Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1895. OUR JURY SYSTEM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5104, 15 August 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1895. OUR JURY SYSTEM.

Ot;it. jury system—putting on one side the recent .striking illustration of it—is a hideous failure. In 'Wellington it is usually found that any person who ciui raise an adequate sum for a defence in sure of an acquittal. If an accused person possesses only live pounds, he'will probably go lo gaol; but if bu can command a hundred he is pretty sure of what, in many instances, is undoubtedly a well-merited punishment. Everybody known bow tho thing is done. The bailiff throws his net, draws in a number of jurymen, and ib the butter men in the catch were selected to go into the jury box all would bo well. But when tho case happens to he a shady one, tho solicitor for the accused, in the Interests of his client, is compelled to choose tho worst men in the crowd. Perhaps ho succeeds insweariiiginoneortwoexrorimjnak If he does, his object is attained and his client safe, because the men who decide the issue are 0)1 the side of tho alleged criminal. Our criminal machinery will never work satisfactorily till it is placed in competent hands. The jury box emphatically requires to be superseded in the interests of life and property. We have referred to the scandalous manner in which the jury system works in Wellington, but hero in Masterton we find a similar objection to it, and even a special drawback which is not mot with in the Umpire City. When a lawyer looks upon a set of country jurymen, he recognises every face as the visage of someone whom ho knows personally tp be eitiior his friend of his enemy. }fc can at.pp.ee' count on lingers his friends, and he knows I whether he has won or lost |iis case before a singlo witness goos into the box. He not only possesses this knowledge, tut an intelligent bystander can tell what tho verdict will be as soon as a jury is picked, The jssne is so sure that sporting-men won't niake wagers upon it.' u'liero is little or 110 elemeuj; of chance in

the affair. Nine persons out of ten have confidence in the decision of a Judge or Magistrate, but nine, out of ten hayo not an atom of confidence in the decision of a jury. Here in the country people occasionally wonder if a little Jedburg justico or Lynch law would not bo an improveraenton the farces that are frequently played out in our Courts, ItiS, after all, their fault that the law is not respected ?

Mr E. 6. Jellicoc writing to the pro-1 prictors of the Waibauai'a Daily Times under date August 11th, re its report of the Somervillo case, says:- " I think I ought to say that your reporter's work has been done in a masterly manner and that I consider his report of the case a very accurate one. It may be interesting to you to know that during the short time I have been in the Colony I have been successful in defending iu the following murder trials: —Smith and Harrison for the Ekctiihuua murder; Finley, for the Wellington murder in 1892; Aldridgc, for tlic FuliiaLiia unirtlcr; Lizzie Price, for the Olaki murder; and this year Nicholson for a Wellington murder, and Somcrvillo for the Masteiton murder."

Mr F. JL Wood adds to (lie entries for next Taratahi stock sale.

The London MormnqPost urges the early sub-dh ision of West Australia.

Mr anil Mrs Charles Pharazyn, and Mr and Mrs Arthur lihodes arc returning to the Colony by the Gothic. The Minister for Labour lias given notice of the Chattels Transfer Act Amendment Bill.

Notice of intention to strike a general rate, is given by the Akitco Koad | Board.

We again remind our readers of the enterlainmcnt at St. Matthew's Schoolroom, this evening. Conflimcd smokers who want to give up tobacco, arc now being cured of the habit by hypnotism, Mr Gr. J. Smitli is trying to discover whether barmaids are getting the halfholiday provided for them under the Shop Assistants Act.

Thclion. Mr Steward wants a reduced railway rate for the carriage of trout and game sent by sportsmen to their friends.

Forty-one millions sterling, according to Sir John Pender, is the sum that has been sunk in ocean telegraphic cables. A late London paper slates Ilial Fred Barrett, the Kuglish jockey's will has I been proved tit £15,5*20.

The Massachusetts Legislature proposes lolineevery voter £1 who neglects, without good cause, to use the suffrage. At the recent Dog and Poultry Show in Sydney, there was on exhibition a pair of geese valued at t!2C3.

Cast-s'.eel billiard balls are in use in Sweden. They are made hollow, so I hat their weight is about the same as that of ivory balls. The great Ottoman empire, which at one time threatened the civilised world, sprang from a band of four hundred wandering Turkoman families.

A nine-month-old infant died from nicotine poisoning in Scotland recently. It was given a pipe, as a plaything, during the brief absence of its mother.

