TELEGRAPHIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3101, 11 January 1889, Page 2

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Primitive Metodist's Conference.

i CimisxciiUßcn, Jauuary 10. The New Zealand Primitive ' Methodist Conference was opened by | the Rev J. Dumbell, of Wellington, , To-day's proceedings were formal. t J The Bell Wether. ' > ' Wellington, May, , _ Opinion is gaining ground in Weia lington that H. D, Bell, of the firm , of Bell, Gully and Izard, either has, 1 or will bo appointed new Judge. The s Premier, however, states that no |j decision has yet been arrived at. I Presentation to an EH.K, Nelson, January 10. J A representative meeting of citi-' a zena was held to-night, when the Chairman (Mr Trask) made-a pre--Bentation.ofa purse of sovereigns to t Mr Levestam, M.H.R., as a' tosti--1 monial in recognition of his services. Several speakers referred to.the city s member and his actions in a comj, plimentary manner. ' t . : | Another Large Bankruptcy. Auckland, Friday, i John Buchanan, merchant, in his . bankruptcy statement gives assets 1 £22,639 14s 9d, liabilities £51,522 1 10a Bd, deficiency, £28,982 15s lid, i i Criminal Sessions--1 Dunedk, January 10. V J osepli Valentine, a young plough- [ man, was charged at tho Supreme J Court to-day with, on the 28th of . October, murdering his illegitimate s child near Balelutha. Sir E. Stout j defended the accused. The Crown s Prosecutor, in opening; said the j prisoner had a strong motive for desiring to get rid of tho child, as its maintenance was a burden upon him. The evidence would show that, when 1 the infant was eight days' old, he 1 called at the house where the mother, 1 Jaue Porter, resided, between eight ' and nine o'clock at night, and took f the child away on horseback, after a > slight remonstrance, saying lie would • carry it to his sister four or five miles i off, with whom he had arranged to 3 keep it, It would be proved no such ' arrangement bad been made, and , that the prisoner, instead of going to j his sister's, went in the direction of j the river, having, ho afterwards said, r made up his mind to go to a Mr i Sloper, thirteen miles off, and ask 1 him for some money due, When 1 lie reached'the banks of the Clutha ; the prisoner said he got off and led [ tho horse, and that he stumbled, and . the horse jumped back, and the child - accidentally fell into the river. Ho i waded in and recovered what he ' thought to be the child, but which proved to be only a shawl. The pri- . sonerdid not return or go to Slopers's, : ijut travelled all night to his father's, tbirtylnileg ojT 'Here lie was, or pretended -to be, in great grief, and in p, dazed only qome days after gavr an accoppV of thp ooourrence, ; The police, after tlie investigation, coiioluded the child's deatli'coutu accidental and arrested the accubo..' t5ll; ..' Stout raised a point that there was no case to go before a jury, on the ground that the death of the child was not proved. If the prisoner's account, wjiiph P 3 the only evidence of. death, was accepted ag tope, the occurrence was accidental. The Judge said lie would reserve the j point, if necessary, and the case went to the jury. Sir. E. Stout in the: address for the defence, admitted the prisoner acted in q. yery stupid manner, biit the evidence Bhoiyed he was ; a particularly stupid man aud had b,een subject to fits. He eUborated'the case. as.to no eyi- 'i dence of defttli. Hjs Honor said as j no body,was recovered, i.t was a case ; jn which the jury must proceed with I caution. 11l the' first-place, the ) Crown should prove that the prisoner's story not only might be,, but must, from the -necessity of the i case, be untrue. If they failed in ' that, the prisoner was entitled to be i acquitted; but if.they succeeded, it wasthenforthejury'to take tlie faot of i the untrue story ill conjunction with < the bther circuinßtanoes of the case i snd all tlie acts of- tlie accused, and I whether they were sufficient ! that' he "Mi, /'Lave .intentionally ( tilledtlie child. -Tfie juiy, after att ) li'pus and a half's retirement, retuiM i a velvet 9f not pnify, .