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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 78

Meikle's Best Witness

Meikle's Best Witness.

But the most valuable part of Lambert's testimony, and that which entitles us to regard him as Meikle's chief witness now that Meikle himself has been ruled out by the Commission, and his son and Harvey are dead, is that relating to Lambert's visit to Meikle's house on the night before the entry of the police. Referring to the two sheepskins bearing the Company's brand which were found in Meikle's smithy, "I ask your Honours," said Dr. Findlay in his opening address, "to treat these skins and the means by which they got there as the crux of the whole case "(C. III); and we shall presently see that the challenge was cheerfully accepted on Meikle's behalf. The matter is therefore clearly deserving of the closest scrutiny, McGeorge's important statement on the point at Lambert's trial in 1895 has been already given. Before the Commission, is an old man of transparent honesty, but failing memory, he denied having given Lambert two sheepskins, though he remembered being asked for them. (C. 81/715-720). But he stated that he did not wish to alter anything that he had said at Lambert's trial, and that he was not aware of having made any mistakes on that occasion. (C. 81/724-5; 8¾6). McGeorge's memory was certainly better eleven years before, and his original statement that he left two skins hanging for Lambert on a wire fence beside the hut may be safely accepted as in no way impugned by his candid lapse of memory on this one point before the Commission. As before, Lambert denied the whole conversation, but his denial varied in one important particular from his previous statement:—

1895.—"It is not true I asked McGeorge for two skins before he left. I could have got them from Stewart or Mr. Troup without asking McGeorge for them."—(P. 45.)

page 24

1906.—" If I wanted two skins, I do not see why I should ask McGeorge for them. I could get them without asking for them at all."

. . . . . . . . . .

" Could you have picked them up round the hut?"—" Yes."—(C) I7S/S64-7-)

According to the one explanation he could have got the skins at any time by an application to his superior officers, which would probably have involved a six or seven miles' journey to the homestead where they lived; according, to the other, he could have freely helped himself at any time without the sanction or the assistance of anybody. In the opinion of Mr. Justice Edwards there is no conflict between these explanations, but "both are obviously and equally true"—(C. 326, ad fin.); and without further labouring the point we are quite content to leave it to the candid reader to say whether he is right.