THREATENING THE ACTINGPREMIER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12445, 30 August 1902, Page 7

THREATENING THE ACTINGPREMIER.

A SENTENCE OF THftBE YEARS. (F*ou Otis Own CfoflßiSroSDSitT.) "WELLINGTON, August 29. E. T. Moore, charged with sending threatening letters to Sir J. G. Ward, was again brought before Mf Justice Edward* this morning:, when medical evidence was called as to the mental state of tlio accused. The evidence o[ Dr James, who visited the terrace. GaoUnd examined the prisoner m conjunction with Drs Collins and Tcare K t0 the cffect that the icsuL of the lufcou'lew was not such tog to convince him that the man was insane. He was undoubtedly impulsive and eccentric but not to such an extent as to m&ko him irresponsible for ,tho acts that ho might commit. Ho was undoubtedly of a very emotional temperament, and had an illbalanced mind, being incapable perhaps of determining the subtle differences between right and wrong, or of always selecting tile most prudont course to pursue, but he tfas perfectly capable of estimating the nature and conSequoncea of well-marked criminal acts, and therefore responsible for their committal, This opinion was based upou persona observations of tlio prisoner and nis writings. Dr Colhns's report was to the effect that he had assisted at the examination of Moora Oil ijaturday last ( and at the timo he read portions of tlio pamphlet which the man had tl.ni i r l", ls wlmo t0 the conclusioa that ut tlio time Moore wrote that pamphlet no was suffering from an unsettled condition of mind, which bordered vorv closelv on insanity. Thi s condition of ,hind w« 0 doubt caused by reading and studying hooks on spiritualism, etc. But ho baa now apparently recovered from this. Durine his interview with Moore Dr Collins could on tlt!?| Slg r °i '!'T ty ' Moore zeroed, on the other hand, to bo a man with a good memory, accurate m his statements, and, of quiok perception; nor did he betray any sign of having any form of delusion. The doctor admits that he rather thinks that ilooro exaggerated the importance of his onn work, and was fond of notoriety. Dr 8 t at l, nt . ,' 10 that the m et o the pamphlets published by Moore nu e "4°'.p e9 . of " Gotl ' 3 Suggestions and Aow Palestine and New Ideas" waa certßiniy ei th er f u{{ w i n g from an exalted condition of mind or that he wrote both with an ulterior commercial object—viz. making money out of faith-healing. ProMtjed that the pamphlets wore genuine, the prisoner s mind was unhinged at the time they were mitten. Inl reply to Mr Wilford, Dr James said the lettois were conaectcclly written, and nave every indication that the writer was perfoetly sane. Accused at the time' of tlio medical examination expressed the opinion that the pamphlets mitten by him wore nonsense and rot. Ho stated that he had lost thousands of pounds by the faith-heal--1 > .f lne if Eo impressed witness with the idea that lus object in writing the threatening letters was to get his report on the frozen meat trade published and put f lU,bhe ' T, 1 t,mt ''ad no intontionof carrying his threats into execuw u t!? UKht tllat he sliotild bo called oeiore the House and havo his report read. " ttmc s further described the accused as an eccentt.c, who prolmbly might beoofne excited under circumstances or by events which an average man might deem trivial. tad mou nothing j n w]lat Moore ha* m, 1 °i r clono , t lat , would lead to Uw belief that ho would do any harm to anyone Accusod Stated that his one idea in writing \°J 1 7 ph t was to get his'report aid on tho tahlo of the House, and that 1118 object 111 going to the strangers' gallery w. iV°i S ? n r tho , letter 'that he might be called before the Ear of the House for what ho had written. When the orderly Japped him «i the shoulder and asked him. to leave the strangers' gallery he thought that Ins objects had bceh) achieved, and he Was very much surprised when the mote vulgar remedy of removing him to gaol was ihn Te «re (gaol surgeon) said that the prisoner gave him to understand that lie had been under the influence of spiritualistic mediums, which had caused him to !!"?• H !? P» m P hlef - Accused led.hint to nclievo that he had been deceived by these mediums, who had also oxtracted large sums of money f r o m j,i nii j{ r in a(1 dressing the court for tho prisoner, urged lliftt too ease would be met by substantial securities for prisoner's future behaviour, it was plain that ho had no intention of oairymg his threats into execution. His Honor, in passing sentence, upon Moore, said the section under which tho prisoner was indicted made him liable to it) years imprisonment, with hard labour lira offence provided far had nothing to do with the intention of the offender to carry into effect the threat which lie might 'f'f- /he wholo offence was the sending of the letter threatening to kill, and it wto quite immaterial whether or not it was intended tc carry out the threat; ;■ although, of course, if it appeared there was anything like an intention to kill the full punishment would probably be given. The object of the section ■fcas to prevent men in both public aiid private capacities from bwn ? threatened with tho pistol and the • dagger of the assassin. The offence to which pnsoher had pleaded guilty was a most sefious ono, and had been committed under meet deliberate circumstances. There were hundreds of persons in our community who must have real grievances, but the law did not- allow theiii to take this course as. a remedy. His Honor commented on the contents of the letters, and said with regard to the second that no letter could bo a worse example of the evil which waa aimed at by tho statute, and the fact that it was sent after phsohor had beeil warned by his brother made the matter more serious. He was not quite satisfied that prisoner was the harmleis person described by his friends. As for his sanity, it had unfortunately been well established, and that he knew he was doing wrong aiid was fully conscious of his • acti He would be acting contrary to Hie "law did lie not pass a sentence. The case il'uS necessarily a most painful one. In ho instance had lie had a more painful matter to deal with. It was puiiiful to anyone to see a man of ability and education in siicli a position. Ho 'assumed prisoner had. no intention of carrying olit. his threats, but that could oilly be Considered In regard --to tho quanitiln of sentence. If he had the power to dispose of tho caso in that way, he thought the case might havo boon mot by the'banishment of the prisoner'from the colony. Hut it would be obviously improper to turn him loose in .the colony at the present time. It would be improper, 100, to inflict a short sentence,• having'regard to the frame of mind prisoner wis so raoently in. Ho must inflict gticli a, sentence as would be a warning to , all wrong-doers of a like character, and. as would protect the public. His Honor concluded by saying that lie would sentence the prisoner to a considerable term of imprisonment. It might be that his Excellency tho Governor had the power to remit part Of the Bont-enco on condition that prisoner left tho colony. Tho sentence would bo a torm of three years, with hard labour. Moore, who received the sentenoo unmoved, on leaving the dock, said: "Tour Honor, my futuro life will prove that 1 did not merit this sentence."