INQUEST ON J. JOHNSON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4792, 6 August 1894, Page 2

INQUEST ON J. JOHNSON.

[From Hansard.] Mr Buchanan asked ihe Minister of Justice, whether he will cause inquiry to be made why the inquest oh the body of John Johnson, who committed suicide in Masterton on sth July; was hurried through on the same day, before a Justice of the Peace, during, the temporary absence of the Coroner for the district, despite a'telegram from the latter, to tbo police officer in charge notifying his return in ample timo to hold tlio inquest p He had postponed this questionifrom-tlio previous - Friday. On that day he mentioned that, as far as he ( was able to "see, tlio law had been" broken in tliV matter of this inquest, because the Coroners Act mado it illegal for a Justice of the Peace to hold an inquest until more than twenty-four hours had elapsed. He was also informed upon authority he was bound to believe that the unfortunato suicide's widow wonton thoday previous- to the tragedy and told the police of tlio . condition of her husband, urging that ho should be looked after, in order that he might not do himself an "mi jury; but the police took no liotico whatover of what the woman told them, and did not go near tho house until after the suicide took placejthe following day. He was also'informed that then the police made use of abusive language to this unfortunate woman before several persons, asserting that she hadbeon drinking tho day before, and that they could, not therefore take any notice ' whatever of her representations, He was informed that several witnesses were ready to testify to the fact that the statement of the police as to Mi's Johnson not being in a fit state was entirely wrong. These statements should, 1, of' courso, be investigated; but it was his duty to pass them' on to the Ministor as having ; bepn. mado by trustworthy witnesses, so that enquiry could bo made by tho proper officer, tlio Coroner for the district. Ho hoped tho honourable gentleman-would giyo a detailed answer to the question, as it was • a matter of great public importance that the police should bo depended upon to do their duty in such serious cases, . Mr Cndman said the honourablo gentleman, in asking his question, introduced quite a foreign matter. Ho knew nothing of the statements which tho honourablo gentleman had made, and lie would liko him to say if tho witnesses whom he referred to as credible were witnesses at the inquest. ' ' ■ ' i.'- ' : Mr. Buchanan was informed that some' of \ tho jury .were awareithat the police had been previouslyaskcd to look after' tlio unfortunate i suicide; but they'did not put j any questions with regard, to that at tho inquest: in l fact, ho was informed that no mention whatever was made of this feature at the inquest. ; Mr Cadman said, of courso the credible witnesses mentioned by fchp honourablo member.were siniply at present "The man in the street,

Mr Buchanan said, No; tlie credible witnesses were tlioso who were at Mrs Johnson's house on the day of the suicide, and who heard what he had stated., ' . '

Mr Cadman had inquired into this matter, and, so far as he could see, no blame seemed to be attachable to any one, and tliero was no ground at present to attribute any improper; conduct. The Justice of tho Peace who held the inquest thought ho was acting within tho spirit of the Coroners .; Act in not waiting fpr, tho Coroner. For tho information of tho honourable gentleman, lie would read to him the report of the police olllcer, Sergeant Henry MeAvdle:—

"Pohi'c-staliqn.MaslMtbn, ;, ' " l2lh July, 180-1, ! Mlm/ii&t «/. John Jvbmii, oil Sth iwluid, ; "I respectfully report Hiatal 9 n.m, on the sth instant it was rpjiorted that the man John Johnson cut liis throat, and, on visiting (lie dead body with a j medical man, I then proceeded msoareli of the District Cononer to roi)ort to him. , .

"Being unable to find him, I asked the Clerk of Court, Mr Ibbetson,who told me the Coroner was in Wellington, but he did not know his addvess there. I tlien proceeded to find a Justice in order to report to him, and did report the matter to John Hutemcut, Esq., a Justice of tho Peace. I explained to him tho Coroner's absence and my inability to correspond with him, and asked him, would lie please appoint a a time and placo to hold inquest? ;Ho, Mr. Butcinent, appointed the timoaiid place j and gave me a Coroner's warrant (the precept) to summon a jury, I obeyed my orders, and performed my duty. During tliis timo I had two luiatic patients, wliohad to be examined by doctors, brought under a Bench of Justices, and forwarded to Wellington tlic sip'np dqly; tjiere was no Stipendiary Magistrate 'then licre'fo'adji|dicafcoii this matter pi|her, ' ' '

"At 845 p.m., after tlio inquest on Johnson was over, I received tlio attached telegram from, the Coroner, to which I. was umiblo to reply, being then after hours. , .: ~./ ; "Hum McAiidm, Sergeant 82. "P. Pender, Esq., liispector of Police, ' -Wellington.''

