THE MEIKLE COMMISSION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 113, 16 May 1906, Page 1

THE MEIKLE COMMISSION.

MRS EVIDENCE,

The feature of last Thursday's proceedings before the Meikle Commission at Dunedin was the series of charges made by Mrs Mfcikle, wife of the suppliant^ concerning the witness Troup, and the batter's emphatic denial. In consequence of the production of a medical certificate that it would be unsafe for Mrs Meikle to appear in the witness-box, her examination took place in chambers. She said: "I met Troup once" outside the old Post Office, and asked him if it was true that he had letters m bis possession which would get my husband out of gaol. He. said it was so. -1 asked him theft why did he not produce them, and asked him to look at my starving children, who had no one to look after them. He said he could produce them, but that others would have to go in. I said I would give him £100 if he would give them fo. me. I had not the-niQU?y» l*vtt could get it from Mr (Sir- Robert) Stout. Troup said he did not know the right way to go about it. I .told him to write to Mr. Stout, who would advise him, or if he would give me authority to do so, I would write. I told several people of this, and wrote to my husband in prison about it."

Cross-examined. b.y I>r- Findlay: I belieye, that Troup was in a conspiracy to put my* husband in gaol. The letters I believe Troup had, I understood, were written by Cameron, giving directions as to how he was to get my husband in prison. When I spoko to Troup about the letters, lie snicl, putting his hand in his coat pocket, "Yes, I have them and he remarked tl\at i»iy husband had no right to be in gaol. If Troup says that he told me that he could not help my husband out of gaol, and that if he gave any further evidence, it would be all the more against my husband, ho does not speak the truth. I did not offer him £400 for the letters. I offered him £100.

Robert Trpup, recalled by Dr Findlay, said: On the occasion referred to by Mrs Meikle, she called out to me. She said she particularly wanted to see mo, that she was in great trouble and difficulties, She said she heard I had letters or documents in my possession which would assist in getting her husband out of gaol. I there was no truth in tho statement. I told her I could do nothing to help her; it would ! be a terrible position for me to be in if I had docn)"ei\ts which would release an innocent man from gaol and ! refused to give those documents up. I told her 1 had found out nothing fresh that had made me alter or add to what had already been said in the Supreme Court. She said she had friends who would raise £400, which she would give me for the documents. Tt is untrue that 1 said her husband had no right to h% \n gaol. It is also untrue tj\at I had any letters or documents such as she supposed. It is not true that I put my hand to my breast pocket and iJaid, "Yes, they are here." T hati no letters or documents. The interview I have just described took place about three years after Meikle's conviction. The statement that there was a conspiracy between Cameron, Lambert an.d. myself to put Meikle in gag] is, a tie throughout. Miss Neave, Meikle and Mavin came to me when 1 was staying at an hotel in Wyndham. It was midnight when they came. Thoj? demanded from me documents they- asserted I had. ' I denied having them, and repeatedly asked them to leave. They refused to do so, and at last I was compelled to dress and leave the room myself.