LATER PARTICULARS.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 81, 2 October 1895, Page 2

LATER PARTICULARS.

AN EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT (Per Press Association.) Sydney, Oct. 1. ln reference to the interview in Salomons' office . during which the alleged confession was made, Mr Meagher read a written statement, to tbe effect that he went to consult him about the proposed action for libel arising pnt of the Dean case. After disenssing tbis Sir J. Salomons asked how Dean was getting on, adding thet he was an arch scoundrel, and fortunate in getting off before the Commission. Meagher asked if an innocent man was not entitled to get off. Salomons replied that if all the angels in Heaven came down and swore Dean was innocent he would not believe them. He suggested to Meagher that he purposely omitted asking one of the chemists examined in court whether he had supplied Dean with poison. Meagher denied this and Salomons pressed him to tell the truth, saying tbat he held the solution of the case. He also enlarged on the terrible issues involved, and said that Judge Windeyer would have the stigma of judicial murder on him. Meagher reasserted Dean's innocence. Salomons said it was sheer nonsense, and then asked for a second interview. At this he again pressed Meagher to clear up the mystery. He was very excited, and in a dramatic style went into a long dissertation upon conscience, soul and destiny, and pointed ont the great possibilities awaiting Meagher if he would speak out, but threatened if he would not reveal that terrible secret and do justice to those concerned, that he wonld be buried under the mountains of remorse. It made his blood run cold to see an .unthinking public giving Dean receptions and otherwise showing their sympathy. Sir J. Salomons added that if Dean would leave the colony for ever and go to South America or elsewhere he would get £500, and another £500 would be forthcoming after he had been away awhile. He asked Mr Meagher to try and induce Dean to leave the country. Meagher replied he saw no reason why he should leave, and would not make any such suggestion. He throughout spoke to Salomons with a full belief in Dean's innocence, and did not give him the least ground for his subsequent statementsMeagher supplemented this written statement by saying that if he had any confession to make he would have given it to Pilcher, who defended Dean, and with whom he had friendly relations. Salomon's close intimacy with Windeyer made it impossible for him to communicate the least information of importance to him. As further proof that the alleged- confession was a fabrication, he said it was a well-known fact that after a long es* trangement Windeyer and Salomons had become as thick as thieves over the Dean case, and were always consulting together, while the Attorney-General, who had made every effort to injure Meagher, was in daily communication with them, and shrieked for Dean's blood. Meagher con • siders he would have been a blithering idiot and a gibbering lunatic had he placed himself in the hands of this triple alliance by making a confession.