ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1722, 29 November 1887, Page 3

ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER

Auckland, November 28. At the Police Court this morrjlne, befo-jj T-Jr Baddeley,' R.M , Samuel Clegg was charged with manslaughter 11 hy killing and slaying one Arthur Dawson." Accused, who seemed quiet and composed, and not at all overcome by the Bflrious charge, pleaded not guilty. The oate waß remand .d till Wednesday, pending the inquest on the body of Dawson, ' Ihe Inquest was oommenoed this afterpoon before Dr Philson, District Coroner, ikY GJeeßon'a hotel. The body of the "^.ceased man had been removed from the police cell where he died, and lt having been -^ftipalMeil by the jury, a post aiortern waq~ made by Drs IJrson and Hooper, when it was found that death had resulted from a fracture of the skull, tbe Inner portion of which had[ bfon drivou m upon the brain. There was a large clot of extravasaled blood on the brain, and It was the pressure of this blood which caused death. Dawson, when taken Into cnatody on the morning of death, gave a number of different versions as to the cause of the wound upon his head, and Mrs Dawson, when afterwards Interrogated, said that In n quar_el which ensued tetween the deceased and Clegg, the latter BtrucH her husband with the buckle of a belt. The doctor, however, In his eyidenc^ Bald the wound was not such a one as would be caused m this way, and was more likely to have resulted from a blow with a -harp instrument applied with great force_ Constable Addison, who assisted Dot act Ive Hughes to arrest deceased on Saturday morning, and Drs Ereon and Hooper were the only witnesses examined to-day, the inquest being adjourned till to-morrow, At present considerable mystery exists as to how ' Dawson received the wound whiob caused