The Murder Case.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 503, 6 September 1890, Page 2

The Murder Case.

BLACK ACQUITTED. These was 'some sensation on Thursday night and yesterday aa the news spread that William Black had been acquitted on the charge of murdering Robert Streeter at Wbatatutu. The general tone of conversations indicated that Mr Rees had acted very sensibly for his client in having the venue changed to Auckland, and the universal belief is that Black has a great deal to thank his lawyer for, as none but a clever man could have constructed such a good defence out of materials which at first appeared too weak to have any weight in the matter. It is strange that the question of the natives borrowing a gun, and many of them being about on the 30th, never cropped up before, and one would think the least that intelligent witnesses know ing that fact could have done would have been to acquaint the Sergeant with the information. We must accept the decision of the jury as a just one upon the evidence before them, but enough has come out in connection with the case to bring the blush of shame to anyone who takes heed of the evidence. Assuming Black to be innocent of all connection with the dreadful deed that put Streeter from his career ou this earth, there is yet sufficient to prove a terrible state of things, which unfortunately there seems to bo no way of punishing. The beet thing that c .n be done is to try and blot the whole affair from memory, and relegate it to the mysteries of the past,