McKENZIE'S MOZZLE.

NZ Truth, Issue 60, 18 August 1906, Page 4

McKENZIE'S MOZZLE.

Alleged Bookmaker Acquitted m a Charge of Perjury.

That very common person the perjurer is a permanent resident of the law courts, and swears so very glibly to what isn't the fact that his plausibility and his demeanour often deceive judges, nagistrates and juries, and perverts the course of justice. It strikes at the very foundation of justice m fact, and such a disregard of the sanctity of the oath on the part of unprincipled persons leads to inequitable findings. But perjury is a crime that "js very hard to prove, and that is the reason that it is only now and again one hears of someone being prosecuted for the offence although a great deal of it goes' on. At Christchurch Supreme Court the other day an indictment was formulated against a bookmaker named Alexander McKenzie, defended by Barrister Donnelly, for having committed perjury m the Magistrate^ Court when giving evidence on his own behalf on a charge of "trespassing" on Riccarton racecourse on April 17. Private 'Tecs Kraetzer. and Donoghue had deposed to him betting . and receiving , money, and McKenzie swore that he not only didn't do so, but that since, he became a billiard-marker two years ago he hadn't done any 'bookmakinß at all. So the case was dismissed. But the C.J.C. authorities weren't satisfied ; additional evidence was obtained, that of 'Tecs Bishop and Eade, Constable Harvey and Sergeant Pouhy. of Ashburton, where McKenzie was alleged to have done betting openly, wearing a bag. m May last. This little lot of testimony seemed good enough on which to lay a charge of perjury. No evidence was offered on accused's behalf, but Mr Donnelly, m a strong address, contended that it hadn't been conclusively proved that McKenzie had been bookmakine, 'an-l sv«kpr] thai, lie be | given tbe benefit of the doubt. This { was rione, and Mac got out m time for tea.