THE DEAN CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 161, 2 August 1909, Page 4

THE DEAN CASE.

RICHARD MEAG-HER'S UNIQUE CAREER. The career of Richard Dennis .Meagher, who reinstated on the solicitors' roll m .»cw Koiith Wales on Wednesday, has b('cn unique. As a student he quickly distinguished himself as one lar superior to his fellow-scholars, school he did not proceed to the University of Sydney, although his mental capacities and his educational attainments would have undoubtedly fitted him for a place in the ranks of the •'undergrads." All the same, lie plodded on, and "Look to the .Law." Having passed his examinations very creditably, he commenced practice, and entered into partnership wilh the late Mr. W. P. Crick. This partnership—the firm were solicitoiis ami attorneys —was excellent. Cl ick and Meagher were the leading and, indeed, the principal attorneys who dealt with criminal matters iu the Courts of New South Wales. Then there came the great "debacle" of the "Dean ease" one of the most sensational tragedies that has occurred in Australian history—one of I lie most miserable and contemptible crimes that could have been imagined anywhere. And Meagher was involved in the matter in a peculiar fashion. He was engaged hi | the ordinary way a.i counsel for the accused, (leorge Dean, who was charged with having attempted to murdey his .wife bv means of poison. The late Sir AVilliam Windsor tried the ease, and, the jury having found a verdict of "guilty," the prisoner Dean was sentenced to death. There wore many doubtful questions raised in regard to the prisoner's guilt or otherwise, and eventually a Royal Commission was appointed, which, after virtually rehearing ihe case, practically reversed the finding of the Supremo Court in its criminal jurisdiction, (leorge Dean was released, lie resumed his former employment as master of a ferry steamer running the night trips from Circular Quay (Sydney) to the Xorth Shore, and continued to do so for probably a couple of months. Then a curious thing happened. A Parliamentary election occurred, and Mr. Meagher took it into his head to contest the Philip Division. A -writer in the Sydney Daily Telegraph (Mr. Ernest Blaekwell) wrote Mr. Meagher's candidature down in unmeasured terms, nnd pointed out that Mr. Meagher had, through his unskilful conduct of the defence of Dean, put the colony to serious expense, "When that statement was published Mr. Meagher sent a copy of it to Mr. C. E. Pilcher, Q.C. (who had appeared before the Royul Commission for Dean). Mr. Pilehvr happened to be out of town. Mr. Meagher's messenger was then told to take the excerpt from the newspaper to .Sir Julian Salomons (who was the leading counsel for the Crown before the Royal Commission). Sir Julian was asked by Mr. Meagher whether the Daily Telegraph's statement was not actionable. Sir Julian said that an action would lie, but advised that it was hardly worth while to proceed with it. Mr. Meagher wanted to'know why, and ill pursuance of his argument to Sir Julian said that he had put the colony to no expense in freeing an innocent man, but he had succeeded in securing tlie liberation of a "guilty" man. At this Sir Julian pricked up his ears, and made some further enquiries, which resulted : n -a statement by Mr. Meagher that he had interviewed*!leorge Dean when lie was lying in the condemned cell, nnd (hat Dean had confessed to him that he had attempted to poison his wife. |)ea:i was rearrested and sentenced to a long lerm of imprisonment, this time on a charge of perjury. Mr. Meagher was struck oil' the roll of solicitors of the Supreme Court, lie lias frequently applied for reiuslalement, but the Supreme Court until now has not found that he was purged of his offence.