THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT YOUR FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3794, 24 February 1881, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT YOUR FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1881.

We should have thought that an old and experienced officer like Mr Superintendent Thompson would have known better than to have rushed into the breach between our morning contemporary and ourselves, when he characterised us as being unfair to the police In his zeal to uphold the character of those under him as being efficient policemen in every respect, he evidently forgot the old adage, " Never put your hand in another man's quarrel," and made a statement which, in his calmer moments, he will regret. So far as we as public journalists are concerned, we have evfer endeavoured to do what is right without fear, favour, and affection, and intend to continue to do so without fear, favour, or affection. When we find the police remiss in their duty, we shall deal with them accordingly, and when, on the other hand, they merit it, commendation will be cheerfully accorded. Bat in the case of the unfortunate prisoner now on his trial for the crime of murder, if all that is said be true, then we agree with those who say the police were just a jtrifle over zealous in the matter, and the treatment which it is reported the unfortunate accused received at Te Aroha is such as to make every honest man's blood boil. As we have frequently pointed out in these columns that a man must be considered innocent until he is proved guilty, an axiom which, we are much afraid, is frequently lost sight of by the custodians of the peace on their ansiety to secure a conviction. This is not the time to deal with the gross untruths in our contemporary, which, as counsel for the defence put ifc, was evidently supplied by the police and written to order, but shall do so on a future occasion. Meanwhile we absolve Mr Thompson from blame for what has taken place, and it is only since his arrival on the scene of action that the case has been conducted with propriety and decency.