A CONCLUSION WITHOUT PREMISES

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 102, 10 July 1877, Page 2

A CONCLUSION WITHOUT PREMISES

(TO'THE EDITOR OF THE AKAROA MAIL.) Slß,—Without desiring to stir up troubled waters unnecessarily, there is a feature in the late painful trial for perjury to which in common justice to myself I feel bound to call the attention of your readers. In answer to questions as to the reason for the decision sriven by the Bench in the civil case • Watkins v. Adams,' Mr. Aylmer

R.M., stated as follows:—" Our chief ' reason was that the goods had been, sup- ' plied clandestinely to Mrs. Adams., She " nad a private engagement with the jtore- " keeper unknown to Mr. Adams, ■J'sSsi''gi " private bill was kept." Nqwj Sir, my 'books were produced ;in Court, and must 'have shown distinctly that this statement is incorrect. Moreover, Mr. Williams, the defendant's counsel, states in answor to Mr. Duncan : —" There was no separate " account in the" plaintiff's book. There " was a memorandum in the margin show- " ing what account should be sent to Mr. " Adams, and what to Mrs. Adams." With regard to the latter part of this statement, I may bo allowed to say that Mrs. Adams name does not appear in any shape or form in my book at all, either in. the margin or otherwise. All that I did was, what any storekeeper would do, if requested by a storekeeper to do. so, viz., to render two accounts (both to Mr. Adams mark,) one pontaining items;of grocery, and the other drapery," &o. lifiave carried on business in this place about twenty years, and I hope I may say that my cha- ' racterfor upright'and fair dealing, is too well established to be materially injured by any aspersions cast upon it. I have thought it but right to ajak for a portion of your space to vindicate myself. I may state .that I have shewn xny beoks to a professional accountant, who assures me that there is nothing in the slightest degree irregular or unusual in the way the account in question was kept.—l am,, &c., H. G-. WATKINS.-^. /