THE LATE MURDER. (From the Daily Times, April 4.)

Otago Witness, Issue 697, 8 April 1865, Page 1

THE LATE MURDER. (From the Daily Times, April 4.)

The Coroner's inquest upon the remains of the unfortunate German, "Charley," who came to his death by violence, has resulted in an open verdict, " Wilful " murder against some person or persons " unknown." The jury could have done nothing more upon the evidence before them. The only facts undoubtedly proved were that the deceased, who had been last seen alive in a state of intoxication on Wednesday ni^ht, was battered to death id a remote street of Dunedin, almost immediately afterwards, and that the murderous blows were inflicted by an instrument found on the very spot of the tragedy. The medical evidence sufficiently establishes the cause of death. The whole facts appear to be conclusive as to the purpose of the attack which resulted so fatally. The surgeons who conducted the post mortem examination, gave an account of the injuries inflicted, which precluded the idea tbat anything less than the murder that was done was intended. It is perfectly horrifying to read the details of the butchery. They are given in our report of the evidence, but we do not desire to refer to them here, further than as they appear to afford a proof that the object of the assailant, under whose blows the poor victim succumbed, was unmistakeably murder. Or at least, if it was robbery, the means used were such as must have been known to be certain to result in murder. That fell left-handed blow from behind, which fractured the jaw and nasal bones, and battered a human face into a shapeless mass, was not dealt by any one who, if he did not mean murder, cared whether murder -should result from his act or not.

We have no desire, however, to suggest any hypothesis as to the motive of the foul crime that has been committed. Its posi tive nature cannot be mistaken. The one question that remains open, as the verdict has left it, is— Who aid the deed? It appears to us to be very much a matter of regret that the only formal official inquiry yet carried beyond the merest prelimiminary stage, should have resulted in this most unsatisfactory conclusion. It is true that the only duty a Coroner's Jury has to discharge is to discover and declare the cause of death. The Court is not a criminal tribunal, and no exception can perhaps be taken to Dr Hocken's instruction to the Jury, yesterday, that murder being found as the cause of death, it would be " only a " waste of time or a matter of curiosity for

" them to try to ascertain by whom the " murder was committed."

As far as the public are concerned, however, thatis not merely a matter of curiosity, but one of general and intense interest. The Coroner's Jury only give formal record to the fact of the murder, of which the public were before well assured. The discovery of the murderer, and the infliction of a just retribution upon him, are the ends society has in view. It is most earnestly to be hoped, that this murder will not have to be added to the painfully long list of unavenged crimes in the Colonies. Too many instances already stand on record of humanity outraged, and justice unsatisfied and baffled. In this communitj', happily, capital offences against the person have hitherto been rare — wonderfully rare, considering the circumstances under which a population, attracted from all sources, ha" during the last two or three years accumulated. But nothing would more effectively promote their occurrence than the permission of an impression to gain ground, that serious crime can be committed with impunity. At whatever cost of money or effort, crime ought to be tracked out, and the criminal brought to justice. No expenditure or sacrifice can be too great, to prevent that distrust in the power of the law to overtake crime which is the most fruitful cause of lawlessness. Grime is begotten by the belief in its possible impunity. Nothing represses it so effectually as the conviction that it will be surely found out, and as surely punished. We know little of the action of the police in this most terrible case. It is wise and necessary that their investigations should be pursued with a certain secrecy. They may be in possession of some clue that has not been ma3e public, and be following it up by the wary and stealthy steps that belong to the science of detection. It is not to raise any question as to the policy of their proceedings that we refer to the case. The Government adopted a judicious course in offering at once a liberal reward for the discovery of the murderer— a more judicious course still in coupling with the offer of the reward the proclamation of a free pardon to any accomplice who should give evidence. But the endeavors in the path of discovery ought not to rest here. We speak in the hope of stimulating effort. The Coroner's enquiry has resulted fruitlessly. And it appears to have exhausted the evidence at present in the possession of the police. There is nothing as yet learnt to bring conviction home to any one. Is it possible that in the very capital of the Province, a murder of this terrible character can be committed without discovery ; that a man seen in a place of public resort late at night shall be found battered to death early in the morning, and yet no clue be found to the murderer? Surely this must not be. The public will fail to be satisfied unless the history of this foul deed, committed in our very midst, is found out. It is not a case of subtle poisoning, but one of butchery in the public street ; and no mean 9 should be left untried, no expenditure spared, to vindicate the majesty of the law for the avenging of crime and the protection of the public.