ALLEGED PERJURY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9736, 5 February 1895, Page 6

ALLEGED PERJURY.

At the Police Court yesterday afternoon, before Messrs. Shepherd and Duncan, J.P.'s, James Grainger was charged by Thomas Kerwin with having committed perjury at the Magistrate's Court. The case arose originally out of an assault case in whioh a man named Dawson charged Abraham Bowden with assault. Bowden was afterwards convicted of perjury, several of his witnesses, including Kerwin, being next committed for trial for perjury. Grainger was a witness for the prosecution, and he swore to the effect) that on the night of the 29th of August, 1894, between the hours of ten and eleven o'clock, he was near the shop of Laud, the pork butcher, and saw two cabs coming up the street. A. Bowden was driving one, and William Dawson was driving the other; Dawson was ahead, and Bowden got. in front of Dawson and jammed I him' on the kerb, and struck him across the head with his whip. This was the alleged false swearing. Mr. Brassey was for the prosecution. The accused was undefended. At the outset, the Bench commented on the fact that a Crown witness was undefended. As a matter of justice, the Crown should assist him. The * accused said he had not the means to pay counsel. Mr. Brassey objected to any further postponement of the case. On a previous occasion, Grainger had been represented by Mr. Theo. Cooper, and an arrangement for the hearing come to. It was simply a matter of the accused reserving his defence'for a higher Courb. lb was then after two o'clock in the afternoon, and he had been kept about the Court all day. To him (Mr. Brassey) it appeared as if an attempt was being made to thwart the prosecution; he said this advisedly. The Bench said the case could go on, but if they thought it necessary that the accused should be represented by counsel, they would, later on, adjourn the case. P. C. MsLellan, Police Court orderly ; Mr. P. Burgtss, magistrate's clerk; Mr. H. C. Brewer, Registrar of the Supreme Court; and Mr. Bush, Stipendiary Magistrate, having formal evidence, Peter Gomez, coffee-stall keeper, said the accused had been at his itall when the cabs came up the street. It was impossible for anyone to see anything in the shape of an assault at Laud's shop that night. Laud's was about 100 yards away from his stall. P. Brewster, a fisherman, said accused had told him he had given evidence for money in two places. Grainger told Vim and Detective Chrystal had made up his evidei e, &nd that the former would never see him out of work. He also wked if ib would not be better to go to Btwden's solicitor and confess. Thomas Bovden denied that he had offered accused £20 not to give evidence. Ib being then past four o'clock Mr. Sheppard intimated that ho could not sit any longer ; he had to town. The Bench wanted to hear Ree*an and Chrystal. They wanted to get a* the truth. Mr. Brassey said the Supreme Court could get at. the truth much better than the lower one; all he had to do was to make out a prima facie, case for committal. He should not call either Keenan or Chrystal. The case was then adjourned till this morning.