COURT OF APPEAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 56, 27 March 1901, Page 2

COURT OF APPEAL.

THE 81TCHB CaSK. (PKU PRESS ASMCrATION.] Wkm,i*ot«.v, March 26. A motWi for a now trial in tho case f Stycho, who wasc.uvicto "'■ at Ohwstiiuich ot attempting 1.0 procure inu'ilcr of lua wil'o, is baing heard by ho Full Court of Appeal. The ground if upptnl its that the v-rdict of the jury v.-H against tho weight of evidence. \h-. Jhynt, for accused, coetended that >:n< most: that could be said of the evij lev.cu vm* that it was suspicious, but iV-ve f ■■.-.» not, ?. strong suspicion. No >■-••:, (,;' the ovidenco pointed eonoluiivciy to gui't. He commented on the ibsurdity of t»ki»g seriously the SUf*o*tion to a roeiiical man to commit Murder for .ii'iCO, pnyable at three Months by somo unknown person. No ino.ive was nhowu. Accused wu in very prosperous circutustinees and on good terms with his wife. He dwelt strongly on Stycho's behaviour at (ho interview with Dr. Clayton on August 3rd, when the latter proposed to berrow money from the accused. Had Styohe bacn guilty he would only have been too glad to embrace the opportunity, but his conduct was perfectly straightforward and entirely consistent with that of a man who had not a motto for and did not want to lend money. As to the typewriter, an accidental fall was a ranch more reasonable explanation of tbe damage than the gnilty desire to get rid of it, which would have been the height of foolishness, Oounoel commented at length on the evident* of the typewriting experts, and denied the Crown's witnesses were entitled to be called experts. Even if the evidence were sufficient to prove tho letters were written with the accused's maohiDe, there was abundant testimony that it was accessible to anyone who desired to perpe rate a foolish joke. Summing up from every point of view, there was not sufficient evidence to jusfifythe jury in bringing in a verdict of guilty. Mr. Stringer, for the Grown, submitted that trial by jury was so essential a part of our criminal jurisprudence that the Court ot Appeal would hesitate very much to interfere. with the jury's verdiot in such a oasev He quoted rases in support, and them wenn on to review the evidence.