THE LATE MURDER TRIAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 907, 19 July 1889, Page 17

THE LATE MURDER TRIAL.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL. Sir, —The adverse comment now being made on the action of the jury in returning a verdict of guilty against Cliemis for the murder of Mr Hawkings is, I think, not only somewhat unreasonable, but calculated to have a pernicious effect in future cases where juries have to decide on the guilt or innocence of accused persons. Hitherto Wellington juries have had the reputation of being exceedingly lenient, not to say strongly predisposed toward persons charged, and the. press, of this city has several times called: public attention to this. Now, however, when, after an exhaustive fcdal, they have returned a verdict in accordance with what they consider fair evidence, they are condemned both by a section of the press and public. Let us glance at the case as it now stands. The jury had before them every witness, and weighed, every point, direct and collateral. The public have simply seen what the newspaper have placed before them, which, nehes r sarily cannot have a.mQUKfeR fo. pne-thir j of the actual evidence. Now who are in. the b.epfe position'to, judge Qtm it for a moment be believed that twelve respectably, citizens oould deliberately make up their minds in a case involving a man’s life without a feeling amounting to moral certainty ? Again, had the case been SA particularly weak, would the- Chief Justice have made the he did both before and {sss?- the verdict ? For myself, I am a strong opponent of capital punishments and will willingly sign a ■petition to commute the sentence passed in this case, but as a citizen I protest against the jury being abused by people who are not in a position to fairly criticise the case. —I am, &c., ’ Not Onr of the Jury,