Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1895. NOT GUILTY!

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5101, 12 August 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1895. NOT GUILTY!

"Nor guilty!"—tho sensational vordict of a sensational trial! To us in the country, it comes somowhat as a surprise, If Sornerville escape, who can be hung ? we thought, while waiting for the issue. Not tlmt we advocate hanging as a punishment, .indeed wo consider it to be it barbarous solution of a somewhat jdifficult problem, mid that the day i will conic, when it must be superseded. But hanging is the legal punishment of murder, and men hero, whokncwSoinervilleintiinately, j regarded him as a murderer and not as it lunatic. Of course nil crime is, from one point of view, it species of insanity, but no ono in this district regarded Sornerville as a person unfitted to be at large, until ho slew a man against whom ho lmd a deadly feud, livery, word and act of Sornerville before and after the sad catastrophe seemed to bo the word and act of a sane, cool, self-possessed man. We are not saying that the verdict given was unwarranted by the evidence. The shibboleth of the law is full of surprises, and perhaps somo day it may bo discovered that trial by jury is not tho surest way of securing [justice. Certainly the issue under | this mode of trial does not always depend uponthoovideiice. However this may be, we cannot help thinking ot a widow and seven children somewhere up in Ilerbertville, who did not appear prominently iu the trial, and yet it was the husband and father of this bereaved family who wasshotdownlikoiulogiu tho street, i and the law sayb tho man who shot him down is" not guilty." Is there any evidence of public sympathy with the widow and with tho fatherless children ? Little or none, but with Sornerville the case is altogether different.. An enormous sum has been raised for bis defence, and ifwoaskwhy monoy has been so abundantly raised for him, we can but conclude that it is because an employe has skinanemployerand tho

labour legislation of the present day lms fomented bftd blood between tbo two classes, so that an act which under other circumstances might be regarded with universal horror, is looked upon by a certain class as a piece of heroism, For two months past people have talked about tbo murder, aud the murderer, and now the law tells them that tliero is no murder and no murderer. We have revealed to us Sornerville, not as a murderer, but as a sort of hero.

Ox Saturday night Journalistic we hoped to pubExruiil'llisii. lish "ail extra," giving tho conclusion of tho Sornerville trial and the verdict, but when we found that the verdict would be a midnight record, wo abandoned "tho extra," as no ono would bo about fo receive it, We, however, arranged to keep the Telegraph Office open till the verdict caino through, and shortly after midnight we printed placards containing it, and posted them in all parts of the town, Through this enterprise on our part, tho people of Mastcrton and the neighbouring district learnt tho result of the sensational trial twenty-four hours earlier than they would otherwise have done. We liavo to express our acknowledgments to tho Telegraph Department, which gave us all the assistance in its power on this occasion.

There is an imbecile A burglar somewhere Wkak-juxded about Masterton, liuitULAlt. who is continually entering upon business premises without commiting very serious depredations. The back door of Mr Watts' bookselling establishment has, on four occasions, been, forced and yet Mr Walt has missed nothing. Whether tho burglar goes there for a quiet read in the small hours of the morning, when the weary policeman is at rest, and a little gentle burglarising can be indulged in without fear of disturbance, we know not. The burglar is about, but ho seems a harmless sort of individual with a more decided taste for literature than for plunder.

I'll rub is good reasou to Turn, believe that there was a iiy very undesirable element JliiiY. in the Sornerville jury,and if such an element lias led to a miscarriage of justice of a character which shakos public confidence in the law of the land and the protection which it affords to the community, there should bo a stringent inquiry. We hope the member for Jlasterton will in his place in the House take some step which will tend to satisfy his constituents that if a miscarriage of justice has taken place, it shall not be passed over without some public protest.

While waiting for the " Midnight verdict," Mr E. G. Jellicoe read a copy of the Waihabapa Daily Times of Saturday, which had reached Wellington by that night's train, and remarked that the report of the Sornerville case was done in splendid style. The Masterton School Committee meets this evening. More than half of the entire cultivated area of Great Britain is now occupied by permanent pasture. The monthly meeting of the Masterton Hospital Trustees takes place next Tuesday afternoon. Arrangements have been made by the Directors of the Masterton B. and W. Company, for immediately repairing the oll'icc of Mr W. B. Chennells, who will therefore not remove into temporary ollicos, but carry on business at the old premises, as usual, Very heavy rain fell at intervals all day on Saturday, the weather clearing up, however, about midnight. Mr Harold Welch proceeds to l'aliiatua with the hounds on Tuesday, and hunts them there on Wednesday.

