FATHER LARKIN IN TROUBLE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 192, 13 August 1881, Page 4

FATHER LARKIN IN TROUBLE.

The Honolulu correspondent of the Auckland Herald writes : — A trial will come off here next week, which has excited some local interest. The Rev, Father Larkin, well-known in Westland and Otago, i will be arraigned for manslaughter. Home weeks ago a large schoolroom, 100 feet by 60, which formed part of the college of Si Louis, lately founded here by the rev. gentleman, fell to the ground whilst its interior was being decorated for a firemen's il social evening," to have come off that very night, Sis or Beven persons were in the building, and Father Larkin waß standing on the verandah, when one of the iron tie-rods which strengthened the place broke with a loud report, and immediately afterwards the walls fell outwards, and the whole roof came bodily down on the floor. Father Larkin and three others escaped in time. One young man, a native^ waa killed, and two women had & marvellous escape, being imprisoned under the centre of the roof, whence they were quickly extricated. The evidence at the coroner's inquest Bhowed that the design of the root was not sufficient, in the opinion of all witnesses, except the architect, to meet the strain of so wide a span, and that, to. make matters worse, the design was departed from by the contractor, and the roof materially weakened by his omissions ; that the tie-rods had been afterwards put in',t) prevent the walls from spreading ; that the latter were clamped round the plates instead of being bolted through the rafters; that one of these had broken, and been repaired two days before ; and that struts had been procured, and were to be put up that after,, noon to strengthen the building, to meet, the Btrain the expected crowd would put upon it. The coroner's jury brought in a verdict of manslaughter against the architect and Father Larkin, holding (as subsequently did the committing magistrate) that the latter had had sufficient warning of the weakness of the building to make it his duty to allow no one within it until it had been made more safe. What the jury at the trial will find it is impossible to conjecture, because bo very many here, both in his own Church and amongst the most influential Protestants, entertain such violent prejudice against Father Larkin that he may not have a fair trial. The evidence by which it is sought to fix on him such knowledge of the state of the building as would render his allowing people in it culpable, or even rash, is very weak indeed, and is opposed by the fact that he had himself been for some time inside shortly before the accident, and was standing at the door when it occurred. Three boys, lately from New Zealand, named Frederick Clarke and William and Leonard Webb, had a narrow escape. They were amusing themselyes close by one corner of the building, but had fortunately been prohibited from entering lest they should interfere with tbe work going on within.