THE TE AROHA MURDER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 9345, 25 February 1881, Page 2

THE TE AROHA MURDER.

[SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE.] Grahamstown, Feb 24. Mr Kenrick, E.M., contradicts the statement that he refused the prisoner Procoffy an interpreter. Prisoner is a Eussian, and every effort has been made here and in Auckland to provide an interpreter. The person whom his solicitor, Brassey, introduced as an interpreter was an English sailor boy, who could not speak a word of the Russian tongue. At the R. M. Court to-day, before Messrs Kenrick, R.M., and Ehrenfried and W. Wilkinson, J.P.'s. and WiMritohi Hautonga, Native Assessor, John Procoffy was charged "with "wilful murder of Hamiona Haere at Te Aroha, on the 10th instant. Superintendent Thompson conducted the case for the prosecution. Mr Brassey appeared for the defence, and Mr Wilkinson appeared to watch the case on behalf of the natives. The Resident Magistrate said, " Before going on with this case I would say I have received a subpoena to produce depositions taken at the inquest to give evidence of what occurred there. In consequence of having received that subpoena I shall leave the Bench. lam only sorry that the onerous and unpleasant duties of this case should have fallen upon justices, as the proper person to hear it is a man who is paid by Government for such work." Mr Kenrick then vacated the chair. Mr Ehenfried, J.P., took possession. Mr Brassey said, " I object to your brother Justice* Mx Chairman* ,

sitting on the Bench after the scurrilous | article which appeared in. this morning's paper, of which he is Editor. I ask that gentleman to leave the Bench, as he must be biassed by the article in question. The article 'was most untruthful; everything written in the | morning paper has been written in condemnation of prisoner, in contradistinction to the Evening Star, which has been most fair in- all its- reports on the matter. I am surprised to see the editor of the Advertiser, after the article in question had appeared, having the audacity to sit upon the Bench to hear the case." Superintendent T-hoinpson said he had made inquiry in Auckland, and there was only one gentleman, a merchant, who understood -the Eussian language, but he declined, to undertake to intrepret, inasmuch -as they do not speak the Eussian language, but merely a patois. — Mr JShrenfried said that Mr Wilkinson was sitting x>n the Bench not as editor of the Advertiser, but as a J.P. — Mr Brassey said, "I again ask Mr Wilkinson if he will sit on the Bench. If Mr Wilkinson ■„ sits on the Bench he will do so with the full knowledge that the public of this place consider him biassed after the article in this morning's issue. I ask Mr Wilkinson if he can with fairness hear the case." —Mr Wilkinson said: "lam sitting at^the request of the E.M., who has been prevented from presiding in the case by counsel for the prisoner, who -has been guilty of a most.unwarrantable course in sending him... a subpoena." — - Mr Wilkinson did not leave the Benci^.