THE CHEMIS CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9451, 23 August 1889, Page 5

THE CHEMIS CASE.

THE CHARGE AGAINST THE POLICE

EXTRAORDINARY ALLEGATION.

MRS. RICHARDSON'S V ISIT TO MRS. CHEMIS.

SINGULAR EVIDENCE. [by telegraph.—press association.] Wellington, Thursday. The hearing of tho charges of porjury brought against Detective Benjamin in connection with the Kaiwarra murder case was resumed this morning. The Premier, who was called yesterday, stated that he had received a drawer containing, amongst other things, a tin with powder in it and a box of gun caps. He had also received from Mr. Jellicoo a box of wads and a wad cutter, and a bandbox with a piece cut from it. The wads fitted the gun very well. Hon. Air. Richardson assistod him to try the gun wads, which must have boon cut from the bandbox. During the course of the proceedings to-day, the band box formed ' the subject of investigation. Mr. Jellicoo | said it was not in the same state now as when it left his house, and had evidently boon tampered with. A piece had been cut off round the rim, and ho noticed that, yesterday, Mr. Bell suggested that this piece had been used to make wads with since Chemis' conviction. " He called one of his clerks, who deposed to the alteration in its condition since he had delivered the box at the Premier's room. At this point, the Resident Magistrate suggested that an explanation might be offered of how the box came to be mutilated, and save the trouble of calling evidence, but Mr. Jellicoo said he preferred to go about the matter in his own way. Other clerks proved the mutilation of the box, and W. H. Warren, shorthand writer, was then called to prove Mr. Bell's questions to Mrs. Chemis, yesterday, regarding the alteration in the box, and the inferences he sought to draw. After a sliarp argument, the magistrate ruled the question was inadmissible, and also a similar one relative to the £1 notes Mrs. Chemis stated were in a tin in the drawer. Mrs. Chomis was recalled, and reexamined hy Mr. Jellicoe. She said she was responsible for this prosecution, and was paying for it. She had told Benjamin she would prosecute him if sho had to sell tho last stitch of her clothes. Mr. Jellicoe asked her if sho would time the distance from the houso to the road with a watch

for the satisfaction of Mr. Bell, bub the latter said he did not want it done. His object in pressing for a reply was a very different one from what Mr. .Jellicoe thought. A cask was produced and sworn to which her husband had filled with mangolds on the evening of the murder. He tirst washed and then cut them up with a chopper (produced). She was in the cowshed when he came home, but did not notice the time. She asked him shortly after, and he said it was then after 5. Her husband never left the premises from the time he passed her at the cowshed till they went to tea which was near 6 o'clock, at any rate nearer G than any other hour. The gun was hanging in the bedroom all the time. After tea her husband read the papers. In answer to further questions the witness said she still swore that no fragments of newspaper were in the handkerchief handed to Inspector Thomson on the day tho polico first came to search. She usually kept the right-hand drawer, in which the caps and wads were locked, to prevent the children getting at them. The documents examined by the police were in the left-hand drawer, and the key of the other drawer was there. On Tuesday (this week) Mrs. Richardson, wife of the Minister of Lands, called at her house with a note-book and pencil. She said who she was. Mrs. Richardson was next called. Mr. Bell stated this was a breach of faith. Mr. Jellicoe had promised the lady should not be called. Mr. Jcllicoc said he had consented on condition that Mr. Bell finished his crossexamination of Mrs. Chemis, but he now understood Mr. Bell declined to do this at once.

Augusta Richardson said she was the wife of G. F. Richardson, Minister of Lands. On Tuesday afternoon she went to Mrs. Chemis' house, accompanied by two of her daughters. She wont of her own accord. No one sent her. She talked with Mrs. Chemis about the newspapers found by the polico in the house, and wrote down two dates, June 1 and May 23, nothing more. Witness' object was to enquire into Mrs. Chemis' condition, and see if she could help her in any way. It was her usual practice to carry a notebook. She asked Mrs. Chemis if she had paid any of her lawyer's bills. The two dates were those of two newspapers. ITer conversation with Mrs. Chemis was of a general nature.

By Mr. Bell: She was nob requested by any police officers to go out, but, Colonel Hume knew she was going- out, and asked her to find out anything" she could about evidence likely to clear up the murder. Much amusement was caused when in answer to Mr. Bell witness said she had ten an active part in getting up a petition in favour of Chemis, and was in fact a member of what counsel described as the Chemis faction. She was greatly surprised to hear that she was supposed to bo on the side of the police. Witness said she believed Chemis to bo innocent, and it was not likely therefore she was likely to try and gob evidence for the police in this case. What she intended to do was in Cheinis's interest, and not in that of the police. She was trying to provo his innocence. She was not thinking of the police or the perjury case in any way. Did not know till now that she had been held up to opprobrium by counsel for the prosecution, as one who had tried to get evidence for the police.

By Mr. Jallicoc : She knew Colonel Hume was making enquiries 011 behalf of the Government. He remarked that he thought Mrs. Chemis would talk more fully toher, being a woman, than to anyone elso. He suggested witness should tako particular notice of what Mrs. Chemis said, and make ii note of anything she thought important. She saw him on her return at her house, and told him what hud taken place at Chemis's. By blio Court: Colonel Hume knew witness was a believer in Chemis' innocence. Evidence was next called jus to the money in Hawkins' possession on the day of the murder, the object being understood from the remarks of counsel, to show that the money alleged by Mrs. Chemis to have been in the tin in the drawer could not have been Hawkins's.

Mr, Bell said fchafc on the day then search was made the police had a warrant to look for a pocket-book supposed to contain £6 or £7 in notes, and could not possibly have known at the tirao what came out afterwards, as to Hawkins' money being banked. John Daly corroborated Dybell's evidence as to the purchase of a wad-cutter for Chcmis on April 13. The Court then adjourned until Monday morning. Considerable interest is being taken in the case. Soveral members of Parliament were present during the day, and the Premier has been present from the beginning of the case.