The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 1877.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 51, 14 April 1877, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 1877.

The enquiry concerning the unfortunate accident of Sunday last has not given tqthe public mind that entire satisfaction that is desirable. Notwithstanding that the Coroner carefully examined each witness that came forward, and that the jury empannelled were a most intelligent one, and that the verdict returned was m accordance with the moral conviction of the jury and of the community generally, still, m iuidifcioi: tn all this there is asomethna; requm-1 to satisfy the outside w -id who regard the case from that < L )\d, passionless, judicial stand |x>in! which distance enables them to i:ike, and it: must be admitted, that, so regarded there is nothing m the evidence to warrant the jury m returning any ..thing but an open verdict. Any one well acquainted with Mr Walker will doubtless heartily concur m the jury's view of the case. But let such an one enquire whether m doing so he is going upon his previous knowledge of the man or upon the evidence before him. Exclude Mr "Walker's own evidence: exclude his good reputation; and what remains ? Proof positive of a gun fired on a level with and close to the back of deceased's neck : there is nothing beyond conjecture to couple this posture with an accident. Now the kindest thing that Mr Walker's friends could have done for him would have been to collect and bring to bear every scrap of evidence obtainable, so as to have placed the matter, if possible beyond the reach of after questioning, — so ats to have satisfied' the' outside world

who. rifjht or wrong, will ignore | everything pave the bald bare evidence adduced, that such evidence is m strict conformity with the finding of the jury. We undei'stand that there were two persons willing to testify at the inquest, had they been called upon Undoubtedly their testimony would have proved indirect, but when, with the one exception there was no direct testimony there was the more reason for the chain, of circumstances to be made a& complete as possible. Mrs Randolph, also, would doubtless have been able to state the circumstances of starting fi'om the house on the fatal expedition. Her corroboration as to who suggested taking the gun would have been valuable. Then there is the matter of topography which is very material. What are the immediate surroundings of the place where the accident occurred ? Is the ground fiat or inclined ? What position of body would be required for cutting the supplejacks as indicated by the situation of the cut stems and their height from the ground ? Are there any projecting branches that might set off a gun carried at trail ? These are questions that were scarcely considered, but from which valuable information might have been gathered. Unfortunately the only evidence affecting the scene of the accident was taken from one who, naturally enough, was half frantic with excitement and horror at the time he made his observations. From the nature of Wie case it is evident that this part of the enquiry deserved the most attention, for upon it mainly hinged the question of accident or otherwise. It would have been well; indeed, had the jury themselves visited the spot, and decided these points. We do not suppose that had they done so, their verdict would have been other than it is, but we do suppose that whatever their verdict .would have been it would be backed up by more conclusive evidence than it is now, and would therefore have come before the public with a better grace, and people would have less reason to complain. We do not lose sight of the proverb that it is easier to criticise a book than to write one. It is equally true that when stirring events become matters of quiut retrospective review it is much easier to point out exactly the course of procedure that should have been taken ,m respect to them thau it is to adopt just such a course when they are actually present w r ith all their exciting and distracting circumstances. For this reason we are not disposed to attribute blame to any one. The, "coroner comes, almost a stranger upon the scene, and accepts such evidence as is forthcoming. The police are compelled to go upon such information as they can glean, and oftentimes cannot see the precise course that should be adopted until the enquiry is over. The friends naturally are m anything but a fit. state of mind for prosecuting a judicial enquiry. Thyse are matters for regret rather than censure. But the quastion of criminality or innocence, though, decided, is not decided satisfactorily to the party most nearly concerned, to his friends, nor to the public at large. The matter, despite the judicial decision, is mysterious to many minds. Surmise follows upon surmise ; conjectures and opinions are proposed as possible solutions ; rumours float about, and an atmosphere of suspicion is createi. And, perchance, all this comes as stab after stab upon an innocent mind already afflicted almost be;ond endurance by a terrible misfoitune. We make these remarks because we know them to be, not or.ly called forth by the matter under consideration, and expressive of aver; general public opinion, but also apposite to Many other cases of the Irind that ;.we occurred and will occur. We do not wish to propose impossibilities nor impose on law acminisvrators any task that does rot fall easonably within their sphere of •iuty ; nor are we doing this wien we say that far more circunrsjiection should be exercised m thj trial of any case wherein one man neets his death, at the hands of another than m a ease of fatal accideu; wherein no second party is concirned. It cannot be too strongly hsisted on th at whenever the sacrifice d a human life implicates the character and future of a living person eiery scrap of evidence that bears shoud be carefully collected, so that guilt if present may receive its ma'k and innocence be clearly vindicate before the world.