THE TAKAKA TRAGEDY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 81, 22 March 1876, Page 2

THE TAKAKA TRAGEDY.

To the" Editor of 1 me 'Evening Mail.' Sir— I like to see an absent man defended when he i < attacked, but to do him any good the defenca rhould be built upon a solid basis. " Fair Play " takes up the cudgels /or the Rev. Mr Moon in his recent action re 'the burial of the late Mrs Peott. The reverend gentleman was oa the spot and had . means which are not at my disposal, of coming to a decision as to the action lie should take in what I willingly admit were trying circumstances. ~ W1(h; that I have .nohing to. do. But what Bays, his champion? fA clergyman, if any. man, is boun-i to respect the law. A verdict of felo de se affirms that in the opinion of a jury the suicide has acted in the full posaess'on of his semes. '• In such a case he has p'ainly placed himself outside the Church, and a minister of the church, /as I understand, h«s no alternative but to mark in the Church's nime that he has wilfully done so, by refui- . ing-Chritftian burial." "And again:— '• We may fairly assume, until; he (Mr Moon) tells us otherwise, that be acted as he did, not as passing any individual judgment, upon the poor womany act, but solely in' deference to the law." •Jb this so? Must a clergyman sacrifice his own judgment and common sense at the B.hiine ol a coroner's jury? We all know of what B<amp of imiyiduals su h . a body is composed, espicially in but of the way districts. An accident or a suicide happen p. A dozen men are summoned who have met a dozen times tinco the ; fatal occurrence at the bar of the nearest public house and talked .the matter oyer ; have , listened to erery floating rumor; have gloated ! over everything sensational connected ; -with the painful aflair; have nodded their beads sagely and with becoming gravity .over every . whisper that is calculated to invest it with mystery; and finally have unanimously arrivi d ■at a cpnclusion that ii baaed ent : rely on the depositions of Mrs Grundy. The evideace of witnesses sworn to (ell the truth.a.nd the sum-, ming up of the. coroner after this . are as feathers in thebft'ahce'when orpos'ed to the leaden weight of foregone conclusion", and a verdict is" returned not po much in accordance with the evidence as with the tittle tattle of g^sSipm? outsiders. And "Fair Play" tells us that the educated, ordained e'ergyman is = acting •' solely in deference tp the l-»w " when he accept s, such a verdict as conclusive. )f so, Go.l help the clergyman, God help those to whom, he rainistera. .. But I a,m glad to say that,l cannot bring.myeeU to ,regard the law as expounded by "Fair Play.'", as gool law. ;At all events, as a member of a Christian j community, I hope it is not. '■■'■' ■' ']' ' n ' ■''■'■'■ lam, &0.-j ■• '. . '•'<■"' • ' "■"■' '■' : Common' SEKria.