, nearly got jammed in the doorway as the door was being closed, and it would have been a case of “ Thou shalt not enter now,” and perhaps a few nasty bruises, had not the constable relaxed for a second. The prisoner eeemed quite bewildered for the moment, evidently wondering what was coming, but he soon regained his self-pos-session. INSIDE THE COURT. Those whose duty required their presence in Court took care to be there in good time, or they would have had a very poor chance of getting in at all. Constable Law was in charge the prisoner, Cons’able Reddell and Detective Campbell being at hand, while Sergeant Carlyon was conferring with Mr Nolan (Crown Prosecutor) as to the papers which the former was handing to the latter. Mr L. Rees, who defends the prisoner, was present in good time, and was converging with Mr Lusk, a young solicitor recentlyjadniitted in Auckland, and who arrived in Gisborne by the steamer on Friday night. The Standard and the Herald were represented at the Press table. On the time for opening the Court Mr Greenwood, the Clerk, came in, together with Mr Booth, RM. Some people hud by this time heard that a remind was to ba applied for, but the great crowd outside was still augmenting, and when Mr Booth gave the word for the door to be opened, thsre was AN UNSEEMLY RUSH, and many of those who had a few seconds before been chatting quietly now became quite excited by the commotion, and there was a great struggle to get into the Court. Those who managed to get in among the first wore countenances beaming with triumph and a self satisfied air, while among those who were still struggling there was a lot of good natured jocularity and a desire to outwit each other. The C erk called on the case, but his voice could hardly be heard for the noise. The mere crowding and crushing to get in was not so bad as the jocularity of some of those who managed to gain entrance at the expense of those who were not so successful, a jocularity which showed the most inexcusable bad taste in the face of the serious nature of the case to be tried. “Order” was called out in vain, the principal offenders being sheltered behind the front rank of the crowd. In the midst of the tumult Mr Nolan got up Jand simply applied for a remand until the same hour this morning, and it was immediately granted. There was then a sea of upturned faces—a splendid study for a physiognomist—ranged before the bar within which only privileged persons are allowed to enter, aud a FEELING OF REGRET at the remand could be seen plainly stamped on the countenances of those who apprehended the meaning of Mr Nolan’s application. Many had not even heard it, and they lingered on in astonishment at what appeared to them to be delay in beginning the proceedings. Even when the Constable announced that the Court had been adjourned, there were many who looked on in a kind of dismay at not having had their curiosity repaid for that day at least. It was not until the handcuffs had again been put on the prisoner, preparatory to his return to gaol, that the crowd made its exit from the Court, some of them evincing great haste to get out again and have a better look at the prisoner, who was being taken off by Constables Law and Reddell. PRISONER’S ENTRY INTO THE DOCK. Directly Mr Booth had taken his scat on the Bench, and the Court had been opened, Constable Law took the handcuffs off the prisoner Black, and on the Clerk naming the charge ths accused was conducted to the dock. He had on a black overcoat which covered the other portion of his dresi. He steppe! into the box with a rather jaunty air, facing the ciowd in a sullen fashion, but as people kept streaming into the Court, and making no small din as they did so, Black seamed to get agitated and his fixed and vacant stare changed into an uneasy glancing from one point to the other—at the Magistrate, back at the crowd, then a hurried glance at Mr Nolan and over to the reporters’, table, which is situated almost exactly opposite the prisoners’ dock. After these hurried and fidgetty glances and movements that betrayed discomfort and agitation, Black once more resolved into that calm attitude and IMMOBILITY OF EXPRESSION which had previously been noted—as if he was weary of the affair and an air of indifference represented his true feelings. But his face was ashy pale, ond once seen could never ba forgotteo. Since hia incarceration he has lost that sun-browned complexion which he previously had, and now appears like an ordinary healthy man who had risen from a bed of sickness, and was iu that state of dreamy langour which is often noticed in a patient when he has got over the peevishness of sickness and feels that be must now resign himself to a long period of patience if he ever hopes to completely recover his health. Beyond this sickly expression and a rather low forehead partially covered by a forelock of hair there is nothing whatever repugnant in the man’G'countenance—nothing certainly that would, without very strong evidence, make one believe that he could ba guilty of each a crime as that for which he is charged. His expressionless face does not even betoken defiance, and he stared at the people without seeming to perceive who they were or caring what their business was. At the conclusion of the case Mr Rees went to the prisoner and whispered to him for a few seconds. On leaving the box, however, he again showed a little agitation, but after he had sat down for a minute or two Constable Reddell went over and again handcuffed the prisoner, with hii hands in front. Constable Law then took his arm and with Constable Reddell marched the prisoner off

TOWARDS THE GAOL. A crowd had collected outside, and lined tha pathway as the prisoner left the

