THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1648, 27 January 1883, Page 2

THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Ot whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's i lght maintain, Unawi'd by influence and unbribed by gain.

SATURDAY, JAN. U 7, 188-3.

Oxi] of the most remarkable trials in the j adicial annuls of tlio colony has just been concluded in Auckland. There has seldom beon a case in which suspicion was stronger, and the proofs adduced weaker than in the .supposed Hamilton murder case. But the whole of the surroundings are singularly strange. A man is soon to go homewards on a certain night, and the next morning ho is discovered to be dead in his own house, with his skull cracked, and the only person who apparently knows anything about it — the man's wife — explains to her friends and the police that he came homo drunk, and fell against an iron bedstead, so inflicting the wounds discovered. An inquest is held, and a verdict of " Accidental Death" returned. A week or two elapse, aud then there get abroad dark hints about murder, and an intimate friend of the wife is freely associated with her as tho porprotrator of a most diabolical crime. The police take the matter up, and after a f urthor lapse of time the body of the husband is exhumed, and examined again by the medical men; detectives are set to work to worm information out of every "inau, woman and child who has had tho misfortune to know tho family, and then Mrs Hamilton and her friend — having been freely questioned boforehand — are arrested. Meantime the metropolitan press, eager to satisfy the wretched public craving for the sensational, put their reportorson the scent, and forthwith there appears column after column of " particulars," all of which go to prove, to the entire satisfaction of the writers, the guilt of tho t W o accused. The result is that ninetonths of the public are worked up to such a pitch of excitement that nothing but the immediate execution of the piisoners can suffice to calm them. But the trial shows how utterly they are out in their calculation. There is plenty of suspicion, but there is nothing like proof ; the whole issue hangs on the medical evidence, and that is of the most conflicting character. Granted that the wounds on Hamilton's head were such as might be produced by falling, as described by his wife, nothing remains upon which any reasonable suspicion of foul play could rest; but on the other hand, should the nature of fractures upset the woman's theory, here was evidence that the man had been subjected to foul play. Now the opinion of the doctors is divided — it is as strong ono way as the other. Dr. Philsou's testimony favours the pxisonors, while there is much uncertainty about the rest. But the , prosecution require inoro than a weak woman to inflict the blows which they say .Hamilton received, and Priestley, ayoung man on terms of the closest intimacy with Mrs Hamilton, is selected as the accomplice. Here, however, another difficulty presents itself. There is not a tittle of proof forthcoming to show that he was in the neighbourhood of Hamilton's house on the fatal night, but as he could not give satisfactory answers when interrogated by the police as to his whereabouts, that obstacle appeared to have been overcome. Thejudge" thought differently, and did not forget to tell the jury so. It is not to be denied that ch'cumstances justified the preliminary action of the police ; the suspicions pointing to the accused were too - strong to be disregarded, but we must confess that a careful perusal of the evidence taken before the Resident; Magistrate! left- no ] doubt /;in jou,r' minde.that the \ prisonersv would be,' acquitted. ,We hare not attempted to review' the case 'closely j our aim has been to give a broad sketch of >the proceedings ' in - order: that* we niigh t the i more , strongly emphasise a, remark which fell , from Mr ' Justice Gillies in/' j s his summing ,up., . , Jfi > t jvyas , jbliia :—: — ." It -would *be well in; tauchv jofp^ort-.'. ant cases, jf, asjn ,other ' CountirLe , ,the" police hail /the" benefit lj 6f sbme ,legal advicejbefo,re 4 |)ringing f^^ard, charges, of tW<sorfct^lu}^cotUiifd^ for}instaticej" ! in% 'charge of/this sort; patent lsg&\fa]ipjfiqisiypi ;J» j^^pi^ certain that if .the ''evidence ( jLnijtliii(« 'case had' beerii* read p verl ito^tKe $Pgal* ; ' hamady^^^oi&&^e^^%|

opinion. A va|t amount of valu-i aide time has been wasted, by the ? Court ku(l l)y!;sj»rlyuto individuals, , mucli^non^ haji' be|n, "expended, , and a^great deal of juWjholesqinp! oxcitefrienti'has ISe^en crjeiatedfi singly " through want, df so^jg'e^fcV means as' those suggested* V)y^the learned judge. The police have no discretionary power, or if they have they seldom f ; use it. lit Ais hardly in the nature '.of :i tilings that they Miould, bo long as the ability to hceure convictions is regarded as the highest professional qualification they can possess. "What is wanted' -is a ' trained* la\Vyer,' whoso busiuess it should be to carefully b\it all the -evidence brought before him. The result of the Hamilton-Priestley trial ought to i result in giving such prominence to the subject we refer to, as to secure that it shall receive its proper share of consideration during the next session of Parliament.