There had been twenty convictions and eight withdrawals of actions under the Factories Act, and four conviclio.is, three dismissals, and two withdrawals under the Shops and Shop Assistants Act, up to Mill June last. Four hundred blue-jackets and Soudanese, with 800 porters, haye been sent to Mombassa to punish the rebellious natives. The expedition is supplied wilh Maxim gnus, . The Dull;/ Ultivnirles Odessa correspondent says it is reported that the Czar intends to withdraw'from the active guidance of affairs and entrust flic reins of power to the Dowager-Empress. Jiithc'Peshawur Cemetery, inlndiij is following amusing epitaph :—" Sacred to the memory of the Jiev. —, Missionary, aged —, murdered by his attendant. ' (Veil done, thou good and faithful .servant,"

An absent-minded young preacher in New England, wishing lo address the young ladies of the congregation after morning service, is reported to have remarked from (he pulpit that he would be very glad if the fcmalo brethren ol the congregation would reuiniu after they had gone home.

Mr Crowlhcr says it is absurd to talk of oui'sending horses lo South Australia,

as if wo could land a horse there for £lO, Kew South Wales could for £5,

and New South Wales last year landed ICCO horses on the Auckland wharf.

'With Iho view of preserving the fast disappearing types of native animals, birds, and plants—especially kangaroos and emus, few of which now remain in (he colony—the Zoological Society is asking the Victorian Governinout tn set aside an area of wild country on Wilson's Promontory forithcir conservation. The Government is favourable lo the idea.

A clothes line in Worksop Eoad wa stripped of many expensive garments the oilier evening, and no trace has yet been found of them, The police have their hands full at the present time, and householders should therefore take precaution against the many undesirable characters in our midst.

It was slated in a letter, read at the Nelson Education Hoard, that one of the West Coast schoolrooms were used for dancing purposes, "Well, that's education," interposed a member.

The llatigalaiuoh Volley lioad, through the Gorge, which opens up a line tract of country, hitherto almost inaccessible beyond thcl'nrkvillcSpecinl Settlement, is being proceeded with as a cart road. This will be good news for a number of the settlers in this pari of tho district,

A resident of Masterton killed a sheep the other evening for his own use, hang, ing the carcase in an outhouse overnight, In the morning on going to cut up the meat, no signs of' the sheep could be found, the whole lot haripg been taken away by some unprincipled thief. It is not Jong since a line fat porker, killed for ciuing purposes was stolen from the same locality.

Miss Marguerite Elisc Darkness, a lady novelist, who writes under the mime of" Jolm Law," is at Coolgardic as correspondent of the Lmdmi Daily C/irunickimi the Westminster Gazette. The favourite horse of JJaron Hir3eh is found at the Unrou's Austrian Palace, where the great millionaire is said to prefer to live. The animal is a line chestnut/and, it is said, costs the annual jncome of a highly placed Civil servant. A good dog story conies from France. Sonic people wore lunching, the other day, at one of those charming villas at La Vusjnet, and were so engaged in con? versalion and with the tasty niemu that they one and all forgot the 'house-dog a beautiful Gordon setter. After a time, the dog took himself off into the garden, and after rummaging about there for a time, returned with a root and blooms of forget-me-nots in his mouth, A singular wedding has just been made public. Mrs Higby, a wcaltny widow, has long been an enthusiastic prison worker in San Francisco. In the course of her work she met a convict named Charles Callau, who hadb,ccn sent to the penitentiary for two years, for an assault on a negro. Oallan's term lately expired, and lie immediately joined the Church, and then he and Mrs Higby were married. People who like fo read of curious coincidences will find this one interest jng., A bjacksmitii' of-Potsdam' wn's married Fob, gftli, 1882, flic same day on which the present German Emperor was married. Like the Emperor, he has had six sons, born on the same days as were the Emperor's sons, But to make the story still more straugo, his wife presented him with a daughter on the'day thafthe little princess iras bord;,

Messrs Lowes & loms add to their ■sale list, for Wednesday next, ewes iu lamb, fat wethers, and beff, etc. MrW. Everett, the well known Opalti settler was married yesterday to Miss Eliza Bnth Bannister. The Eev. A. 0. Yorko officiated.

Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., gave his reserved judgment in the action J. Jones v. W. J3oyd, a claim for recovery of amount of dishonored promissory note for £26 Is 6d, in favor of the plaintiff, with £6los 8d costs.

Messrs Lowes and loms announce a I clearing salo on account of Mr J. A. McKcnzic, (who is leaving this district) at his residence, Colombo Jload, for Tuesday, August 20th. A quiet wedding was'celebrated at Uaslorton yesterday, when Mr Z. Price, son of Mr E, Price, of Upper Plain, was married to Miss E, Cade, daughter of Mr J. D. Cade, of Mastcrlon. The liev John Dukes performed the ceremony,

A farmer named John Hopwood, of WcslTaratahi, was walking alongside of a horse mid cart yesterday, when ho tripped in a rut and fell and before ho could recover himself the wheel of the eouycyaucc went over his arm, fracturing it. He is under Hie caro of Dr. Johuslou.