■'(Telegram,) I will return by morning-train, and can hold inquest re Jolms'on at twelve 110011.— T. Hutchison, Coroner, Wellington, Sergeant McArdle, Mastertori." He had also received a letter from the foreman of the jury, which he jvfjuld road, It wriß as follows

" Masterton, 19 th July, 1894, : 1 ''.Sir,—As fqi'omau'of tile jury at i tlio inquest on ilio body qf the man | Jglin Jplmsou, and. as pno who has I made it liis to acqunipt himself ' jvitli t||e fullest iiifpnuatipn regard.I ing tlio_ circujiisjtaiices of thecfise, , I feel it my duty to acquaint you | with the facts, and tq permit'yqu, . and honourable jnenjb'ers of' tlip 1 House, to draw tlieir.owucpnciusiqn ' froni those facts. The suicide pf the ■ man Jplinson occurred abputnine ' o'clock in tho morning,, l'hejnatter J was reported to.. the police, who, , knowingthat the Coroner was absent | in Wellington, and not knowing life i address, and knowing also that there i 110 acting-Coroner in town,:com- ' municated the circumstances to Mr J. Butement, J.P, The latter ordered that an inquest should bo held at 2.30 p.m. the same day, and at that hour the whole of tlio witnesses verb forthcoming,. The evidence haying been given, and the Coroner haying asked for further evidence from outside : parties in : the name of &or Sovereign Lady the Queeii, the jury retired, and, after being locked; iip for only a few. minutes,• returned with the unanimous verdict thqtithe deceased ogpie, of his death byi his own hand whilst temporarily iusane, It lias since transpired that, under clause 13 of the Coroner's. Act, 'the iuquesfr was Jield than it should ■ havo, beeiii,' "If' a' fecliiiical,, breach of this'sectipii has'becn'coniV miM'edjjl limconvinced; Sir, andjthe public is' convinced, that the sole responsibility rests with the - Justice, and that the commission of such a Jjreaoh ps more than justified out of

rcsperit for the public decency -and% for the feelings of thobereaved; The telegramfrom, the Coroner, intimat-' * ing that lis Would be returning on O" the "day, was not received until some,hours after the holding of ' the inquest, iks foreman of the jury, and as a'resident of some yeais, I am surprised to think that , such a matter should have been brought ! before the House. The ignoring of »•' j.tlie.membeu.for tht district, and the J grossly unfair referencethe officers of the police,-is convincing' proof that the st'orttf in a teapot has arisonout.of'a desires to - injure those officers of police who liavo to be Bubject to rebuffs, and endure I nume'rablo'hardshipS in 'the execii- : | tion.of,their.duty. Apologising for J h aying trespassed thus far upon your valuable time, —I remain, &c,, " Arthur Yilb, : "The Hon, MrCadman." So far as he could seo there was np.blame attaplied s^q ,.tho^ police, or •; to anybody else' conneefid ivith the > matter. It appeared thatthis man's head'was nearly' irom liis body ; it wasimh'er agllastly sight ; to be lying (iboutj-and it wns decided to get rid of it as soon js. possible,. and nothing had trans)™d;sinco to show there was any further evidence whieh.could alter the..yerdictvthat had been* brought in.' '' - _ Mr Buohanan, moved the ment oftlioHou'Bo. i ) , ,The)6crasions on which he had done this during . the last twelve yoarß, wore few ana far between, and his reasons for do ing so now were that, although the sergeant of police had been informed by Ife Johnson of the state of her husband, lie,had never even gone to seo whether her representations were correct or not.' Surely that was a great dereliction' of duty upon the part of a public officer'in such an important position. Ho was also informed that some members of the jury , were awaro „of: police being told of the" unfortunato state of" Mr Johnson i yot those:; mombers! of Vthe jury «• altogether ignored feature of the case, and it, was not* even alludedto atthe.inquest, He was also informed upon good authority that the police used abusive language in Mi's Johnson's house after this.unfortunate occurrence,. Now, he was not there to charge the police ofMasterton,or.ofanypart of the Wairarapn, with wliat he did not believe to be true,.., Ho was just as much awiivo as 'any member of the House of the onerous duties which the police were called upon to perform, arid he.would 'be -the \ last to make charges against them which might prove to be unfounded;) but in the interests of the Mftst'erton police themselves, surely there should be an enquiry into such a serious matter by the proper officer, so that if these charges wero they could at once be disproved. The police should be the most anxious of any to seethis matter cleared up, and he therefore hoped'the Minister would institute an inquiry, in the interests of all concerned. Ho : therefore asked the Minister Whether lie would causo an inquiry such as ho had suggested to be made.

