TAR AND FEATHERS CASE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 8942, 7 October 1907, Page 2

TAR AND FEATHERS CASE.

A Challenge anti a Denial

Per Press Association,

New Plymouth, October 5.

Further developments are probable in connection with the Opunakc tarring and feathering case. On Saturday, Hills, tl'.o victim, wrote to the Taranaki Daily News, inter alia :

‘'Sir, —I hereby wish to state most emphatically that I did not fail to swear to the identification of the accused in the Opunake tarring and feathering case. I positively deny the statement to that effect. I would also like to say I was treated most unjustly at the hands of some of the Grand -Jury on that case.” This afternoon fourteen of the Grand Jurors resident in town were seen and each and every one of them stated that Hill, when under examination by them, absolutely refused to identify the accused as persona who assaulted him. He identified one of them ns having been in Mrs Lister’s house, but stated that this man bad not spoken to him and so far as Hill was aware ho bad not taken part in the assault. He also identified one of the accused as having been in the house where he (Hill) was taken after the assault* but be distinctly stated that this man had not assaulted him, or even spoken to him. Of the fourteen jurymen who subscribed to the above facts, four were amongst the minority who favoured returning a true bill, solely on account of the Judge’s direct charge. It is stated that everyone of the jurymen will deny the statements by Hills in his letter to the press. The grand jurors state that they are in an unenviable position in the matter as it is stated that neither the Judge nor the Crown Prosecutor is- quite clear regarding the purport of the grand juror’s oath and whether they ;are permitted bo make public the full facts of the case* as presented to them by the chief witnesses under examination.

Ab previously indicated, there is little probability of the Crown, in view of the facts available, moving for a new trial or a change of venue. There is, however, a probability of somewhat serious charges being laid against one of the principal Crown witnesses, involving perjury, in the present case. An equally serious charge it is stated may be laid arising ont of a previous misdemeanour under circumstances somewhat akin to the Opunake incident.