The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 259, 31 October 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1872.

The authorities are not to be congratulated lipon the manner in, which the enquiry into the circumstances attending the death of a person whose remains were recently discovered on the Wakspuaka hills was carried out. On. Thursday last the discovery of a human skeleton was reported at the Police-station, whereupon a constable was despatched to the spot, and the remains were removed into town. It would naturally be supposed that the ground in the vicinity of the corpse would have been thoroughly searched with the view, of obtaining, if possible, some clue to the manner in which the man had come by his death, instead of which, the policeofficer appears to have satisfied himself with merely examining the body and clothes, and preparing himself to give an account of the attitude in which the former was found. On the afternoon of the Sunday following, however, several residents in the town visited the spot, and one of them, impelled by a feeling of curiosity that was evidently not shared in by the police, bethought him to hunt about in the hope of discovering something that might lend to solve the mystery in "which the case was enshrouded. His researches do not appear to have entailed any great amount of bodily exertion, since, close to where the body had lain, be very coon found a flask, half filled with some liquid, and also a small piece of paper ■which presented the appearance of haviDg - at one time contained some kind of powder. This discovery having been duly reported, the police were at once on the alert, and a body of them on the following morning proceeded to the place, and the search that was then-— three days after the body was first found — so diligently conducted, resulted in the finding of a lifepreserver, which was lyicg — it is almost amusing to contrast the preciseness with which this portion of the evidence was given with the negligence that had previously been displayed — just "two feet three inches " from the spot where' the left foot of the unfortunate deceased had rested. Had a life destroyer, in the shape of a bottle of poison, instead of a life preserver, been lying there, it would have been just the same, so far as the police •were concerned. They would have been perfectly ignorant of its existence until the Monday, owing to their neglect to make the necessary search in the first instance. Not being practically acquainted with the routine observed on such occasions, we should have imagined that it would not have been altogether out of place to have submitted the contents of the flask to an analytical examination, and to have. taken the evidence of the analyser upon oath. Tbis, however, does not appear to bare been considered necessary, and in the evidence as taken at the inquest no allusion whatever was made to the matter. It is quite true that the coroner, who is a medical man, remarked that he had examined the fluid and found that it was only pure water, but no witness was placed in the box to prove this, and there is nothing whatever on the face of the evidence to show that he who had made the analysis was one duly qualified to pronounce an opinion. We who are residing in Nelson know perfectly well who the coroner is, and may be content to accept his statement as to the results of his examination, but it must be apparent to everyone that to take the word of an unsworn witness on so important a question is as informal as, to the public at large, it must be unsatisfactory to have an inquest conducted on such principles. Again, the young woman who was one of the principal witnesses, stated that De Campo, who remains those found are presumed to be, had shown to her, a few days previons to that on which his death is supposed to have occurred, what be said was a cheque for £830; a°d had further told her that he should se<) her on the morning of the day on which be was first missing, but that he could not come before ten o'clock, as he had to get money from the bank. Not a word, however, appears in the evidence; as to whether enquiries had been made at the various banks relative to the .probability; or otherwise of such a statement having any foundation. De Campo ma,y -.or, 'may riot have had an accpunt; at one of the; banks, t The evidence taken on oath; is uisifent^n : 'i this^ head, arid here tho; ; testirV

in Nelson that bo such name os that of De Campo was entered on their books, but surely something more than this should have been required by the jury. We aek those who did not happen to be in the room, and, consequently, know nothing of what may be called the " by play," to peruse the evidence as published, which is a truthful report of what took place, and to form their opinions thereon, and we have no hesitation in saying that they will at once assert that the enquiry was unsatisfactory to a degree. If an enquiry of this nature is to be of any value, every tittle of evidence calculated to throw light upon the matter should be collected by those whose business it is to obtain it, and should be given on oath; if these conditions be not complied with, an inquest and a farce will to a certain extent become synonymous terms.