CORRpWONtibtiCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 47, 6 February 1880, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

t£We are not responsible for the opinions of our correspondents.] THE OTAKI INQUESTS. TO THE EDITOK OF THE MANAWATC HERAMI. Sib,— ln your issue of the 27th January I noticed a report of the inquest on Chitrles Mudgway— the poor fellow who. t raefc his . death s<L Suddenly* afcfa unexpectedly oiAlie i Otaki racecourse — which T think requires some correction. In the nrsy>*ace, ;<&R:cf evil's .OTi^ejjpp'/ went to show that instead of the deceased being unable to guide his horse, it was Miss Jenkins who was unable to do so. G. Bell himself waj the other rider referred to in Mi^s Jenkins' evidence, and he stated . that ho hacf the greatest difficulty In a 1 void-' i ing her, as her horse seemed quite beyond her control ; and it is more than likely tbat Mudgway also, in striving to /void her, ran into the .other horse— but in your report all the blame is thrown on the deceased, and this I protest agiinstras it is not at all proved by the evident. Again, it is said Alias Jenkins' evidence was corroborated by Miss Cameron, but how could this be when the lady referred to wds tot brought hefori.'.-' the j ury at all. Did VOat freparto* jejtaminjs her privately? I think he might have confined luumjf/tp what jtook.B^we ajk,the^. j inquest. ' ' . ' " . . • ■*■ ' Yet again the report nays, "The ' coroner '■ ' informed the jury that fro had made ajie*t moHcm examination, and found *he cauap '„ of death to have been concussion of the, * brain." Now this, ifrflot true* r.I jros- on J r the jury, and llist^ed •&t^trW^J&MlOL that was said; r but<l>'l^dl. < a(ifcaeHrtrd}dti'^ this Here again yvm\xv*otfafc&tf&so have drawn on his imagination. - t •/- . When he was so hard up $or matter, war" did he not tell another oirbun^stUnoe that '*' took place, vi^, that the ! coroner brtfoght •' the verdict withninVin hia<pooket.and;*Ba4,^ it out to the jury before Jhey had. \yam Jttft* deliberate on the evidence. .., vr , . ( " '?" If a coroner has power to hold secret " pott mortem examinations, to examine wit* nesses privately, and deoide upon the ver. diet betor* hearing the •vidonoe, wlwt i«

1 "' "" ' ' II in i r i i " " l iiiT J I r**dl -" -*"ilßiW**W«» the use of going to theateonble of impannelli iff & jury at alii MHtaMNwtfyce I shall mention la tbe&ttpfnSyfi^MßFhave been realised at the^aa^ WhfetPV 08 not £7 or £9, tut o^J^jtlQ^&l:^ I hope yoar reporter wi|l make the amount up to the ewtk he pamed, as doubtless the poor childreW^ &$$ in meed of help. Hopin^yrowili give this? space in your next ferae* in the interests of truth. • ■ •* am, io.j i i • ; : OUE 01 THE Jußt. ■ Otaki, JPibraary 2, tBBO. [We publish the above as . a matter of airplay; bat would draw attention to the evident ftßimnr that pervades it, which certainly can^g u» to doubt veiy nto«b the troth of is, staged by tho -wiiter. His objeot evidently ,is to attack, the person whom he imagines give ns the information. That bis shots are quite wide of the xnaifc, we oatt assure him The faots of the oaae, as stated by us, were, we hare reason tg believe, substantially true.— Ed.