Our Auckland Letter.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3734, 13 December 1880, Page 2

Our Auckland Letter.

(FEOM OUB OWN COBEESPONDBKT.) : Auckland, Yesterday. THE XUBDKB OF HISS DOBH.

I have carefully read over the evidence , adduced at the inquest whichjras held oil the unfortunate Miss Dobie, and eahnot let it pass without making a few comments. , The testimony is Tery strong against the wretched native now awaiting his trial, for the diabolical crime, but I cannot but raise the ". question - what • different complexion is given; to the; harrowing details sent from Opunake and the special wires forwarded about the matter, from the s Empire city. The accounts detailing many of the cironm* stances differ Tery widely, and one is at a loss to conjecture how.the discrepancy hat arisen. <Mr Hursthouse,. whom your readers would have noticed, ia the interpreter engaged in the case,., and it ia. somewhat singular that the pnvate/ani alleged.conTersations which he is reported to have had with Tuhi aHo#i at this stage be published allom the oolony especially when it is recollected .that the. criminal has been found guilty of murder by a Coroner's, jury and that the venue has been changed from Taranaki to Wellington. In a private letter, whjeh one of my correspondents has sent me from Taranaki, he alludes to the murder of Miss Dobie thus:—"The. leu said about Hursthouse the better. At an interpreter, he is not looked upon v much; you may not know him, bat when I tell you he was one of the principal persons connected with the pulling down of the Taranaki triumphal arch on the occasion of Sir George Grey's visit to our 1 provincial capital when he was Premier, you will at once guess what sort; of an individual he is. In the matter of supplying sensational details to the news- , papers about the tragedy, no doubt Mr Hursthonse has had a hand, but I am not without hope that when the Supreme Conrt is engaged calmly getting at all the facts, it will be found that there were motive's which are not already published, but will be got out at the trial to aeeoant in part for the awful deed. The Crown no doubt will assign counsel to the man placed on trial, and then and not until then will all the surroundiog details be forthcoming." There are other portion! of the communication rather strong re Mr Hursthouse's conduct, but these after all are in no way material to the ease at issue. It is however, abundantly clear . that the engagement of Mr Hursthouse as interpreter does not seem to be looked upon favorably at either Hawem or Opunake. '-, - ; Jit: :