Courtyard, there being a larje amount of curiosity to get a good look at him. But he did not seem to bo at all troubled. Tho nervousness which a close observer could detect as he was leaving the box wai imperceptible, and the prisoner coolly stared at the spectators to the right and left, and his gait was as steady as it could be. Those who had not seen the prisoner in Court were much astonished at the air of unconcernedness that he assumed. For the whole distance to the gaol there were people curious to see the prisoner, but he retained throughout the same self possesion, indifference, or whatever may be the correct term to use in explanation of such an extraordinary thing. After he had been again lodged in gaol, Messrs L. Ree. and Lusk went and further consulted with him as to his defence. While the prisoner was on his way to the gaol there was ANOTHER SIGHT FOB THE CURIOUS. Mrs Streeter and her eldest .on were in attendance to give evidence if called upon, and when the prisoner had been taken from the little waiting room at the back, Mr. Streeter aud the son went forward to ask the Sergeant as to whether their attend inco wa. further required, and if so when. What the Sergeant’s words were of course it is not our business to record, only to remark on the appearance of the witnesses. Mrs Streeter', voice faltered in such a way as to move one to pity for her. She was dressed in dark o’.otbea with a shawl thrown over her shoulders, and had on a plain hat with crape round it. Her face was of a sickly paleness and her eye. had red rings round them as though she had been weeping bitterly. The boy also appeared as if he keenly felt the position, though he attempted to conceal bis feeling, by a semi.jaunty manner. His real name is Price, the name of Mrs Streeter’s first husband. TEE PRISONER IN GAOL. Little can be learned as to how Black take, things in gaol, but from his attitude to his solicitors he seems very hopeful that he will soon be released, and it is believed that be eats and sleeps heartily and is quite at ease. He W maintains that be is innocent—that be is V "as innocent as a newborn babe,” sod he " anticipated that be would be released yesterday morning. He did not think he would go back again, and this belief may probably have accounted for hie agitation on leaving the box. THE HE4BING OF THE CHARGE. The case will come on again thia morning at 10.30 jo’clock, when Mr Nolon conducts the prosecution. It will likely take the whole day to get through, and the accused will probably reserve hie defence. So far as we can learn there will be about a dozen witnesses for the prosecution, the names being: The members of tho police force, Arthur Parkinson, Frank McDonald, James Waring, John Parsons, Dr Innea, Mr. Streeter, Mra Price, and Mra Streeter's son. OPINION IN ORMOND. Our Ormond correspondent writes :—The absorbing topic here at present is the Te Hau ote Atua murder, and both papers are in great demand, and oagorly scanned for information regarding this terrible tragedy. The police are to be congratulated on the expeditious way in which they hate conducted the search for and the recovery of the body of the murdered man. A few days ago their task seemed a hopelesss one indeed; and if they can now sheet home the crime to the perpetrator, with the same expedition and unerring precision, they will have earned the thanks and gratitude of the community.

A NOTE OF WARNING. In the course of his sermon on Sunday evening, the Rev. Canon Fox sounlod a note of warning in regard to the murder which is now occupying so much attention. He referred to it as a horrible crime, but as ha might be addressing himself to some who would serve as jurymen, he advised them not to be led away by popular feeling. No matter how strong the suspicions might seem, they should be free from any bias caused by popular feeling, and if they had to gire a decision on the case, let it only be on the evidence adduced for either side, and not through any impressions they might previously have had through vague reports that were in circulation. Their duty would be to do what was right and j uat after both sides had been heard, and to be in no way led away by popular feeling, which was not always wisely directed. A CORRESPONDENT'S PROTEST. A correspondent sends us a private communication (to publish or not as we think fit, with his proper name attached) strongly protesting against what he stigmatises as the disgusting details published in our contemporary on Saturday evening, in its reference to the post mortem examination of the remains of the murdered man. We fully agree with all the comments made by our correspondent, and especially when he points out that a newspaper should be fit to read in the domestic circle, but after all it is only a matter of taste, though the taste (or want of taste) in this case is such that we think few will approve of it. By publishing the letter in full we feel that we should only be making more public aa incident in journalism which, for the sake of journalism itself, is better allowed to sink into the forgetfulness of the past. We should not even have made this reference to the subject were it not that people whose opinions we respect have asked us to take it up, but we differ from them in our own conception of what is our duty in such a matter, .nd - therefore refuse to allow the affair to be • further discussed through our column., 1 Intelligent people will guess our meaning r and it is only to them we wish it made plain when dealing with such a subject, A WRONG ACCUSATION, A late number ef the N. Z. Times has th. following curious paragraph " When the police have succeeded in arresting a man they take care that suspicion is spread over tha whole Colony about him through th. newspapers. In accordance with thia rule they are treating the man Black, charged with murder at Poverty Bay. They were quite right on the facts to arrest the man, and make search for the body of his suppose! victim. There is a mystery about Streeter's disappearance which is very ugly and imperatively requires to be cleared up. But it is not necessary to blacken the other man’s character. We do not want to hang the man at any price. We do not want the whole public of the Colony to be prepossessed against him. ‘We have not much evidence against him of murder,' say the police, * but we know that he once attacked an old lady of ninety, who “ condoned ” the offence, and so he wasn’t prosecuted.’ This is simply sensation-mongering, and it is doing it badly. If we are to have stories to every prisoner's discredit, let us hare something less glaringly absurd than this.” It is very dear that the foregoing has been written with a comols e ignorance on tho subject. The point alluded to was a matter of common notorie'y and thsre was no used to go to the police fir such information. As to the shocking bad taste of ths Prau .gent who telegraphed away such rubbish it is hardly necssiary for us to offer tn opinion beyond saying that be ought to have had better sense, but that is a matter of privet, concern to the newspapers who published it. It is difficult to say how much information the police ought to disclose in matters of this kind, and for our part we think they have been quite sufficiently reiiosnt. Our reporters have baen treated with uniform courtesy by Sergeant Carlyon and tha members of the force, but when it came to trying to get information from them, we oould learn little or nothing, not nearly so much as our reporters were able to sift for themselves. Indeed this reticence prevented us, in our last report, giving credit to those who were mainly deserving of it for the admirable way iu which the police have acted up to the present, and were it not that it would be unfair to Black tor ns to make comments at the present time, we should be inclined to highly compliment the local pollse force on their olever wort.