"Echoes from the Cafe" are crowded out of this issue, In consequence of Monday being a public holiday, the Hamilton East School will re- >pen on the following clay. The next English mail, via San Francisco, will close at the Hamilton Post-onice on Monday next, 29th iust., at 10 a.m. The Hamilton Quadrille Band will hold a dance in the Public and Volunteer Hall on Monday evening next. At the R.M. Court, Cambridge, yesterday, a few civil cases, of no interest, were disposed of. Monday next is the anniversary of the colony. The day will not lie observed as a general holiday in "Waikato, and the Banks will not be closed. The complete report of the annual ! meeting ot the paris'iioners of S. Andrew's, Cambridge, on Tuesday last, will, be found in another column. The notice in last issue calling a meeting of the Cambridge Jockey Club was a reproduction of a late advertisement, and was inserted in error. All the Wellington volunteer corps, with the exception of the Engineers, have decided to serve under the new regulations. The charges against Massey, late town clerk ot Dunedin, and his wife for forging debentures have been adjourned to allow of the necessary evidence being procured from Melbourne. Late news from Zululand is to the effect that Cetew.iyo has not met v ith the warm reception he anticipated. It is said that very few of tiie leading chiefs are likely to recognise his authority. The total amount of property tar paid throughout the colony up to Thursday, amounts to about £30,000. The amount, however, does not include accounts paid at post-offices. The annual Harvest Thanksgiving Festival m S. John's Ohuroli, Te Awamutu, will be held on Sunday, the 11th February. There will be a choral service at 7 p.m. The incumbent invites contributions of fruit, vegetables, and flowers, and notifies that all presents will be afterwards sent to the hospital. The appointment of Dr F. W. Peunefather, L.L.D., to be His Excellency the Governor's private secretary, and Major C. Y. Eccies, Rifle Brigade, to be his aide-de-camp, are gazetted. His Excellency will hold his first levee on the 2lst iust. It is probable that His Excellency will make a tour of the South Island before long. It will be remembered that the Hamilton West School Committee applied for a portion of the £6000 grant for libraries in aid of the school library. They have since received a communication trom the Colonial Secretary's office, informing them that the grant is not available for schools. The annual picnic of the Sundayschool pupils of S. Peter's Church, Hamilton, will be held in Mr Jolly's paddocks at the Lake on Monday next (weather permitting). The children will assemble at the Hall at 11 a.m. and march to the ground, where dinner will be served at 12.30, and tea at 5 p.m. An excellent programme of sports and games has been drawn up, and the children may look forward to spending a very pleasant day. Our Harapepe correspondent writes on Wednesday : — I am glad to say we now have regular divine service held in the schoolhonse every fortnight, Mr Neville being the minister. The longwished for rain has come at last. Yesterday we had a tew light showers, and during the night and to-day we were still getting showers, butnot enough for much good up to the present time. It will do the grass a vast amount of good, but for root crops I am afraid it comes too late. The usual monthly meeting of the Hamilton Wesleyan Band of Hope was held on Monday evening last. Mr G. French, vice-president occupied the chair. There was a good attendance of members and parents of the children. The programme cousisted of > recitations, riddles and readings. The committee have, during the last fovtuight, procured a number of books, containing suitable readings and recitations, the want of which lias been long felt. The next meeting will ba held on February sth, at 7 p.m. — (Communicated;) ,A Press Association telegram received on Thursday states : — The AgentGeneral has cabled that, at tiie last moment, he has found it neue&sary to make a material alteration in the draft contract for the direct steam service to New Zealaud, and was therefore unable to forward a copy of the contract by the. outgoing mail, as he had intended. In consequence of the alteration, he has been compelled to extend the time for the receipt , of tenders until the 30th April next/ A copy of the contract, as amended, will be sent to New Zealand as early as possible, and will be in plenty of time for colonial tenders. We understand that the wife and family, (eight children),, of. the late Mr W: H. Bailey, of 'Wtiatdwha'ta, are left by his death in exceedingly necessitous circumstances. He had been, previous to his' death, struggling for a considerable time under 'the pressure 6i failing health against very harassing financial difficulties. A subscription list has been opened for the benefit of the family, and it is hoped that the numerous , friends of the 'deceased'iradesiha 11 h I will, !lV m"the f present circumstances, do ' something 'to assist his f wife atid 'Child ten. ' • ' ' ' „ > A" tea and melange was ' held in the Paterangi schoolroom on Wednesday, the 17th inst., in aid of the Presbyterian] Church funds. After all expenses were, paid there was 1 a balance of £10J A delightful feftst'ofgood things was provided by M^dames Sing, Kay, Macky, Goodfellow^Seojfe|» and Germann. (The table? being pleared away, an enjoyable entieftai > nn!iin.fc/\viw' l ||iven/by > some lady and gentlemen ,. amateur singers, j tbe^ PaterSngr^ch'bolchildrenfranrf^onic; sol Addresses were ; ,.gi^en;by> Mr vvills, op ? Te*A^Vai^vtu; (^jE^^. ( of . CCarm r ('bridgeiiandpth^eyenjng'Bhentertainment^ was brought ,toia>close :m -the usual tvote^ of thanks^theflwhel wbo^sapplieq. the ( tabjes, and ,tli&, stran^ersiwho l assisted <■ at.

liSoncre^ (alternative Wd<A v Th4%ylch $a Italfan. The loM'er floffconfoins'pnbv lie office, 25 x 25 ;jigent'atroora,?l4 x 13 ; ,Btr6ngfropm,^y t 8 1 ; dinibg.rj>oiin7'ls)&x VI 6; kifcehenf^x 13; scitUeryV pantry ana s|»rc room. ,t, t There mil ba a aide ejx*,trauce'jso maiiager's apartments, 'afld ihd 1 coptaitis roonis ioi\ liviij^'ac'comt^odatfoii of managei*. f Tiift.-froat of the building" will be subdivided into three bays ; the lower storey broad rusticated piers standing on pannelled pedestals, upper storey ■ will have coupled Corinthian pilasters.^ surmounted by an enriched cornice. and ornamental balustrade. The window s> of ground floor are ornamented with fluted columns and louie cornice. The upper windows arc semicircular headed, enriched with pilasters and carved,, architrave 3. The side of 1 the building will be executed in similar style, and the premises, when finished, will coustitnte one of thp handsomest and most imposing buildings in Cambridge. — Herald.