JURY-SQUARING

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160641, 3 May 1920, Page 11

JURY-SQUARING

PUBLIC SCANDAL IN VICTORIA.

The system of “jury-squaring” has become ao prevalent in Victoria that an agitation is afoot in that State to abolish the jury system of trying persons charged with crimes, and establishing instead a method of trial by three judges. It is not making muen headway, however; the old British trialby jury dies hard, even when it is used to defeat the ends of justice. According to the Age, which has publiehed several sensational articles on this subject, there exists in Victoria a complete organisation for the corruption of juries. , The organisation is controlled by a man—the master mind—who is equally well-known to the police and the members of the under-world, and, in a lesser degree, tlo the outside public. Publication of his name would cause a sensation. Behind him there stretches a highly efiscient network, the primary object of which is to secure a perversion of justice—when a sufficiently large sum is p@io The head of the gang has under his direct control a number of agents operating in various suburbs, and through (me or inner the accused person is approacnea apd asked how much he will pay to have the jury “rigged.' 5 The police know positively that these things are done—but everything is carried out so carefully and cunningly that it is almost impossible to secure direct evidence. When the arrangement is made with the criminal, the members of the jury are deftly approached. There is generally at least one man among twelve who is susceptible to the touch of gold. Presumably aware of their practical immunity from arrest, the efforts of tho fang have recently been advanced with razen effrontery. A reputedly wealthy man was arrested on a criminal charge. He was approached by a member of the gang with the suggestion that he could secure freedom at the cost of Several hundred pounds., There was another case in which tee detectives are convinced that two jurymen were “squared. 55 Two men, despite a strongly adverse summing-up by the judge, were and there is ground for believing that tee price of the acquittal was i>sooo. The police, who are positive -of the guilt of tee two men, 'say that the bribe actually passed in cash.