SQUARING A JURY

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1928, Page 1

SQUARING A JURY

ALLEGED OFFER OF; £l5O.

SYDNEY, Alay 3. AVhethcr the jury system is above reproach is a hone of contention eagerly gnawed by the legal fraternity. The question has been raised again by sensational disclosures made during a trial at Brisbane.

A young man, Alexander Richard Clegliorn, claims that twice lie lias been approcheil to break the oath he took when serving as a juror. He has now charged John Thomas Kelly that ho tried to influence him in his eonduct as a juror by promising liim £I,OO or £l5O. Oegliorii’s story is that on March 19th lie- was standing outside

a city hotel when a stranger spoke to him in reference to the jury. Next day he was in the private.bar of tlio hotel when Kelly, whom he dill not know, came up to him and said, “Hello, Cleghorn.” Clegliorn was surprised, and asked the barmaid who the man was. Invited to do so by Kelly, Gloghorn hail a drink anil then went with Kelly to tlio lounge. There Kelly said: There is a lot of money to be made on the jury if you go tlio. right way about

To that Clegliorn replied that he had already been approached with the same sort of proposition. Kelly then tokl him that he. had nothing to fear. All be bad to do was to bring in a verdict of not guilty, and no one would know anything about it. “You don’t run any risk,” Kelly advised. AA'lien Cleghorn asked which was the particular case in which lie was to be concerned, Kelly said : “Never mind about that. You will bo told at the right time.” Ultimately Clegliorn agreed to ‘go for a blow’ with Kelly, and be was driven with others to another hotel. Overdrinks there Kelly said : ‘Don’t you be a fool, and you will got your money all right. I will see to that personally.

On a later date Kelly met Gleghorn in the city, and Kelly then said: “Remember all I have told you. I will let you know as soon as the case comes off. A’ou will be told vvliat to do.” The allegations have caused a.great deal of interest in Brisbane because it is not the first time that allegations of jury rigging have been before the public. Kelly lias' been remanded for a week.