REMARKABLE DISCLOSURES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 4459, 28 August 1889, Page 4

REMARKABLE DISCLOSURES.

(Times' Aucktocd Correspondent). The social lecture 3 of the Rev. J. S. Hill,on "The Administration of Justice," have caused considerable sensation, and that is saying a gcoi deal in a community where such case 3 38 thoße popularly known as "the secret conn" and "the open court" are possible. A3 to the Bjrrier murder case it may be questioned whether Mr Hill's statements have much in them, further than that they may have a mischievous effect in unsettling the mind of the public. He said, " The confessions of Caffrey and Penn differed considerably from the evidence given in Court," and believiog, 33 he did, these confessions, he felt that public opinion would have been very different had tho whole traih been known, and he questioned very much whether both would have been executed. This language, I suspect, is a mere juggling with wcrds. Raid betaeen the lines it is simply thi3, that Caffrey, when he fired at his victim from old Taylor's, vra3 too drunk to make good shooting, and that Penn fired the fatal shot. Judi-e Trard, however, in hi 3 summing np made short work of a theory of innoceDca built opra such a line of defence. If the " confessions "of every condemned criminal are to ba be'iaved, there h&3 scarcely been a man executed in Auckland who wa3 not innocent. Even TViniata was the victim of a judicial murder, and got the attending clergymen to believe in his innocsncs on the very satisfactory evidence that he denied bis guilt. Perhap3 the bast illustration of this sort of thing is the ca3e of Dyer, of Maharangi, who poured keroseue over his niece, and then set fire to hir drees, causing her death. The wretched woman (who had been living incestaons'y with Dyer) wont into eternity with n lie on her lip 3 —to Bhield the father of her children. Dyer, on being sentenced to death, to the very last denounced Special-constable Monro, whose evidence convicted him, 33 being guilty of his judicial murdor, ar,d said that at tho lasc day he would confront him at the judgment seat of God, and charge him with his (Dyer's) bload, abed through foul par jury. Monro, as npright a man a3 ever lived, was so affected by the incident that ho wag never himself again, and subsequently died. Right tig till he stepped oa the fa'al drop Dyer protested his innocence, and a3 he shook hands for tho last time with his ghostly comforter, Bishop Cowie, he whispered in the prelate's ear, " She told a lie to screen me; it was true, I did it." He posed to the last as the victim of onr laws of evidence, and so far as tho officials and apectatora knew then to the contrary, died an innccant man. Mr Hill's criticism on the condition of soma of our gaols has incensed some high officials. He said, "The old prison might any day prove to be an oven In which 20 or 30 men may be roasted alive. Nothing could prevent this in case of fire. The prison in Danedin was simply abominable, and was little better." Judging from Mr Hill's address, his amelioration proposals comprise the Saturday's paper being passed round the hard labor gong, and a plug of tobacco thrown in. The officials say that Mr Hill mean 3 well, but he doe 3 not know. It is very improbable that his statements will remain at their present stage, and it i 3 thought probable that the Government will take some steps in regard to them. He asserts that he knows the murderer in the Hamilton-Priestley episode. If so, as a good citizen, he should have given his information to the police authorities or the Government.