TOWN NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 32, 12 August 1867, Page 3

TOWN NEWS OF THE WEEK.

(From our own Correspondent.) Maria Baker, a half-caste girl, was charged on Tuesday last before the Resident Magistrate's Court with the wilful murder on the 29th June of a male child. The Court house was densely crowded at an early hour to hear this case. The prisoner did not appear to be much affected by her position, probably she is not possessed of sufficient intelligence to realise her real position, at least such was the impression left on the mind of your correspondent by her general appearance. Her stature is small, her figure ill-formed, and her features exhibiting but very slight signs of intelligence. The apprehending constable appeared to consider it a sign of guilt that when he apprehended her that she appeared confused and the Magistrate admitted that statement as evidence against her, although it is impossible to conceive of any young girl being apprehended on a charge of muraer without being confused. The constable searched her box and and found some clothing covered with blood and after giving her the necessary caution (whatever that may be, and thoßench did not think it necessary to enquire how lie cautioned her), he asked if the clothes were her property. If this girl did commit wilful murder, it shows how little she understood her real position, when she left these clothes in her box for near a month before she was apprehended. She asked the constable what would they do to her for it, would they punish her ? also, when on her way to the station, she asked if they would send her to gaol. These questions on the part of the prisoner would indicate that she was quite ignorant of the enormity of the crime with which she is charged, or of the position its detection would place her in. It appears that she w r as six months iu the service of Mrs Liardet of Willis-street. That her mistress had several times asked her if she was “ enciente ” and that the prisoner always denied being so. That on the 28th June prisoner was too ill to work, that witness got a cab to take her to the hospital, that she refused to go there, but wished to go to a Mrs Lockycr’s house, a woman who knew her from childhood, when going there, prisoner refused to tell Mrs Lsckyer’s address to witness.

Prisoner returned in the evening and stated that Mrs Lockyer had refused to let her st6p, sne went away again for a few days and then came back accompanied by her sister and begged to be taken back into service and that she would be a good girl in future. Witness refused to take her back. Witness asked prisoner if she had been confined when she said “oh no.” Witness appeared very languid when she came back.

Constable Harris deposed, to having found the body of a male child in a water closet belonging to Mrs Lockyer. Hr Grace examined the prisoner with the object of discovering it the prisoner had been delivered of a child or not. He would not swear, but severtbeless several signs presented themselves which rendered it “ probable.” He had made a post mortem examination and he believed the child had been born alive, but as it was born at least ten days previously, decomposition had set in and he could not say if any violence had been used towards it.

The female searcher in the lock-up gave evidence that the prisoner had confessed to her that she had given birth to a dead child in an out-houso belonging to Mrs Lockyer and that Mrs Lockyer had promised to bury it. The prisoner was fully committed for trial. Mrs Lockyer, a very infirm old widow woman was charged with aiding and abetting the last prisoner in murdering a child. After some immaterial evidence had been heard, the prisoner was remanded for seven days. Bail was accepted herself in £IOO and the Hcv Hay Maxwell, and Mr Mason, draper, in a like amount each.

Mr. Crawford, the Resident Magistrate was so strongly objected to by a party on bis first appointment to the office be now holds, that your readers may feel some interest in a statement of the impression he made upon an unprejudiced visitor to bis court. Any one can see at once that he is prompt and resolute in arriving at a decision upon cases that come before him, and that be presents a striking contrast to many talented men that have great difficulty in making up their minds to any resolution that they can be easily influenced in almost any direction by any one who understands their vacillating character, and will take the trouble to get them to postpone their decision until it will be likely to be favourable to the views of the party,influencing them. It is always a painful mental operation for a vacilating man to make up his mind to decide upon almost any question, and when his mind is actually made up it is so very irresolutely fixed that in a very little time he repents of the resolution arrived at. Mr Crawford don’t appear to have any of that weakness which is so veyy bad in any man who has to decide between conflicting interests either as a Justice on the Bench—an administrator of the government, or the head of a political party, nevertheless Mr Crawford has one fault which is partly the object of this notice to point out to him. He has a very bad habit of asking witnesses leading questions which he ought never to do.

Numerous sharks having been blown ashore by the late gale is an incident that confirms the old proverb that “it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good.” It appears that the shark is more liable to be blown ashore with a strong gale of wind than any other fish. The size of the shark will partly account for this, at all events I hear that immense numbers of them may now be found dead along the coast, and no doubt many more have been floated out to sea by the returning tide. As the maorics use the flesh of the shark as food and its teeth as an ornament, the present supply of both will be fully equal to the demand in some localities. «

The Duke of Edinburgh is to visit Wellington after leaving the Australian porta. His lloyal Highness will first proceed to Auckland and thence to Wellington, when an opportunity will he afforded once in their lives to the inhabitants of Wairarapa to look on the face of a royal seaman —an opportunity that the young people will not easily miss. Wednesday, August 6.

There is great excitement in Wellington among men out of employment in consequence of rumours of the richness of a gold-field said to have been lately discovered in the Thames district, in the Province of Auckland. The case of Mrs Lockyer referred to in my letter of Saturday was lemanded for three days for further evidence. The mail boat for Panama came into port from Sydney on Tuesday and reports the weather to have been very bad on the Australian coast.

A cutter has been wrecked at the heads and all hands lost. The bodies have been recovered and buried.

The natives have robbed a quantity of powder from a storeship in Auckland harbor. Four Europeans have been murdered in the Province of Auckland, the foul deed is supposed to have been done by some Maories. Business still continues dull.

I regret that I am unable in consequence of the non-arrival of the coach to keep my letter open any longer for the mail is about to close.