ALLEGED PERJURY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7915, 6 April 1887, Page 6

ALLEGED PERJURY.

The case of alleged perjury against Alexander Campbell, which was adjourned from Saturday last, was resumed at half-past ten yesterday, before Mr. Seth Smith, K.M., Mr. Williamson appearing for the prosecution, and Mr. Earl for the defence. The following additional evidence was adduced :— William .Robinson, reporter on the Herald staff, deposed as to the evidence given by the accused in tho case Robertson v. Wilson and Home, in the Supremo Court. Campbell swore that ha received no payment from Mr. Robert Graham for acting as bailiff in entering Mrs. Robertson's house, but that he had received £10 on account of some land transactions. The witness remembered Turner swearing that he and Campbell were not employed by Mr. Graham, but by the natives, Werahiko Pera and others. The natives, and also Mr. Edwards, interpreter, gave evidence corroborating that of Turner. C. W. Cave, solicitor for Mrs. Robertson in the case mentioned, deposed that previous to the trial Campbell had made a statement in his office to the effect that he was employed by Robert Graham, and had received £10 from him. He said nothing about this money having been given for land negotiations. His evidence in tho Supreme Court was directly opposed to this, and on being confronted with bis statement, he said that he had made a mistake in it. Thomas James North, the next witness, employed in Mr. Sheehan's office in Cambridge, knew accused, who on several occasions had told him that he was employed and paid by Mr. Graham in the matter of the entry of Mrs. Robertson's hotel. At one time Campbell told him that Mrs. Robertson was snro to win the case, but subsequently he said that she would surely lose it. Witness asked, how was it that he had changed his opinion, and accused replied that "Graham's people had given him something to refresh his memory," and that he always took his evidence to the highest market," showing at the time a handful of bank-notes. Witness had heard accused tell Mr. Sheehan that he was not employed by Mr. Graham on any land transactions. Oliver Mason Croagh, surveyor, stated that he was in Ohinemuta when Mrs. Robertson was turned out of her hotel. He did not see accused take any in the ejection, but Campbell had previously told him that he was there for hire, and had a good mark for his hire in Robert Graham. Mrs. Ann Robertson was next examined, but her evidence was in the main corroborative of the fact that the accused had several times said that he was both engaged and paid by Robert Graham in his capacity of bailiff, and that the £10 he received from Graham was for these services. George Loverock was then called, and deposed that ho was a baker in Ohinemutu in 1880, and had a, conversation with accused on the evening of the 15th February, in which Campbell said that he was going to take possession of the hotel again for Mr. R. Graham, as the old man had sent for him; All these witnesses were subjected to a lengthy and searching cross-examination by the counsel for the defence, but he failed to elicit any facts giving a new bearing to the case. This closed the evidence for the prosecution, and the case was adjourned until Thursday morning at ten o ! clook, when Mr. Earl will address the Bench for the defence.