Our Wellington Letter

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 33, 31 August 1889, Page 3

Our Wellington Letter

(FBOJyt OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Wellington, tV.ugust-2'J-.'•■Hewaß dead, but is alive again!" Such werethe words that crossed my mind as on entering the Court-bouse «, few days ago I saw the unfortunate man Chemis standing in the witnessbox, and which re-called to my memory the fact that this inau had recently been sentenced to death, but there he Stood as full of life and vigor as anyone present, gazing around with a calm, thoughtful, and what seemed to me, an honest expression on his face. Certainly not that of a consciencestricken murderer. Whether he is buoyed up by the hope of soon regaining his liberty, or conscious of j innocence, is content to await the unravelling of this great mystery, it is hard to say, but he has not altered very much since his confinement, except that his once bushy hair has had to give place to the well-known prison crop, and that his face has been clean shaved. Chemis evidence against Detective Benjamin was decidedly clear, and if what he says is true, the police have certainly not treated the prisoner at all well, as their evidence in the Supreme Court was exactly contradictory to what has just been given by Chemis. At present the case is as shrouded in mystery as ever, some of the witnesses giviug evidence with tuch marked reluctance as to bring very often from the eroasexatniuing counsel the reminder that unless the whole truth is told there will be other cases of perjury to be investigated. The opposing counsel are watching each other very closely, and the slightest breach of law is pounced upon at once. Brushes between them are of frequent occur Tence, being even carried so far as to "bring from Mr Bell, the counsel for defence, an objectiou to being referred to by Mr Jellicue as his " learned friend," to which Mr Jellicoe retorted that he would call him his " learned enemy "if it were not indecent. Mr Graham, the presiding Magistrate, poured oil on tbd troubled waters by advising them to refer to each other as " learned couusel." This little «rnßode shows that more than professional feeling is being exhibited in the case, which is probably due to the fact that Mr Jellicoe called Mrs Eichardson, wife of the Minister of Lands, as a witness after having agreed to allow her evidence to be taken in writing. The finding of tbe shot pouch and knife near the scene of the murder last Sunday has caused some little stir, but it is looked upon as a " plant," as the vicinity has been searched several times. The mystery is as deep as ever. That " a policeman's lot ia not a happy one" is a fact that does not require much proving. A few days ago two policemen were seen hurrying down the Queen's wharf, followed by an inquisitive crowd of " Aristocrats" (bj which I mean people who have never done any work and whose fath ers and grandfathers before them have not done any) to the number of a couple of hundred. On reaching one of the middle Ts of the wharf it was found that a couple of firemen from one of the large ocean 6teamers wore practising very vigorously the noble art. vVhen interfered with by a member of the " foorce " about a dozen other firemen pounced upon the police man, and would, no doubt, have severely handled him but for the timely arrival of the other policemei, who soon " run iv " the riugieaders and peace reigned once more. One hears at times of peculiar things being lost, but never until tonight did I hear of a butcher's cart and horse having been lost in thf> broad daylight, yet such appears to have been the case to day. I was accosted at 7 o'clock this evening by a butcher who asked me if I had seen a runaway butcher's cart . and horse, that he was in serving a customer at 1 o'clock and when he came out again the cart and horse were non est, and though he had been on the hunt the whole of the afternoon he had not been able to find it. Truly Wellington is becoming the city of mysteries.

Our Post Office Chimes still continue their discordant notes, though they hare been chipped to try and improve their tone. People are beginning to say "Alas! those Chimes."