Mr Cadman said lie had not the slightest objection to maketho inquiry the lioii gentleman nskecLfor; but ho thought it was a very. unfair tiling to miiko charges againsti tho police, at all events.without allowing theirii'an opportunitybf replying. Tho lion gentleman had iisked a cei'«" —' 4 taiii question on a certain 1 matter, ;and to-day lib had yirtually igjiWed that question, and had made plaint upon a totally difforeut'iiiatter against theeergeaut of police"; and, as ho had said before, tho honourable gentleman' had made tho • state; ment on the authority qf the man in the street. < Mr Buchanan, ■ Qli, iiq, Mi' O^dnmn,—Well, thero wi)q nothing definite t|§ far us the mattep was concerned. .If tlip liqnQui-ablo geutlemaiuvould niftkp a deflnito cjiargo or wait fill hp got the Han, 'sard roppvt to upe qxiiotly ? lie had statod, he would bo glad to havo an inquiry Into tho matter] but ho did not think it was fair to' cliargo the police in.tlie way the gentleman had done, without, at all events, allowing the Houso to have an opportunity of hearing the. other sido of the question, ■ „"j Mr Buchanan asked whether: tho Minister would allow him put one question, Did not tho Minister consider tho very fact of Mrs Johnson going to tho police, and her serious statement with regard to her husband being hushed iip in that way, a very serious matter, furnishingfull justification for an inquiry ? In a caso of suicide, where it was always possible tliero might ho foul play, .they never could tell without inquiry what;, jnight underlie 4 fljq case, i •. '* Mr ,Oadn)an said jtdid sqqm a cui' : ions thing that Mrs' Johnson had Ijerei' made a fqrmt|) complaint ]ij any_ shape or fq'rni j and anp'thw curious thing wris that tlm statement now made by tho honourable momher had never appeared iii the nowspaper press.'

Mr Hogg said the member for Waimrapa was in bis usual happy element, That was /mcloinent in which certain amphibious animalfl were to be found occasionally, in the shape of frogs and mud-larks,'; Ho did not know whether it was . tlio ontcomp of a refined and consiien* tious appreciation of the amenities of political life that had induced the honourable gentleniau to move from his ,o\yn (llstrict_aud fo Wvpl ijp 'tjj Jfastfiitoi).: At in* paj'atl; ing this matter House, hp would like to fragment of the Mastorton population the hon r ourablo gontleinan was representing, J|e believed that b.o himself reprc: sejited Masfertpi), aijd ihajj' Ijq". en ; joyed tlio coiifidcnce of tlip pcopiQ {here rate, lie binl a goo'if illustration of that at the last plcp : tiori, wlieii be polled three . or four times the number of votes of any- of his opponent?; (ii)'d he thought s tlip honourable member, for could, scarcely say tjie snnio. ivith regard to his constituents,; But tlioi'o was a small implacablo minor! ityiu Mastorton,- as in overy other place prabaUy— individuals who were coiistautfyplotting miscliief—and it was fouiid;' invariably, that thoso individuals, wore.never able to get'along with public' bfflcei'Sji and especially with tlie jnlice > officers. No\y, to, shojv. tlip difference betwe eu his, own .\ conduct, and that of. the honourablo gentleman, lie would tell liitn that a large ninu* ber of bis:lVairarapa; constituents had suoh 'ii poor opinion of their member that they had-from .time to time; asked him to present petitions to the House for "'them, to spea]? to Mimstoii on tlieir behalf, ii|id d§ whaj; ho coiildjo get Jh'eir interests attefided'to by public* departments, Md he had invariably infused, outof ;Con§i|emtioii-for ~'tb'o 'honourable niepbei*. He ; had aljyayjf carefully abstained .from interfering cofflKtilenoybutside hisora, lie . thought that ought to be the condupt pfeyeiy: honourable number,i£ 11111111

