ERRORS OF JUSTICE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6739, 20 September 1883, Page 4

ERRORS OF JUSTICE.

(New Zealand Times).

| ■ A surprising sequel has been supplied to the supposed case of miscarriage of justice in Wellington. The charge against. AngeUque Therasae of stealing a dolman .mantle, in Wellington resulted in a sentence of a month's imprisonment. The Resident Magistrate was sup* posed to have dealt- harshly, with a friendless: young Frenchwoman,'and the case was brought' before both Houses of Parliament, much sympathy being expressed for the unfortunatej prisoner. ; Indeed, the Minister~of Justice had difficulty in restraining the impatience of the House. .He ordered ■ inquiries in ' Christchurch, and a hasty .reply.: by telegraph? appeared -to confirm: the young womans ac-L count of how and where she got the mantle which had been found in her bra, though it had been identified by a-Wellington draper < as undoubtedly the stplen article. Acting on this telegram, the Minister, of; Justice released the prisoner on a Sunday, after six days' detention. The House of Representatives ap-; plauded this prompt exercise of the prerogative of mercy. ; A few days later' a petition from the young woman was presented to the House,praying to be compensated for the false imprisonment. The Minister ,of Justice then astonished the House—some members said he outraged its,feelings of genorous sympathy—: by statin? that later information had.reached, him which tended to show that the young' woman's story was untrue in every particular,s and he added something as to her antecedents which seemed shockinif^ These remarks almost provoked a storm in the House, and a resolution was proposed, snd'almoet carried, for awarding £50 as compensation to the young woman. But prudence prevailed,.and the Minister was not actually forced to carry put the evident desire of the House; : Now comes the sequel, which showß that if the Magistrate erred in excluding evidence, the House .also erred in its too hasty sympathy, the Minister, erred on the side of mercy, and the" police in Christchurch erred in sending an incomplete telegrata. Chief-detective Browne went to Chnstchurbh, and having made thorough inquiry, he has now returned and reported the result to the Police Commissioner. This report is not yet available "for publication, but we understand that it fully confirms the statements which the Minister of Justice made to the House, as:his reason for notcomplyingat once with the petition for compensation. The points established are that the mantle alleged to have been purchased in 1 Christchurch was not so purchased; that the saleswoman whose name was given was ;not employed at the shop mentioned; that the mantle and other articles mentioned with'it were not • purchased at the shop where this saleswoman was actually employed ; aud that no cine to such a purchase has been found by inquiries ia Ohristchurch. The other incidental statementrM'-fd'ftiraode of life in Ohristelrarch and in Wellington, and as to the relitipn: between her and the-male witness who gave evidence, may be left with" out remark. The police appear satisfied that ' their conclusions are well founded. - ''■■'•

—The gaol .of Naples county, Idaho, U a hole in the ground ten feet deep. The prisoners are dropped in with the significant warning that the guards have each killed their man, and have positive orders to put a hole through every head that appears above the surface. It would be hard to climb out, as the hole is larger at the bottom than at the top. When a prisoner is wanted a ropo is dropped down and the man is drawn up. ■ ■ .