BISHOP LISTON.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 May 1922, Page 1

BISHOP LISTON.

[BY TELEQBArn—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION j

AUCKLAND, AI ay 16,

In Dr Liston’s case, tho first witness was Gordon a “Star” reporter, who in answering Judge Stringer, said that what lie wrote for his paper was practically a verbatim report. The copy of part of his notes,, however, had been changed from the first person into the third person.

His Honour asked : “Are you sure of the expression “murdered by foreign troops.” The witness: “Yes.” In reply to Mr AJeredith the witness said that lie did not take the whole of the speech but he said that nothing else that was said would have altered the tenor of his (Gordon’s) report. To His Honour: “Tho expressions were not qualified in any way. There was no doubt about the use of the words “hv foreign troops” also words referring to the glorious Easter of 1916, and to the memory of the men and women, who were then willing to die. Counsel: AVhat did you mcay when you said that you took “only what you wanted?”

Witness: AVhat I considered of public interest. I did not take any shortha ml notes I

Counsel: Is it not risky to say “part of the speech is" verbatim,” when you took it in longhand?

Witness: It is possible to remember some passages. AVitness admitted that some of his evidence differed from that which ho had given in the Ixnver Court. He had to rely almost entirely on his memory. “Do you still think that the people who were referred to by the Bishop, died at Easter 1916?”

Witness: On consideration, I think the reference also concerned the people who had died after 1916. Do you say that, the Bishop said : “Women during Easter AA eek veu murdered by foreign troops? Witness: Yes. |fc had a list m Ins hand! The evidence for the Crown iu D> Liston’s case proved mainly on the lines of the proceedings in the Level ' ‘fov the defence Mr O’Regan said that the jury must have been sat,shed that the report on winch this chaige was based which was admittedly a W report was also an inaccurate one Di Liston’has preserved the notes o ns speech, and they would be put in • jury would have no difficulty in deciding after hearing the Bishop that he had no intention, and that Ins words if properly reported, were not capable of that interpretation. Ihe words, counsel pointed out, had to >c taken in their setting, and it was altogether unfair to do as had been done l>v the Press throughout New Zealand namely, to publish what the Bishop had said in one paragraph, isolated from its context, and then to make drastic comment upon it. As a result of this being done, said Air O’Regan, lie had no hesitation in saving that this was a class of case which put the jury system to the sevcrest tost. IIR 1,1 ST OX GIVES EVIDENCE In giving evidence Bishop Liston- said lie had never been a member of tho ,Self-Determination for Ireland League. He was a native of Dunedin. His parents arrived in New Zealand in 1863 or 1804. They were born iu 184/ nnd 18 . respectively. He said lie admitted that the portions of the report of lus speech regardin'’ their being driven from Ireland. and regarding the “snobs of the Empire” were substantially correct, lie wa s then referring to the eviction of his parents from their homes m Ireland and three quarters of a million others evicted with them. He was recalling what an eviction in Ireland meant, He pointed out that the passage in the report about the glorious Faster of 1916 “did not accurately represent” what he said. The document from which lie had read that portion of his speech had conic to him through the mail oil the afternoon just before the

concert. His actual words wore: “1 have here a list of the men and women who were proud to die for Ireland during, and since, 1916. Of these 16 were executed by shooting in 1916; 52 were killed while they were fighting during Easter of 1916. Including Terence AlcSweency, the Lord Mayor of Cork, who died of hunger strike, eight were executed by hanging. Twelve were executed by shooting and 67 including three priests, were murdered by foreign troops.”

“Those,” said Liston, “were the exact words I used.” Only those in last category were meant to be described as murdered by foreign troops. He did not speak of the Easter AVeek people as being murdered at all. He did not refer to any women as being killed in Easter week as murdered. The .word “murdered” referred only to those killed in 1920, by the Black and Tans when the policy of reprisals was in full swing. It would have been belter to have mentioned me Black and Tans instead of using the word troops, hut he took it that his audience knew the word “murdered,” was used because leading statesmen, and Anglican clergy, in England have employed it when referring to tlie Black and Tan reprisals. The words “Glorious Easier,” h.e thought, were used parenthetically. It was a common phrase applied to that in. surrcction. At the time that it occurred, many people in Dublin had thought it a mad enterprise, hut, with the lapse of time, it was felt that those who had died had passed beyond criticism. His words “the first instalment of freedom,” referred to the Irish Treaty. In his opinion, the treaty was the gift of God, because it gave political freedom to Ireland. By tho words “determinei to have the whole of it,” he had meant that, through this treaty between England and Ireland, there was still a great deal to be done. For instance, there was the union of two parliaments in Ireland. This could be achieved by a friendly agreement, without any force. He had not mentioned force. He therefore failed to see how his words could infer of the use of force. He had in his mind a parallel between Niew Zealand and Ireland.

The report about th.ere being plenty to light and die for Ireland did not accurately represent his statement Quoting from his notes the Bishop declared his words to have liren: “God has made Ireland a nation, and while grass grows and water runs, there will he men in Ireland and women to fight and even to die, that God’s djesires maybe realised!” He had no intention to infer that physical force should he used. The case was adjourned.