' ho' whs worthy of tlio namoot "honourablo membor," But it was quite' evident tlio honourable mom(jerfor Wairarapa did not take the same view of tborelations tlmtshould exist between mombor and membor, and between members and their constituents. It was rather strange, with regard to tin's particular suioido, and tlio circumstances attending it, tlmt ho bad not been with at all until within tlio liist fow days; and tlio reason ho had received a letter on the

subject was this; that a mistake Jind beon mado in one of tbo Wellington papers. Ho supposed tlio reporter ' for tho newspaper could not realise _ tlio fact that tlio honourable member for Wairarapa should bo faking an interest in Mastcrton affairs, and it had been stated in tho paper that be (Mr Hogg) had raised this question. Well, ho certainly lmil not raised the question, bocausc ho was not nware of any grievance existing in Mastcrton with regard to the police, tlio Coroner, or any tiling that had occurred. Since then he had been asked why ho bad beon mudventilating, or attempting to Wltilato, grievances against tho police or other public function-, arics. He bad replied that lie was ;Hot ill tlio habit of doing these, things. If a complaint were made | to him with regnrd to a sergeant of police, or a constable, or a Bailway Station-master, or a Postmaster, or any other public otlicial, he did not attempt to drag any mud across the floor of the House. 11c did not even go to Ministers,'but lie went in the first place to the individuals themselves, and endeavoured to make enquiry on his own account, and, if he found tbo explanation satisfactory, ho did not go any further; hesimply told tlio complainants that he had received a satisfactory explanation, and that tho matter should go no further so far as he (Mr Hogg) was

concerned, He thought tlmt was the of dealing with kind lie ' would point tlii..' out to honourable members, ami lie thought it was a fact which the honourable member for Wairampa was quite aware of: that, when nn officer in the public service was attacked in tho House, ho was attacked in a somewhat mean manner—lie was attacked in ft place where ho had no possibility of replying for himself, or of defending himself; it was, to use a familiar term, hitting below the belt.

Now, he had said already that there was a minority in every community that did not care about the police, With regard to this particular sergeant of police, he believed, after knowing him for a long term of years, tlmt lio wis one of tho most efficient men there wcro in tho police service, He had bad a life training in the Force; he had entered it in his youth, and ho lmd now grown groy in tho service, and whenever nn

offence was reported lie never rested! day or night till he laid hands on bo offender, Ho had an excellent record, and ho believed ho stood very high in the opinion ofthercspectable portion of the community. But there were certain politicians in Masterton who did not care about the police, simply because, at the last general election tho police did not, as

they supposed, carry out their duty. He believed there were a few who blamed the polico for not having, on tho eve of the election.

locked np his supporters. The police! could not havo done so, because his supporters were so numerous that tho lock up and all the public buildings in the place co.uld not hold then]. That was tho reason why tlioy were not lftckcil up on that occasion, If this matter were inqpireij intq, it woujd be found that it eipauated from some of his impla•cflblo political enemies, Knowing

very well that lie belonged to one pidp of politics, am] that tho lion, member for Wairarapa bolongcd to (mother, that surely should not bay? justified thorn in going into another district to got a member to nir their grievances in the House, It was his duty to point out, for the information of honourable members, that to his certain knowledge, over since the honourable member, for Wairarapa entered a sphere for which ho lmd never been adapted by nature, and became a public representative - Mr Speaker said he mast request j the lion, member to withdraw that observation, Mr Hogg withdrew the remark, and was sorry to say anything that would rufllo tlio feelings of the hon member for Wairarapa. •Mr Buchanan said it did not ruffle his feelings all. Mr Hogg-tjid net think that the |ionquyabTe' member was very susceptible, However, the honourable member would not'deny that ever since hpjjnd b,epn a hja constituency liq hat\ timo and fl'gajn qeen endeavouring, tq bmiig ■ officers of tlio public service Into trouble, Ho had been lodging complaints against the police of his own distriot-, against llailway Stationmasters, against Postmasters, nnd he had made even complaints against tho Postmaster in Masterton since ho (Mr Hogg) had been representing that constituency, At all events, he had been informed such was the case,, And ho lmd been asked to intervene 011 behalf of some of them, because the honourable member for Wairarapa created a reign of terror, and they thought the honourable gentleman was undermining them jii [jrdor to gcj, them (jut'of public pqwicp. reputation hp cnjqyed, a/|^ c '^ v Hogg) wished jinn thp of it. Ho liaii never heard the honourable gentlenian refer to public serypts pxcept in terms of very ]}ai-$h criticm' Aj, tho presph|; tpe, tlio jlQiiflnvalilp for Wairnrapi} |t!|d travelled put tjf his distriot in fli'der to trump up complaints in his (Mr fiogg's) district, Ho was 011, deavQitring to stir up niiscliiof against thg police 1 but ho (Mr Hogg) was perfectly satisfied the police would prove that they had done their duty. It was quite possible the polico might have erred—tlio polico, liko other individuals, were not infallible; occasionally they might do things thoy might regret afterwards: but lie thought, upon tho whole, it would bo found the police of Masterton had very faithfully discharged their duty,' both in connection with this inquest, and with the repression of crime, Ho had no objection whatever to tlio fullest inquiry, but lie hoped, if it took place, the honourmember for Wairarapa wouldexhibit very different conduct from what he exhibited a number of years ago w|icn inquiry was made into comjilainfs lodged by him againijt p.ne of their Sheep Inspectors,' An enquiry was'ordered atMasterton,' The lionourablo' member' for Wairarapa/ and the member at that time for Masterton, Mr Beotham, weye requeued to bo pment and meet the pfficei; fqce tfl face, but they'had not the courage fo do it. ' Ho waited' 1 in vain tpsee those gentlemen and hear from their own lips the nature of Sa

