SILVER GRID TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 667, 18 November 1909, Page 7

SILVER GRID TRAGEDY

THE TRIAL. CASE- FORTHE CROWN STATED. 1 THE DEFENCE. ■■ ißy-Tehgrapn—Press Association) , Christchufsh, November 17. , The trial of Arthur John Wilson Eoborts, charged with tho murder of Alico Edith New. man (tho Silver Grid case), began, in tht Supremo Court to-day, bofcxo Mr. Jurtico " Donniston. ' Tho gallory of tho Court-room .wis almost fully occupied during tho most of tho day, among those present being several ladies. Tho appearance of tho prisoner has not noticeably altered since his arrost. Though ho is less, spruco and dapper-looking than when ho first camo before tho Magistrate's Court, hiij posi. X? l not Beom lo ttol 'Bh heavily upon himJ wnon ho entered tho dock Umro was a ncrvausi twitching percoptiblo about his mouth, but.' this disappeared in'tho courso of a minutes. Prisoner, was permitted to sit down-' on a 6cat in tho dock. Ho showod only mildl interest in tho evidence, only'occasionally rais-l ing lus head and regarding witnesses with al gaze that indicated that their testimony waj ' interesting him. i R 1 r cadc i> f: «"* ™» do* fended by Tllr. W. J. Hunter. Mr. T. W btrmger, Crown Prosecutor, appeared for* tno orown. . i rw„ ca S>° t0T > £ ho Cr ?J m 6tated V thai ' wn ?™?. c ratof- He said that evidence fll e l tab ] lsh «"»* > Cirl met hor death ' at tho hands of prisoner. Slio had been employed as a waitress at tho Silver Grid, time she had lived with a man named Read m Jua wife, and had a child to him. Shh hid a great many admirers, among thorn bcine i tho prisoner. Ho evinced very strong joaCl , thei girl,.and had interfered with people who, wont out with her. Counsel detailed tho visit of prisoner to the SHyer Grid on tho night', ot tho murder and the conversation which ho' ht ?w W .^r" ck - T IK) IF 1 ha<l evidently been shot with, a revolver in her own room.i Prisoner was not soon to go through tho main tho weapon ho could have jjoim along either M tho two corridors and down either ct\ ' tho two firo escapes. Tho moTements of thej ' prisoner beforo and after tho commission of* tho murder were outlined, and counsel read a lottor which accused wrote to Mr. Burns, and which contained some important stato-i menu. Tho only possible defenco was that' • prisoner was not responsible for his actions, and that ho was entitled to bo acquitted on. that ground. Tho onus of proving that, how-* ever. Tested on tho dofenoe and it was for i his learned friend to establish affirmatively') that the man was not rosnonsiblo. Resnon-- ' sibility for wromr is clearly defined Criminal Code. That was the test that-would* have to be applied in this case. If tho defenco' set up that prisoner was an irresponsible per6on—if the defence was that prisoner was labouring under imbecility and disease of tho mind to such an extent as'to render him incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong-proof of that would have to depond i on tho facts of tho case, and the medical*' 1 ' testimony that the defence would bo able to\ produce ■ i ' *t °i ) !5 lling I, g l , for i ho d «f*nco. Mr. Hunter sub-J nutted that the Crown hod failed to shov: that Roberts had not left tho Silver Grid on tho i night of tho murder, after saying ho would soo ! tho witness Warwick at 8 o'clock next morn- ' ing. There was also nothing to show that 1 ?ft r,.. a roTolT er on him when ho was th .°, ? 11 1, CT Grid. Anctther significant fact , was that there was no blood found on prisoner or on his clothes. .Further, his Svholo conduct was inconsistent with tho' commission of a brutal murder. In regard to incriminating letters, it would be Submitted that there, was no confession contained in the letter, yhich fho constable said prisoner won writing,' in tho Probbloton Hotel when arTestod. Itwas simply that of akd of suicidal tendencies, ■, and it had reference to his, own proposed sui-! . cide. Those lottors were in the prisoner's possession before tho tragedy took pLaoe. Tho ovidonco was not sufficient to prove beyond all, reasonable doubt that the prisoner com- 1 milled the crime. There was also tho defence that prisoner, if he did commit tho crime, was not responsible for'his actions, and ovidonco would bo .called to show that ho had not a reasonable or ordinary degree of mentality. The evidonco for the defenco closed to-night The addresses of counsel will bo hoard tomorrow. ' -C-