THE CASE OF WALTER TRICKER

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2076, 18 June 1864, Page 3

THE CASE OF WALTER TRICKER

(To the Editor of the Wellington Independent. Wellington. June 16, 1864, Sib,— l make no apology for troubling you wit!; another letter, as I judge that it is the duty o all who can throw any light upon this unhappj business to do so. I find that I made an unimportant mistake it my letter of yesterday. Tricker was, as he told me to day, partners at tho diggings with the Seivas, and not with Pauline. Pauline was working close by, he returned with him to Melbourne. What I have to write about to day seems to me to be very important. Ist. I said, in my first statement, that the distance from Scott's to Rayner's was l3j miles— as thus made out ; — from Scott's to Wheeler's 3 miles;, from Wheeler's to point A, where the main road was left, L mile; length of road to Rayner'a 9§ ; altogether 13$ miles. Mr Knowles in his evidence says :— " The distance from Scott's to Rayner's is 11 miles as the ormoflies." The difference between us is only iJJ miles. The curved route which Tricker must have taken to go round by Rangitoto could not be less than 13£ miles. The 3£ miles swamp, between Rangitoto and the main road, reaohes, I find, nearly up to the main road. Tricker would not evidently have gone round the swamp on that side of it. 2nd. I asked Tricker to-day, why he went to Scott's at all on the Friday, when Bull's store was nearer? .His answer wai at once, " Mr H. Fraser had been to Bull's on Thursday, to get the same mourning that I wanted ; and could not get any. There are no other stores but Bull's and Scott's. Besides Bull and I were not over good friends, He wanted to give me £20 for three bullocks of mine, and I would not take it. This was the buisness Mr Fox settled for me. Hammond, was acting for me/ v '3rd. "I saw." Tricker also said, "Mr James Macdonald in his stockyard on the Friday morning. The stockyard is a quarter of a mile from the road. He could see a mile of the road. I think he must have seen me. I saw him between Wheeler's and Winks'" His rate of riding at this important point might possibly have been noticed. I think it may he fairly urged in Tricker's favor : — Ist. That when, as the half-caste says, Tricker made him come back Tricker. did not shoot him down. A man, who had done one murder, would not stick at another. If he murdered Rayner, as it was said, and had then fired the two remaining barrels, into, the half-caste, who could, as the case now stands, have convicted him. 2nd. That ho remained in Rangitikei, at his ÜBual work. Suspicion had been directed against him. because of the threats, at the inquest, but nothing was proved. He could easily have said then, •' Say or do what I may this is against me. I'll leave." Who could have blamed him if he had left. His remaining is to my mind strongly in his favor, I am, &c. &c, Abthub Stock.