THE MURDER CASE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 502, 4 September 1890, Page 2

THE MURDER CASE.

[special to thb standard.] Auckland, last night. Ths trial of William Black, charged with the murder of Robert Streeter, at Wbatatuto, commenced on Tuesday morning, but the case elicits only the faintest interest at Auckland. The labor troubles so absorb ths pub’io mind as to relegate to dreariness many o'her matters that in the ordinary oourse of things would excite great interest. But even then, the shocking Dargaville murder takes first place in the mind of Aucklanders, Report has it—l don’t know with what truth, if any—that Mr Rees is likely to make the Black ease have a very different termination to what many Qirborne people believe. All the evident fully reported in the Standard , is of ooursj being taken again, but twn new witness's for the prosecution are J. E. Foster and John Halloa. Mr Faster said Parsons was vary 1 excitable, though he would not like on that account to say that be was unreliable. Mr Halloa deposed that on one occasion when working in tbs bush, Black pointed out to him a spot nsar where the body was found, and remarked what a fine plane it would ho in which to stow a body away. Cn anqtbdr occasion prisoner gave witness to understand that he was on certain terms with Streeter', wife, and had asked him not to let tbs bus-» band know he (Blsok) had been to town. Black had told Streeter he (ths former) had been io Patutahi when he had in reality gone tn Gisborne. Mr Ress then questioned ths witness on the two sentences hi had served in gipl, for assault and threa's, Black giving evidence against him. He said he had nd animosity against Black. Mr Rees is making a good defence and e'eariog up many doubtful points. It has been allotted that Mr Foster had spoken to Black ab-ut felling bu’h ; that natives had been at Waitangi on the 30th, and borrowed a gun to go pig shooting, returning at .5 p.m.; that three parties of natives passed up the creek on that day, McDonald disclosed that his original name was McDaniel, but he could not tell when cr why ha had changed his name, Had taken tbs search party direct from the camp to the spot where the body was found—had taken them to that spot because Waring told them they had found an axe and spade near the ritnu stump.