PRESS AND POLICE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2337, 6 March 1897, Page 4

PRESS AND POLICE.

■ ■■■»» Recently Mr Justice Hood, of Victoria, from his seat on the bench, admonished the detectives for inaking public information respecting criminal offences, and he advised that they should be restrained from "going straight to the reporters whenever they thought they had found anything good." In commenting upon this the Melbourne Argus considers that Mr Justice Hood spoke from a very partial and superficial view of the relations between the detectives and, the Press. "One of the most uspful auxiliaries which the detective finds ready to his hand to-day is the Press. Instances occur every weak m which the publication oi the detailsof a crime and descriptions of the parties supposed to be concerned play a most important part m leading to the capture and punishment of the criminal. The Glenbrook murders afford a recent illustration. It was not until the disappearance of Captain Lee Weller was published throughout New South Wales that persons who were m possession of information became aware of its importance and communicated with the police. Then it was that link by link the terrible chain of crime was pieced together. Within the last few days the cable brings word of the possibility of still another murder being added to the terrible record by the same man. No one protests at present against the publication of the details which point 80 strongly to the guilt of one individual, but doubtless before the trial is over we shall have the usual protests from the Bar or the Bench against the man being hounded to death by the Press; A stronger example of the work of the Press ib afforded by tin; Deeming case. It was due solely to the action taken by the Aryus that the Rainhill murders were discovered. The very subject matter of Mr Justice Hood's animadversion was known to the Press more than a week before it was published, and was only made use of when the detectives were sure of their ground."