charges tlioy would bring against' liim, but tlioso gontlomon never mado their appearance. Ho did not think tbo floor of • that House was tlio proper place to bring charges against tlio police, Thoy should bo made to their superior oflicors, In tlio first place, tlio honourablo member should see tho police themselves, and ask if thoy had any explanation to offor, If that explanation was not satisfactory, then lie should send it on to the Inspector, and let him hold an enquiry. But to drag a matter liko this before tlio House was wasting the time of tlio country, and the time of honourable members. Ho (Mr Hogg) was sorry that ho should liavo lmd to refer at such length to a'mattcr which the great majority of honourable members had no concern in whatever, but, at the same time, tlio responsibility must rest on his implacable friend tlio honourablo l member for Wairarapa. Mr Earnshaw thought it was greatly to he regretted tlmtthe honourable member forMaslrrfon could not avoid wasting the lime of that House by t'ontiiiunl]v fightingoll the Hour of the House the honourable member for the Wairarapa. If they wanted to wash their dirty linen let them go back to their constituents and do it.

Dr Newman would suggest to the Minister of Justice that there lmd been a gross miscarriage of justice ill this matter. A man committed suicide, and then in a few hours an inquest was held without proper authority. Therefore tho Minister of Justice should grant an inquiry. He did not know this sergeant at all, but tlio very fact of his committing such an indiscretion as to have a Coroner's inquest within so very few hours after tho man's death was enough to justify an inquiry being held. Altogether apart from any party fcelinef, there was a very strong feeling in the district about this case, and it was a case demanding an inquiry. Here was an unfortunate man who committed suicide. His unfortunate wife was very much upset, and it was alleged she did ask the police for protection. Whether tlicy wero right in refusing it, lie did not know. However, the man was found with bis throat cut, Hotrnsted the Minister of Justice would set up a Court of Inquiry. He was quite sure tlio feeling in the district would not be allayed until that was done. Mr Seddon said that, as head of the Police Force, 110 never beard a single word of this until be heard it 011 tho floor of the House; and he would say, in defence of the officers under him, that it was unfair the matter should for the first time come before the House when tho bead of tlio Police Department and the political head knew nothing about it, If persons aggrieved would not bring, their charges forward in a proper manner, it was unfair that an inquiry should bo asked for in that House, He would say at once that he would set his face against such a course, That was not the way to maintain

the proper position of the I'olico Force, and ho would set his faco steadily against it. If the persons aggrieved reduced their charges to writing, and if then the department refused an inquiry, the member for the district, or any other member, could ask why; and then would be the proper time to do it—not in tho way this had been done. He had steadfastly refused under such circumstances to grant an enquiry. | Mr Buchanan said the honourable

member for Mastevtqn had set up ft man of straw nf his own and proceeded immediately to knock it dqwn again. In the case of the particular police officer under discussion, lie had known nothing to his discredit, and on tho present occasion he had done nothing except to state to the House what was common property in Mastortan—namely, that this police officer caused an inquest to bo held contrary to tho Coroners Act, although he must necessarily have known—he could not very well help knowing—what tho provisions of that Act were. He simply asked for an inquiry as to why an unlawful act was committed; because tho inquest, without question, was unlawfully held. As to the general statements made by the honourable member for Mastcrton about Unicoi's in his district, he passed them by as altogether unworthy to be referred to by him (Mr Buchanan). His (Mr Buchanan's) position in the district was too well known to permit of tho slightest credence being given to the statements made by the honourable member for Mastcrton, He therefore ipy left tho question in the hands of the Government, Ho lmd acquitted himself of his responsibility in the matter.

Motioji for adjournmen^negatived,