The Van Buren press., 1904-11-26
ERRORS OF ENGLISH COURT
Cases OF Mistaken Identity That Hays
Resulted in Great Hard
ships.

Every year sees a number OF innocent
men wrongly convicted, and while In
some cases proofs OF these judicial err
rors come to hand after the victims have
served cat a few months Imprisonment.
In many instances the mistakes are not
found out until after those convicted
have served their full sentence.
The public rarely hears Of these mis-
takes OF justice, says London Answers.
and yet In 1897 81 men and women were
released and granted free pardon after
having been wrongly imprisoned for
over four months. In none OF these
cases was the victim granted any COM
pensation. nor does the law entitle them
to redress In any shape or form, while
not so much as written or unwritten
apology is their lot
In cases Of mistaken Identity similar
10 that Of Adolph Beck there are very
few precedents OF compensatory bounty
having been granted. while those on
record do not show a dispensation OF
very large sums However, some CD
years ago a most fragrant instance OF
miscarriage Of justice occurred A we'll
known solicitor named Barber was.
after long trial. convicted OF forgery
and was sentenced TO transportation for
life.
A considerable time elapsed before
proofs turned up which infallibly
proved that justice had erred. In this
case IL was fol, that there were moral
and intellectual claims for compensa-
ton for suffering which had been
borne so long, 80 terribly and so un-
deseryedly on the shoulders Of an inno-
cent man A long debate was held TO
determine the exact sum OF money
which could. in some measure al least,
make up for the personal agony which
ally the house of commons ordered the
wronged man bounty Of G5,000
Some three years ago a man from
New Zealand was brought TO Colchester.
charged with having committed muir
der Eventually, however, the case
against him was dismissed and taking
into account the fearful strain which
The innocent man must have suffered.
the treasury granted him f600
The largest sum which has ever been
granted In almost exactly similar con-
dltions TO those under which Adolph
Beck wrongiully suffered imprisonment
occurred exactly 2S years ago when a
man named Habron was convicted OF
murder at Manchester Fortunately,
proofs OF his Innocence turned up, but
not until some time later Never had
! justice committed a greater mistake,
and although It was felt that II would
be impossible adequately to compensate
the victim Of this extraordinary case OF
mistaken Identity. he was only granted
sum Of fl.OOo
There are numerous cases OF mistaken
identity in which the wrongfully con-
| vlcted man has not received one penny
OF compensation. In 1926 man named
stewart was charged With being an
escaped convict lie firmly protested
that his name was Stickler. but the
| evidence was so strong against him that
he was sent back 10 prison Two years
elapsed before the police arrested a man
who was exactly like Stewart. and then
II was discovered that this man was the
erstwhile missing jailblrd
Stickler, OF course. was Immediately
released. but could claim no redress.
and his only consolation was that he
had not been compelled to serve the
full sentence,
The exact value OF circumstantial
evidence Is much discussed question.
William Shaw, some years ago, was
hanged on cIrcumstantial evidence for
the murder OF his daughter About
year after his execution the tenant who
rented Shaw's house discovered a let
ter written by the supposed murdered
girl, In which she stated that as the
man she loved had lifted her, she had
made up her mind TO commit suicide.
The authorities were, OF course. unable
to explate this terrible mistake: but the
GGad mans body was handed over to his
relatives Of reintorment, while nags
wore waved over the grave. and prom
nent officials attended the funeral In
token that Shaws innocence was rec