FATAL STABBING AFFRAY.
SHOCKING INHUMANITY.
[From Our Own Correspondent.] LAWRENCE, March 20. Not a little consternation was created in Lawrence yesterday evening when it became known that a fatal stabbing affray had occurred at Tuapeka Mouth. The first intimation of the affair was on the arrival of the injured man from the Mouth, and his lodgment in the hospital here, where he expired about an hour after being admitted. The circumstances are of an exceedingly painful nature, and the gross indifference with which the unfortunate man was treated after the occurrence shows a shocking want of humanity on the part of those about him. It appears that Alexander Connolly (the deceased), in company with James McRory and a man named Walsh, were drinking together on Sunday evening at the Tuapeka Mouth Hotel, owned by a man named Edmeads. After a time McRory went outside with Walsh to look after some horses that had broken loose, and Connolly remained in the house drinking with some others. At about nine o'clock McRory was standing at Auld's store, when Connolly, with several others, advanced towards him in the dark and called him a bad name, at the same time striking him and knocking him down. When McRory was lying on his back Connolly knelt on him, putting his knee on his throat, when McRory, after trying to get up, pulled out his knife and stabbed Connolly in the groin. As to what transpired immediately afterwards I am not in a position to say, but Connolly was allowed to lie at Tuapeka Mouth all night in his clothes, which were completely saturated with blood, and no effort was made to obtain medical assistance; nor does there seem to have been any attempt at dressing the wound. In the morning he was put into a spring cart, littered with a little straw, and in that way was jolted over sixteen miles of rough road to the hospital. Even when he arrived at Lawrence he was allowed to remain in the street for a while until a permit for his admission was signed by a member of the Hospital Board. He became delirious, and died about an hour after being admitted.
There is another incident in connection with the matter which should not be overlooked. When Connolly was brought to the hospital, Dr Withers saw that he was dying, and immediately despatched Edmeads, the hotelkeeper, who had driven the man in in a spring cart, with a letter to Dr Blair, asking him to come at once and assist him in ligaturing the wound, also with a letter to the police, asking them to bring a magistrate to take the dying man's depositions. For some reason or another these letters were not delivered, and Connolly died before his depositions were taken. I understand that Edmeads denies having received the letters. It is difficult to get full particulars of the affair, as those immediately concerned are very reticent, but as an inquest takes place to-morrow all particulars will then be elicited. McRory was brought before the Police Court this morning, and remanded for a week. Inspector Weldon is conducting the case. -Evening Star, 20/3/1888.
McRORY'S VERSION.
James McRory (the accused) was arrested by Constable Daubney in his hut at Greenfield on Monday afternoon. He appeared to be fully conscious of the terrible seriousness of his position, and admitted everything. His manner was very subdued, and he appeared to feel his position keenly. His version of the affair is as follows; — On Sunday evening about 8.30 he went to the Tuapeka Mouth Hotel in company with David Walsh, blacksmith at Greenfield station, and Alexander Connolly, the deceased. Walsh shouted drinks for the three. He (McRory) took port wine, Walsh took beer, but he does not know what Connolly had. Walsh had a horse tied up outside, and on looking out to see it, he found it was gone. He went with Walsh to look for the horse, leaving Connolly at the bar. Some time after he was standing near Auld's store, when Connolly came up to him and shouted out "Here is the b— — b— ," and struck him with his fist, knocking him down. When on his back, Connolly got on top of him and put his knee across his neck. He tried to get from under him, but could not do so. He then put his hand in his pocket and took out his knife and stabbed Connolly with it. Connolly, when stabbed, said: "Jim, I didn't think you would do that."
The knife which McRory used was found by Constable Daubney in his waistcoat pocket, and had spots of blood on it. There were also in the hut an oilskin coat, a pair of trousers, and a vest, all of which were more or less stained with blood. -Tuapeka Times, 21/3/1888.
THE TUAPEKA MURDER.
(united press association.) DUNEDIN, March 21.
The inquest regarding the death of .Alexander Connelly at Tuapeka Mouth, on Sunday last, was commenced at Lawrence to-day. McRory, who is charged with murder, was present and appeared to be very dejected.
From the evidence of one witness it appears there is a custom of tying up men when they are drunk, and there had been talk of tying up McRory if he was drunk that night. The post mortem examination has disclosed the fact that Connelly received two wounds.
At the inquest, Charles Edwards, labourer, who was with Connelly, stated that the two of them when going up the road saw someone, and Connelly went to see who it was. He saw Connelly make a blow at McRory, but could not say whether he hit him or not, as it was dark at the time. They took hold of each other and fell down on the ground. Connelly then sang out to witness, "Come and take hold of McRory, Charlie; he is using a knife." Witness went to Connelly's assistance, taking hold of McRory by the left hand. There was no knife in the hand that witness took hold of, the other hand was underneath Connelly's body. Both men got to their feet at the same time. Connelly staggered and fell down, at the same time calling out to McRory, "Oh you b.... to use a knife to me, a man that never harmed you," McRory replied, "I could not have helped it. Sancie, if I was to be hung to-morrow." Witness then assisted to take Connelly to the Hospital. McRory in the meantime cleared out. Witness could not tell the cause of the assault. McRory, it may be stated admits the stabbing. He gives a slightly different vision of it to that given by Edwards.
March 22. The inquest at Lawrence did not conclude until one this morning. The jury after two hours consultation, during which they twice asked the Coroner for directions, returned a verdict for manslaughter adding a rider that while Connelly's death was directly caused by a stab in the groin, it was nevertheless expedited by the gross negligence and indifference of those about him. Dr Withers in the course of his evidence said that deceased's death would not have occurred had he received proper surgical treatment, a very moderate amount of which would have prevented his death, A little judicious management would have prevented bleeding. It was to him amazing that men should let the man die through loss of blood when by simply pressing the thumb on the vein they could have stopped the bleeding. They simply let the man bleed to death. The whole thing was mismanaged from beginning to end.
Edmeades, publican, denied that he was any party to the quarrel or that he himself was drunk on Sunday night. -Marlborough Express, 22/3/1888.
In consequence of evidence given at the inquest on the body of Connell, who was stabbed at Tuapeka Mouth, the police have laid an information against Jane Edmeads, the licensee of the hotel, charging her with unlawfully selling liquor on Sunday. -Otago Witness, 30/3/1888.
Acquitted. — In the Tuapeka Mouth manslaughter case, James McRory, the prisoner, was acquitted by the jury after a retirement of two hours. The chief defence set up by Sir R. Stout was that the fatal blow with the knife was given by the accused when on the ground, unable to escape, and in fear of serious bodily harm. The jury, in returning a verdict of "Not guilty", said they believed the wound was inflicted by the prisoner when in fear of bodily harm. There was some applause in Court at the verdict. -Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, 13/4/1888.
Epitome of News
"The verdict in McRory's case will" (the Tuapeka Times thinks) "serve as a useful lesson to larrikins all over the colony. It will teach them that when they wantonly attack people who are not interfering with them, and subject them to all kinds of rough usage and indignities the law will hold innocent the man who, in defending himself, inflicts serious bodily injury, or even indicts a fatal wound or his assailants." Sir R. Stout made a splendid defence for the accused — a defence which shows how a man's life might be lost or saved through or by his lawyer. -Lake County Press, 19/4/1888.
No comments:
Post a Comment