The Satherley Sensation.

Manawatu Herald, 2 December 1897, Page 2

The Satherley Sensation.

JUDGE EDWARDo EIDICULES THE MURDER THEORY. While summing up to the jury at the Blenheim sittings of the Supreme Omrt on Friday in the case in which Victor Ohlsen was cha-ged with robbery from the person of a farm manager named Bnattie, Mr Justice Edwards took occasion for B'>me straight talk on a subj ot as to wh eh the case of alleged robbery was looked upon as only a side issue, the real question at stake being ih* Satherley disappearance. At hi 3 Honour's view of the case reduces the theories as to S*therley's fate to that of suioide, and so would tend to put an end to a long enquiry, we reproduce the Bub3tance of his sum ming up as reported by the local journals : — His Honour said thai; a great portion of the evidence adduced by the Crown in Ohlsen's case did not r«late to the real issue. Great lati tude bad been allowed, and a great deil of the evidence would not hav-.> been admitted had counsel l)v the defenca objected. He strongly impressed upon the jury the necessity i

of confining their attention «oiely to the question whether Ohlsen had robbed Beattie, and said they must entirely divest their minds of any suggestions as to the murder of Satherley, and any question as to the accused robbing Satberley* These suggestions Were of a very doubtful character, and should not influence the minds of the jury. The suggea* tion that Ohlsen robbed tieatUtpj handed the money to Satherley or killed him to get the money back, was to his mind as far-fetched as it could possibly be. A man who stole £87 would not put it into the posses--Bion of a man three-parts drank; and the notion as to the murder was, ho thought, simply ridiculous. The theory of the Crown was absurd and any person, however respectable, could not walk about in safety if juries relied on such assumptions. As to tha charge of robbery, it will be remembered that the jury found Ohlsen to be Not Guilty— a conclusion in which Mr Justice Edwards concurred.— Post.