Prisons Commission.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume IX, Issue 1198, 24 February 1902, Page 4

Prisons Commission.

Strange Allegations.

The most striking revelation made in connection with the Prisons Commission, which concluded its sittings on Thursday in Wellington, was the peculiar conduct of certain Js.P. who have been bolding the position of visiting justices. Nothing is more evident in prison management than that, in order to avoid a scandalous state of things, the genus, the visiting justice, will have to be done away with and the oversight of prison mattors placed in the hands of competent stipendiary officials. Just before the conclusion of the inquiry to-day. an ex prisoner caused a mild sensation by staling that he had a very grave question to bring before the Commission. He there fore placed in the bauds of the Commissioners the following extraordinary statement : — 11 1 wish to state that when I was .in Point Ilalswell Mr Blank, visiting justice, suggested that I should say that Warder Murphy habitually ill-treated prisoners, although 1 told him it was not so. He offered me a reward to do so.— (Signed) Blank. I have ascertained that other prisoners have preferred charges of attempted bribery against the same justice, but for some unexplained reason he has not been called to account about it. It is said that he has influence in certain quarters. A short time ago two Wellington lawyers openly announced in opeD Court that they had no confidence in the fairness of the justice in question, and that they would prefer to settle their affairs outside (and they did so), rather than submit them to his jurisdiction. A departmental inquiry was called for in the local newspapers at the time but nothing was done.