The Alleged Murder at Templeton.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 235, 6 January 1881, Page 2

The Alleged Murder at Templeton.

(From this morning’s Press.) Walter Pringle Gibson was brought up at a Court held yesterday in the City Council chamber, charged with the wilful murder of William Kerrison, who died on Tuesday in the Hospital from the effects of a shot fired from a pistol on December 25th last. Messrs. R. Westenra and J. Ollivier, J.P.’s occupied the Bench. Superintendent Bfoham conducted the prosecution. The prisoner, who was defended by Mr. Holmes, appeared quite cool, and suitably impressed with the gravity of his position. The witnesses examined were the same as, and their evidence a mere repetition of/| that given at the inquest. At the beginning of the proceedings, Mr. Holmes said he supposed that there could be but one termination to the present enquiry—the prisoner would be committed for trial. He would earnestly ask the Bench not to send him for trial at the present sessions of the Supreme Court. If that were done it might be simply giving the man’s life away, as there could not possibly be time to prepare for his defence before that tribunal. He was not prepared to say that the Bench would not be justified by law in committing prisoner to the present sessions, but at any rate they bad power to do as he suggested, and hoped they would do so. The Bench said they thought it would be their duty to let the case go to fhe present session. The evidence of Mrs. Kinley, who had been living with deceased for over four years as his wife, was given in a clear, methodical manner, without a sign of emotion. When she began, Mr. Holmes objected to the prosecution leading her from her statement at the inquest, and from that time she went through it all again almost without prompting, in very nearly the actual words used before. The coolness of those who had been the actors in the tragedy was the most remarbable. Charlotte Kerrison, sister of the deceased, and who had ' been living in. the most intimate relation with the prisoner for two years, he being the father of her child, was apparently the most unconcerned of all. Sho brought her child in her arms into Court, and said what she had to say with as much sang fro id as though she were a witness in some mere trifling squabble, until Mr. Holmes probed her relations with the prisoner, when she slightly broke down. After hearing the evidence read through, prisoner’s counsel reserved his defence, and he was committed for trial at the present sessions of the Supreme Court. The space allotted to the public in the room was crowded to inconvenience.