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MURDER CHARGE.

V ~. ........ , . ' * WITNESS FOR DEFENCE. ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE OF GUN ALLEGED. '(rXB*S 4SIOCUTIOI TSLBCttill.) HAMILTON, February" 26. JCTrs Tolley was the chief witness today in the.trial of Charles Colston, for alleged murder of Mrs Anderson at National Park on January 6th. Tlie first witness to-day was Detective John Walsh, Wanganui, who has • had charge of the investigation, la.® described the finding of the gun behind the woodshed and the empty cartridge. On a visit to the farm he found three cartridges, in a niun-a trousers. The Defence. In opening the defence, Mr Dickson ■ said the whole of the evidence was circumstantial, unless that of the little boy Gordon Fisher was to be regarded. The Crown case must ho very frail indeed if it had to rely for the only direct evidence on an infant. It was audacity to bring such evidence forward . . , ' , ■ . >. ■ Counsel contended that the shot marks in the dead woman's face we.ro quite consistent with the story of accidental shooting. Lillian Edith Tolley said she was a married woman and she had lived apart from her husband for twelve and a half years. She had lived and worked" with Colston since 1925. Describing the incidents that had occurred at McFarlane's farm, witness said that they intended later to go on to another farm which Colston/ was negotiating for. Four different firms had been written to asking them to send a case of wine. Three cases arrived in all. These were not paid for. The first case was consumed between Saturday night, and 10 o'clock on Sunday morning. ; Op Monday night the second case of wine was opened. Colton went to bed very drunk both nights. . ' On Tuesday morning there was sojne drinking in her sister's room. Jade ■ St'orr, witness, and Mrs Anderson had ■ , some, and Colston also entered and had a drink, Witness told her • sister not to give Colston much, as ho was going ■pig hunting. Owing to Colston's condition a. little lateij she remarked to her sister, "tliore will be no pig hunting if .Charlie has more." She, then went into her sister's room and closed the door from the inside. Colston came along and kicked on the door, demanding wine. Witness finally, opened the door and her sister gave him another drink. Witness and Colfeton later went : to the room they had, been occupying* : when witness bethought herself of .a bottle of wine she had put there op Monday night. It was gone. She asked Colston, who was sitting on a box outside the house, if he had < taken the bottle; He replied in the negative, but she) CQiild tell by his looks that he taken it Phyllis, who was nearby, Baid she knew where bottle ■wras, and produced it from beneath the - ihfliisq. Phyllis ran round the side, of . the bottle.< The next filing Tyitneps knew was her sister leav- , sOn, Era- • est, 'leaving" with a rifle., Mrs Anl Buying ""Go after him with ? '' Witness' ; did not know i whaf it; w;aß all about, and Bhe asked 1 | tbsendthe boy after if *1 f, \&ffcjjtpss her sister then ' went round tho side of the honso, where they had- afl" argument over sending the boy-after Colston. Witness did not know at this time that Colston had ■ gone after Phyllis with the gun. Women Quarrel. Continuing, she said thUjt sho went inside to ,see if .the gun were there. Her sister followed her and they had a further argument in Colston's .room. Lying on- the'bed was a knife in- a ,-Which have been knocked off the s h«diftiJie,«itfugglA When Btojrr entered to wparita -them,, fW, sister'asked'ljini gofor the jfolice. Trfley managed to sppar.'ateiwivtiess «nd hsp sister, and took' Mrs ; A,«atw'«pn .to her. room. decided *fo e 1 ,tp the-side of'thG. house Opliton coining back, harjje, what are*you "shot prior to W -tM? ha i was pracaind.;She took the,, •placed it inside the, rei%to find Phyllis/ , as'the. fence when . sister 'at ~ the m" with jßraest. Wit", ) 1 turned back ShfKgot, ,to the lipte* Just 'going into to .get' the -When ,Mrs Anderson's'room- she foiled .gone. * Shel. took , hold; of * being * "thy better of wittimol ' called -for ; ' ? came td tie door. It tha stiruggle in the- d<w•Vfy witness 'a taker and Col'pion sister 'stumbled, aid fell 1 * * '> „ w Mr DieksQn: 'WhQ waft [ handling the fmin.at' the? time it;went off. ■ > • ; , ■\ .WMepa^iOolgton' and' 'f ■V' ; hav« fieen me/ 1 • • ' Y said her stater g9». WWt , off,: ' Witness v ?#omardf. #nd * with a blanket the wiped the blood from her - She- 1 picked npy the;,gun' aid wgnt outside, She placed the gun 'behind\the wood-shed,'and then went tysick, and taking thd little boy Gordon, went as fast as slie "coultl to National ,stafk"for h ( elp. The little boy, during i tho strtiggle for the gun, had been creeping round his mother. She had got >w|tbin hall a'mile of the station when | : she .-heard the car behind She saw i that the dtiW was her soil Ernest, who. ! . Shopped and picked her up. .Colston was Also in the ear. Witness remarked, ffMy, Qodi she's been shot in the face,'? A little later they'met Jack'Storr return- ' ing from the store. Witness asked him,< . you dope anything}" He replied, : "No," When they reached- the station Colston alighted first, and Warder , who was already there, asked him ' "Are you' the.man who is doing all the < shooting?" Witness answered, "There >: b'een no, shooting, It was an acci- ■: < dent, >You caniiot take him. He didn't do it. I '-:•' ■ Mr Dickson; Did'you say she had shot .herself? ' •Witntisfe;' ,, No. 'I said it went off it- - s^lf."'Witness said that on the morning qf the she only three' small prions of wuie. -

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19310227.2.96

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20173, 27 February 1931, Page 16

Word count
Tapeke kupu
941

MURDER CHARGE. Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20173, 27 February 1931, Page 16

MURDER CHARGE. Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20173, 27 February 1931, Page 16

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