THE WIMSETT CASE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 180, 3 September 1909, Page 3

THE WIMSETT CASE

CONVICT ENDEAVORS TO "GET EVEN." HEMINGWAY IN HIS TRUE COLORE. PATHETIC INTERVIEW IX GAOL. Yesterday's Wellington papers give fuller particulars than those leisgraplr.d of the last day's proceedings ot the Wimsett trial. Katherine Wimsett, wife of a: cused, described an interview she and Mr. Petheriek had had with Hemingway >n the gaol, as he stood "behind an iron door in the corridor with a hammer iu his hand.'' Hemingway said: -Why did you not come up bctore?" and she asked if he knew why she now visited him. She said: ''Have you not heard about Arthur's arrest!" "Yes," he replied. Mr Petherick said: "We have come to ae> what evidence you are going to >'uc, Hemingway.'' He turned round, and said: "1 am going into the bo* to give, Wimsett five solid years, as he has giwn it to me,"

Mr. Hislop: What did you reply!— Witness said: "1 said to him: 'How can yon talk like that! 1 only want you to epeak the truth.' He said: 'Mrs. Wim««tt, 1 am here lor five solid years; and you and Arthur were the cause of ail this.' I asked: 'Hew!' anu he said: 'Ypu gave that stuff up to the detectives, and Arthur with his long tongue told Detecive Lewis l was ,n Syuu.-y, and ii they got Hemingway may would get the right man. Detective Lewis toid me that Arthur had given .me away.' I eaidi 'I aon't know now you can talk like that. We have never done any harm to j;ou, and haven't we been gcu'd enough!' 'Yes, you have been goodenough to me,' he replied, Siut I have been here three months, and, after you have ibeen here three months, you lnve no heart and no thought for anybody, and I don't care for anybody. lam going to give Arthur his five years, as he has given it to,me.' I asked: 'Why did you -want to 'injure us! Haven't I treated you well enough!' 'Ah, yes,' he replied, 'but see how you have treated my people/ I said: 'Surely I have treated your people well. We never suspected you of the robberies, so how could we tell your people! We got an awful shock when we heard about it.' He said: 1 know different.' I went oni 'You know those presents and that dress. You knew that I did not know they were stolen:' (He said: That's all right; I know that.' As we were coming away, I said to him: 'All I want you to do, Jim, is to tell the truth, and <we have nothing to fear.' He replied: 'I am going into the box to give Wimsett five years, as he has given it to me." Harry Tolley, locksmith, employed by Denton, described the safe as he .found it after the robbery.

Accused, la the witness-box, gave h's age as 39 years, and stated that he had been in the postal service for nineteen years and one month. He had newr had occasion to be dissatisfied with the. service, having obtained all the promotions due to him. He then proceeded to give a flat denial of certain portions of Hemingway's evidence.

Accused left the witness-box at 3 p.m., I end this concluded the defence. HIS HONOR SUMS UP STRONGLY, j , In summing up, his Honor intimated : '. t« the jury that they would flrst have j to decide whether Hemingway's story »•»« •wortny of credence. They bad heard nn exceptionally long cross-exam- j illation, as it had been necessary for Mr. j Hislop to go right to the outskirts of the affair, and the jury now had veiy I 'complete evidence before them. It was | never safe to convict 'upon the evide-i :e of a man who confessed to dishonesty, unless they were sure that his story was Meaptaible and true. He was the roan jossefsed of the facts, he had ''the intide running," and had peculiar advantages in being able to weave into his probable rtory a charge of complicity, making it appear that he was making a clean breast of the whole case. The jury must look for corroboration, vrhJch stood apart from Hemingway's evidence and added'to it. It would not be i»fe to convict the accused unless they started with the belief that he lent the keys to Hemingway so that he might We them dishonestly. They must niso be satisfied that Hemingway spoke th-; truth when he-said that Wimsett ha'd ••♦herwise lent himself dishonestly to the transaction. Hemingway was a criuiiaal of a peculiar type. He had the n«-; juration to be a hero of crime, appir-' ttitly. and tod. so fir, lacked the rjca'is nf ftilf)'ni!'> '.' The jurv could not V p feeing tliar -IV- h-i no serine <\f -liaii"., hit rather ivn''fcste'd a tone of rogiet that the opportunities afforded 1 - lire i ftijili .^vv'-,, r . insufficient for his !•>) ents. A manwho might pussii)! • dist::' I gni-h himself rvong the icwellerv c-. ♦ab'Uhmenti:->n llatton Unfr'en li-iil hid put up with comparatively valueless 'plunder. He, who might have taken a Ttussion W-'.hrr rr.sp belonging to !• duchess, filed with tiaras and other diamoTid-bcspansled articles, .had had <o content, himself .vith a fonr-and'-'v pennv writing ensu. He liad no scruples on the score of mora'.ii". A eircu.r.-s»<iT-fc which told a»nins'. Wimsett \y>s h"s personal association with this man. who undoubtedly made a conference o' his bouse. Hemingway was cunning anil absolutely unscrupulous, and he was enable of going down and shaking hands with Baker, whose establishment he ha<! roblied. What -was there in it for Wmh eptt? He had risen from the position <•< ordinary telegraph and postal rac=s.'n j ircr. liy his crebitlon and industry he had improved his position, and was it probable that he would imperil the very existence of h'« hnpuv family bv ]»ndin? himself to such a plan on such a srra"! inducement! No doubt men of emu's means, especially if they get into de.'i,l were open to many temptations, but in. this case there was n° suggestion oi financial pressure. THE DENOUEMENT. At 3.45 p.m., the jury, without retting, tendered a verdict of not guilty, and added a rider that, in their opinion, no stain should be cast on accused's character,

Some applause from the back of the Court was promptly checked. Accused •was then discharged, and his Honor remarked that the case had been a long me ftfld that the jury had given it close attention. Bail was allowed to the accused, pending the hearing of the three charges ol receiving stolen goods. It is' not likely that the charge! will be .proceeded with.