The licv. S. J. Gibson gave his opinion of an" Ideal Husband," at the Masterton Weslcyan Church last evenintf. Mr C. E, Daniell, of Mastcrton, has entered into a contract for the erection of a large and convenient residence for Mr J. Groves, of Mungapakeha.

Messrs Welch and Kemble offer for sale,the properly known as" Ernspast," liangitumau, which is highly improved, has rabbit-proof boundary and division fences, together withdwclling.housc and necessary outbuildings. Particulars appear elsewhere in this issue. Wc learn, from nil American contemporary, that a church at Boston has announced Sunday services at 8.30 in the morning during the early summer months, in order to accommodate those people who take an outing on Sundays, "andby reason of so doing feel compelled to absent themselves from Church services later in the dav."

At a meeting of an English life assurance society the other day, it was stated that they had paid £52,700 for deaths caused directly by influenza, which hud cost them two and a half times more loss in two years than cholera had done in 13 years.

A remarkable action for slander is being beard, which is causing a great stir in society. Mrs Jacoby, a member of the Badminton Hunt, charges the Dowager Lady Cowley of accusing her of writing and circulating obscene letters. Plaintiff asserts that Lady Cowley herself wrote them. Messrs Lowes and lorns bold a farm sale at Mr C. Parker's, Lower Manaia, to-morrow. Mr Parker's lease having expired,he has instructed the auctioneers to sell the whole of bis choice stock, which has taken eight years to bring to perfection, comprising 21 choice dairy cows in milk and to calvc, heifers,'slccrs, calves, bull, farm horses, butter worker, vehicles, harness, ploughs, harrows, \ sheep, tools, and sundries, all without reserve. Professor Davis gayo another most interesting entertainment at the Mas. tcrton Theatre Hoyal, 011 Saturday night. To-night he will open at the Lyceum, Carterton. A lock of wool from a merino ewe which had escaped the shearing for five years has been left at the Oanuiru Moil (Mice, The staple is 23 inches long and of a fairly line quality. 111 "Mount Despair," a new work by David Christie Murray, the well-known novelist, who visited Australia a year or two ago, appears the following:—"Be it known that the Australians rear pretty girls, and girls of a type which in many respects preserve the old English, Welsh, Scotch, and Irish characteristics, but in many respects depart from them. The type is more audacious; it is—dare I say, cheekier? Girls of tluit type will ride any earthly thing that has four legs, and ride it over any kind of country. They will driyc 11 buggy when an English male whip would get out and walk for fear of his life. I have heard of one who could shear a sheep. They will ride thirty miles to a ball and dance all night, and ride liomc again in the morning. They arc modest, and good and thorough, and full of pluck and selfreliance, and they can snub tho foolish stranger who presumes on the seeming freedom of their maiden ways. You may meet this kind of young lady in the cities and towns by accident, but she is not native there, and could not by any chance be rcarod there. She bolongs to the country," The Kev. J. Dukos conducted a memorial service at tho Carterton Wesleyan Church, yesterday morning in connection with the death of Mr Dakjn of Clateyille,

Very great intcrestwas taken in Masterton in the Sornerville case all through, but when tbo result was made known by a Waibampa Daily Times special extra, early on Sunday morning, tho excitement increased, and yesterday hardly anything else was talked about." A single California couuty lias <lB9 miles of irrigating ditches, constructed at a cost of £600,000. Considerable numbers of sheep for freezing are being despatched from the Wairarapa stations again. The cultivation of the peach in China has been traced back to tho tenth century before Christ. A novelty iu bicycles is shown in tho window of a New York dealer. Its entire frame, including the handles, and, in fact, every part, save tho saddle, spokes, and tires, is of iron, cast in imitation of tho branches of trees with the bark left on, Thoroughbred dogs arc said to be less intelligent than mongrels. The sale ot Brannignn's property, nt Alfredton, drew a large attendance at Messrs llornblow & Co.'s auction roonls on Saturday. After keen competition the property was knocked down to Mr Wrightson, for a little under £750. The annual general meetinc; of the Masterton-Opaki Jockey Club takes place on Wednesday, August 21st. Under an order from the Government, Mr L. F. Ayson will pack and despatch te-morrow, 100,000 eyed trout ova for laupo, for distribution in the rivers and streams in tlwt district.

