THE MEIKLE CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 239, 2 October 1908, Page 4

THE MEIKLE CASE.

A -NEW I'IIASK KEPOiITED DISCOVERY 01' IMPORT- j AM DOCUMENTS. I The Dlincdiu Times learns on good authority that a new and interesting development is presently to be expected. Lambert, the man who was convicted of perjury utter the liberation of Meikle. mid served some years m goal, has, it is slated, discovered documents whioh go to prove that he war. licit guilty of the charge brought against liiiu. He has not yet definitely deei.led upon what action he will take, but it is understood that he petitioning Parlament for redress tins session or next. il« does not propose to seek momentary compensation lor ■wrongful imprisonment, but cllorts will lie madu in tile direction of clearing jus

name. . , The proceedings lit Wyndham lust Monday (briefly referred to m our telegrams) were according to iuller reports very interesting. A number of representative Wyndham residents not long ami decided to tender to Mr A. L D 'Eraser, M.P. for Napier, a complimentary banquet, in order to mark their appreciation of the manner in which he opposed tile passage of the Meikle Acquittal Bill through Parliament. Thus

fact ill itself was interesting, as showing the temper of the Wyndhma people regarding a former resident ot their district, but when it became known that Mr Eraser would attend the banquet, and thill Mr Meikle was himself to be present in the townsmp tor tae purpose of conducting a counter-demon-stration on the night set apart for Mr Kra-er's function, the residents anlici- ' paled some excitement. (In .Monday morning Mr Meikle arrived from fiivereargill. and on alighting at the railway station he was the victim of a fveble impromptu hostile ' demonstration liv a few young men congregated there. Air Meikle held his '* meeting in 'the Oddfellows' Hall, in which, when eight o'clock struck, there

were not a dozen persons, fifteen minutes later the hall was packed, the audi- ■ cnee being composed almost exclusively of bovs and young men, all very noisy. Mr Meikle asked for a chairman, Imt although two were proposed, both declined to act. Then a yomvg man named Charles Johnson was persuaded to acce.pt nomination. Mr Meikle proceeded to deal with the causes leading up to the bouquet to Air Eraser. 11 out individual nipm-

hers of tin* committee responsibly for Mr Fraser's invitation, and mad: 1 special reference tn each. Then he discussed the personal characteristics and private history of most of th t > men connected with the movement. lie went on to speak on the Meikle case it-self, ami the voluminous evidence tendere( therein.

The speaker then commenced to read from a large book, and he aslwd the chairman to check his statements in anoliier book, He read tor a little

I i.ne, being iiitcrrnj)ted by an audience which was gradually becoming more boisterous, and then the chairman sprang up ami accused Mr Meikle of not reading correctly. Air Meikle denied the imißMchinenf, but the chairman said, "lou left portions of a sentence and altered their meaning.'' lie then loft the chair and resumed his seat ia the bodv of the hall.

Mr Meikle then proceeded without a chair-man, but the meeting became mor e rowdy, and his remarks were uuin'telligajble. Two constables failed to quell tiij. disturbance, and at 10 o'clock Mr Meikle ended his address, ami the crowd left tin; hall. Mr Meikle and his wife and daughter came out guarded by two constables, but the crowd of hooligans pelted them with eggs, e 4 c., bill they eventually gained shelter in liie hotel. .MR FJUSER'S MEETING. The banquet to Mr Fraser was attended by about 200 people, and Mr Fraser was presented "with a gold locket inficri'l:L',l, "To Mr A. T, I). Fraser. M.P., in recognition of liis action in opposing the .Meikle Acquittal Bill, from tiie Wyndham public." la an address Mr Fraser reviewed the whole history of the Meikle ease, and liis reasons for

taking the stand ho did in opposing the Bill, lie urged that in view of documentary evidence in possession of the (Jovernment. Meikle was neither legally nor morally entitled to further compensation, and stated that the proposed grant nf .-CSOOO to liiin would be strongly opposed by a considerable section of tiie House when it appeared in the Supplementary Estimates. Th,» meeting carried a resolution protesting against any further sum being voted t 0 Meikle.