KNYVETT ON TRIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3215, 11 May 1911, Page 6

KNYVETT ON TRIAL.

A TRIBUTE FROM HI'SI COLONEL

[FEB FEESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, May 10. The Knyvett trial was continued today. Colonel Wolfe said that when he arrived at Auckland No. 1 Company was in a very bad state, and Knyvett was responsible for most of the great improvement which followed. Knyvett was one of the keenest officers in the district, and witness thought tire incident due to Knyvett being in an excitable mood when he returned from Wellington, tip to tile time of . the incident witness always found Knyvett subordinate. Colonel Davies, InspectorGeneral, had highly commended Knyvett for the manner in which he had trained his company. Counsel for prisoner put iil ii testimonial from Lieut.-Colonel Paterson, expressing the highest approbation of Knyvott’s efforts to encourage volunteering in Auckland. _ Captain Dawson said that all the.de-' fence had to do was to prove that the letter was not insubordinate or improper. Counsel detailed Knyvett’s career. He said the letter was worded in language which, though perhaps rough and crude, was simply in the terms which Knyvett would use in ordinary business life. Colonel. Paterson had not thought the letter insubordinate, or he would have told Knyvett so in no light terms. Counsel contended that Knyvett had no guilty intent of improper or insubordinate language. When Knyvett’s company wanted to disband on Knyvett being dismissed, it was Knyvett alone, as a civilian, who asked and persuaded them to keep together. Counsel for the prosecution said that accused was not charged with preferring a charge against his superior officer, as any member of the Defence Force was allowed to do so, hut the charge was that, in preferring a charge, he did so in an insubordinate manner. Ignorance was no excuse for such action, especially as officers are expected to know better. The facts showed that Knyvett had been warned about the letter before he forwarded it to the Minister of Defence. After Colonel Wolfe returned the letter to Knyvett with a warning the latter endorsed it, and regretted that he was unable to alter the contents, which counsel contended was really an aggravation of the offence. The statement that Knyvett, on his return from Wellington, was in an excitable mood, bore no weight, as three days later he still refused to withdraw or alter the letter. The question of intent did not enter into the case, but whether the letter was insubordinate in language 'or not. The Judge-Advocate said the question of intent, was only entered into in case of conviction.

The Court then closed to consider the finding.