Messrs Simms and Mowlem add 50 fat ewes and 7 weauerpigs to the entries for their next slock sale in the yards, Queen-street, on Wednesday, l tth inst, The Government have ordered one hundred thousand trout ova for the rivers and streams on the West Coast of the South Island which will shortly be despatched from tho Mastcrton' Hatcheries. Sometime between Saturday nightand Monday morning, the premises of Mr John Watt were again entered, but except about 2s (3d in coppers, nothing appears to have been stolen. Entrance was gained by breaking a back window. The key of the back door was removed by the thief.

The Government has just orderd 100,000 trout ova from the Mastcrton Hatcheries, for distribution in the streams at Taupo. There is now a lot of waste country in the district, and some line streams which should be easy to stock with fish. It is certainly a step iu the right direction. The Wairarapa Farmers' Co-operative Association publish an inset in this issue, in which they announce twenty per cent, discount on all drapery and clothing, for the purpose of ejecting a clearance before their spring goods arrive. In spite of the large orders for ova and fry, which have been received at the Mastcrton Hatcheries, there will still be nearly a million young lish left for distribution in the rivers over which the Acclimatisation Society has control. The following is the programme of the Sixpenny Concert to be held in the Mastcrton Weslcyan Schoolroom this evening -.-Overture, Masterton Orehes-i Ira | song, " Ora Pro Nobis," Mr J. F. Lilley; recitation, 'The Two Blacksmiths," Master C. Bills; piano solo, Miss May lteyuolds; song, " Kiss Me," MrSimnis; recitation, "Nothing More," Master H. Carpenter; song, (selected). Mr lialph ; selection, Masterton Orchestra; song," Kitty of Coleraine," Miss Crann; yiolin solo, Mr Mowlem; song, " Tho Old Bustic Bridge," Miss Deninin; concertina aud banjo selection, Messrs J, Arthur and A, liussell; song, " The Young Brigade," Mrl{. Langton; piano solo, Miss Hogg ; song, " Old Madrid," Mr J. F. Lilley ; musical quartette, Messrs Nicol, Gray (2) and Minilie. It is needless for us to again inform our readers what to expect from a visit to Professor Davis' entertainment to be given on Tuesday night next. Those who have seen him, are astounded at his variety of interesting and clever sensations. We are requested to state that, owing to the very bad weather for the last two performances, the Professor lias decided to return to Masterton on] Tuesday next, to give those whom the weather would not permit to come out, still another opportunity of witnessing his performance. The prices have been reduced to within the reach ot all, aud as this is positively his last appearance here—an after appearing in Wellington, he is going South, and from there to Sydney—we hope to see the bumper house that he deserves. Those

who miss seeing him, will miss a rare

11 you study practical economy you will buy your drapery ami clothing at Hooper's Hon Marchc. You ask why ? We'll tell you why! You've twenty pounds to spend or twenty shillings ityoulikc. Your object is to get fill you require for the money you have. If you buy ot Hooper's you will get all you determined to secure and a bit left for something else. Alsojou will get the best of everything; the goods of standard manufacturer. If you buy elsewhere your twenty pounds or twenty shillings, as the case maybe, will not go as far as you thought and yoii will cither have to sink the 1 quality or shell out more cash. Will that suit jou ? We trow not. You're no tool; you've been wandering np and down this blessed world for years aud you know your book. One may say this is only assertion, where's your proof? We reply, use your eyes, exercise your judgment and criticise and compare, and your verdict must bo for

Hooper & Co., ready money drapers, Bon Marchc, Mastcrton.-Advi.

Ono ol the sights of Wellington, at auy time is undoubtedly tho magnificent establishment,known as Te Aro House, and now that every department within its walls is filled to overflowing, with a bewildering variety ol tho season's uovelties in millinery, mantles, dresses, etc., it is more than ever a pleasure and profit to visit tho wholesale family drapery warehouse, To Aro House.' Particular attention has been paid this year to the requirements of country customers, and the result is to be seen in the immense and varied stock of calicoes, shirtings, tads, flannellettcs, strong wearing dress materials, men's and boys' clothing, & The choico in each depart, mcnt, is almost unlimited, as may be imagined, when it is stated that of flannelette alone, over 50,000 yards have this season been imported at Te Aro House, Wellington.--An vt.