A slip took place in a gravel pit at Cartcrtonlastwcck, in which Messrs J. Monaghan and J. Stevens were working. They nrrrowly escaped being buried, Stevens' head was grazcd.and Mc«aghan was knocked down and his legs buried. The regular meeting of the Masterton Eechabitc Tent, No. 38, 1.0. H., was held last night, in the Foresters' Hall, at 8 p.m, Bro. W. Betty, 1J.1t., presiding. The mini) tes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Two candidates were initiated members of the ordciyiud also three candidates proposed for membership. Our Carterton correspondent writes: —Airs AVihlc was thrown from the back of a dray at I'arkvale on Tuesday on to the metalled road. The horse Mr Wilde was driving was startled by some school children suddenly emerging through a fence, and bolted with the result as stated. Although badly shaken and bruised Mrs Wilde escaped further injuries.

A debate,-" Is the employment of spies for the detection of breaches of tlie Licensing Act, justifiable."—will eventuate ut to-morrow evening's meeting of (he Masterlon Mutual Improvement Society, when the lenders will be Mr W. JI. Easthopc for the allirmative, and Mr 0. l'ragiiell the negative. A large attendance is anticipated. At St. Matthew's schoolroom entertainment to-night Mr Konrsley's orchestra will p'ay 'sonic selections, and instrumental music and songs will be contributed by Mrs it. Jv. Jackson, Mrs Keith, Miss Sellar, Miss Dennnn, Mr : Lilly ("Comrades in Arms"). Master A. Corbet!, Mr Collins (mandolin solo), and others, before and after the operetta "tied Hiding Hood." The latter has been enlarged and well practised. The Maypole Dance will conclude a really good programme. We have before us, the lifth annual report of the Wairarapa liacing Club, says the Grcy'town Slumlmil, and from it we gather that alloilgh the profit made from the meetings held during the year, only amounted lo £358, the Club expended no less than £'sls in permanent improvements. They paid away £1250 ill stakes, and in addition to the to 15 expended in labour, niatcrial,ctc., fortho improvements, hnre distributed another £702 odd in wages, salary, Government tax, and general working expenses. In maintaining the Tauherenikau raco meetings up lo Hie standard of excellence they have attained to, and beautifying and improving the pleasure reserve which they have taken charge of, the Wairarapa Jiacing Club, are performing a public work which deserves the thanks and support of the whole community. iN'o amount of preaching in or out of Parliament will abolish horse racing, one of the most ancient and popular pastimes, but (he sport may be kept wholesome and pure by inducing the best class of men to take charge of it. This the mc.nbcrs of the liacing Club Have, hitherto done, and we arc sure the same cure will be exercised at the coming annual meeting. One oi the sights of Wollineton, at any time is undoubtedly the nmsmliccnt estnblishment.known as To Aro House, and now, that every department within its walls is' filled, to ovcrllowin}!, with a bewildering variety of. the season's novelties in millinery, mantles, dresses, etc., it is more than ever a pleasure and profit to visit tin) wholesa'c family drapery warehouse, To Aro Uoiiec.

Particular attention lias been paid this year to the requirements ot country customers, nnil the rcsu't is io be seen in the invmenso and varied stock ot calicoes, shirtings, llanrcls, llnnnclleltes, strong wearing dress materials, mon's and hoys' clothing to. Tt-o choice in each depart, mciit, is almost unlimited, as may be imagined, wheu it is stated that ot flannelette alone, over 50,000 yards have this seaßon been imported at Te Aro House, Wellington,--Advi. It you study practical economy you wilt buy your drapery and clolhing at Hooper's Don Marche, You ask why ? We'll tell you why! You've twenty pounds to spend o • twenty shillings it you like. Your objict to get all you require for tho money you iirovc. It you buy of Hooper's you will get all you determined to secure and a bit left for something else, Also you .will get the best ot everything; the goods ot standard manufacturer*, If you buy elsewhere your twenty pounds or twenty shillings, as tho , case may be, will not go as far as you thought and you will cither have to sink the quality or shell out more cash, Will that suit you? Wo trow not, You're no fool,; you've been wandering up and down this blessed world for years anil you know your book. Ouo may say this is ouly assertion, . Where's your proof? Wo reply, use your eyes, exercise your judgment and criticise and compare, and your verdict must he for Hooper & Co., ready mouoy drapers, Bon Marche, Mastortm. -Anvi.