The Chemis Case

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 30, 24 August 1889, Page 2

The Chemis Case

THE PERJURY CHARGES. I PEK UNJTED PRESS ASSOCIATION. I Wellington. August. 2'i. Mrs Jellicoe deposed that the baudbox produced was not in the same condition us when first brought to her husband's house. A pieco had been cut oil the top, which formerly was straight. Crusa-Gxauiiued she said she had not heard her husband say he would have every policeman aud detective out of Wellington. Mr E. S. Hawkins, editor of the Press corroborated the evidence a 6 to the condition of the box. He said he had written a number of articles on the subject of the Chemis case and had frequent communication with Mr Jeliicoij, but not with the prosecution. The information on which the articles were written was drawn from public sources, and what Mr Jellicoe had told. Mr Jellicoe expressed an opinion to witness before the information was laid that Benjamin's evidence with regard to the lead cutter, wads, and caps was false, but said nothing about Thompson aud Campbell. Edwin Woodward and Thomas Bailey, clerks in Mr Jellieoe's office, and a lad named Croppt gave evidence that since the bandbox in question had been in the Premier's possesion a piece had been cut out of the top. Mrs Chemis was recalled and deposed that she was responsible for the present prosecution, and was paying for it. Witness had told Chief-Detective Benjamin that if she had to sell the last piece of clothes she had she would prosecute the detectives and the police. On the night of Mr Hawking's death her husband cut a cask full of mangels. (Identified the cask produced as the one her husband used.) Witness was working that evening in the cowshed adjoining where her husband was. He cut the mangolds with a chopper (produced). When her husband passed the cowshed witness was milking. She asked him the time soon afterwards, and he said it was past 5 o'clock. The children were about. It was near 6 o'clock when they went to tea. From the time witness' husband passed the cowshed till they went to tea her husband was never off tli9 premises. Her husband's gun was hanging in the bedroom the whole of the evening up to the time they had tea together. After tea her husband read the i Evening Post, and was so engaged at 7 o'clock, when she put her children to bed. While washing up the tea things her brother, John Dowd, went to see a young woman home who had been seeing after the children. He returned to the house before witness went to bed. The articles now in the drawer were all in the drawer when the detectives searched it. Was still positive that no fragments of paper or any newspaper were taken out of the drawer and placed in the handkerchief before Inspector Thomson. The reason why the drawer was kept locked was because she did not wish the children to touch the contents. Mrs Richardson, wife of the Minister of Lands, had visited her house on Tuesday afternoon. She had a pencil and book with her. Mr Bell asked that he might be allowed to postpone his cross-examination on this point. It might possibly be his duty on behalf of his client to rebut the inference. Mr Jellicoe said he would not agree to this, but he would get his friend out of the difficulty by calling Mrs Richardson. Mr Bell very warmly said that a most extraordinary breach of faith had been committed. It had been agreed between them that these questions should be put so as to avoid calling Mrs Richardson. In his experience at the bar he had never heard of such a thing. Mrs Richardson deposed to visiting Mrs Chemis at the suggestion of Capt. Hume, who was making enquiries about the case for the Governor, and who said Mrs Chemis would talk more freely to a woman. Witness desired to help Mrs Chemis, and believed Chemis to be innocent, and had assisted to get up the petition on his behalf. Mrs Hawkins deposed that when her husband left home on the day of the murder he had i' 7 15s or .£7 17s with him. J. A. Koch deposed to Hawkings paying in <£6 to his account on the 31st May, and J. Taylor, draper, deposed to Hawkings purchasing some goods on the same day and paying for them by cheque. John Daly deposed to being with Dyvel when he bought the wad cutter referred to in his evidence. W. E. Rawson, clerk to the late Mr Bunny, deposed to handing on 18th July to Mrs Chemis a box. and cutter like those produced, which he got out of Mr Bunny's bag. At this stage it was decided to adjourn the further hearing of the case until Monday next, at 10.30.