ELLIS ON TRIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 34, 9 February 1905, Page 3

ELLIS ON TRIAL.

DR. PALMES. EXAMINED. A GTOfSMITH'S EVIDENCE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The trial of James Williajn Ellis, alias Jack McKenzie, charged with the murder of Leonard Reeve Collinson, at Te Awaite, 011 February 26, was resumed this afternoon before Mr Justice Denniston. Dr. Pahner, who gave evidence concerning the wouads on Coflinson's body, said it would have been impossible for such wounds to be caused by a ballet frora a Snider carbine. William Tisdall, gunsmith, said numbers of different rifles took the same calibre of eartridsre. It would be a most injudicious thing to fee a .303 cartridge trom a rifle chambered to carry ,300. It might be done without accident a thousand times, or the rifle might '"go off" the first time. The bullet in a .303 cartridge was slightly larger in diameter than in a .300 cartridge, but was five grains lighter. The effective range of a '95 Winchester rifle such as that prodneed would be TOO or 800 yards, and its carrying range at least 2000 yards. He believed that a .300 bullet fired from this rifle would kill at a distance of 1000 yards. The wound described by Dr. Palmer could, ho believed, have been caused by a .300. .303, or .3240 bullet. The majority of stag shooters used .303 cartridge. Mr Grev&le (re-ea4led) stated that there would be nothing to intercept the sight in the case of a person firing from almost any point Along the above Cole's Creek at any object near the position on which Collhison'.s body was found. The Jiearing of the ease stands adjourned until to-morxow.