JUSTICE!

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 829, 30 May 1910, Page 4

JUSTICE!

Sir,—l was. astonished to read in this morning's issue of ; the conviction of one John Morris Schapiro for failing to keep tho requisite books of account as required by our Statutes. The cause of my consternation was on readtho rider added by tho jury to the verdict; which ran as follows: — "Wo consider the books as produced in Court are not properly kept, but if the bank-book and memoranda stated to bo iii'tho pocket of the same had been produced in ' our 'opinion a statement of how ho stood would probably have been arrived at, and we con-sider-the Official Assignee-to lilanio in not producing tho.same." Sir, I hopo I'will b'e' allowed with your assistance to put this matter before your readers and tho sleeping public. Is it not time that something was. done to inquiro more closely into tho efficiency of tho numerous responsible persons who hold certain Government positions. Hero wo have a man who is probably innocent convicted of a serious crime, because ono of our public servants has lost a bank-book which, according to the jury, probably would have been tho means of establishing an .unfortunate man's innocence. What, I wander, will the oversea admiring student of our Courts of Justice think of this occurrence. It is obviously unjust, and if matters liko this ai;e allowed to pass unheeded tho place will soon become unbearable. . I earnestly hope that we will hear of further developments in this matter, and feel certain that an explanation will be forthcoming immediately, as everyone will agree delay means uncertainty.—l am, etc., 8.W.8. Wellington, May 25. too much into the jury's rider, but wo must agree with him that it was an extremely unfortunately thing, in tho circumstances. of the case, that the bank-book should have been lost by the official responsible for its safety.]