AMAZING CASE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1740, 3 May 1913, Page 6

AMAZING CASE.

GRAVE COURT CHARGE. irjlE YOUTH & A MOTOR TRIP, WHOLESALE SHOOTING. TWO MEN HIT REPEATEDLY. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.), Auckland, May 2. An echo of tie Takapuma sensation was heard at a. trial at the Police Court this morning, when. Robin Jasper Crago, aged 18 years, was charged that at Takapuna, on March. 13, ho wilfully attempted to mnrder Percy Robert -Skeates and Bertie James Hanna. . Be.rtio James Hanna, motor mechanic, said, that about 10 a.m. on March 13 he saw Crago at the garago in Customs Street, talking to the foreman, Mr. Jenkins. Jenkins told witness to show.Crago. a. car, and witness explained the "working of the car to Orago. .Asked low much, lie intended to givo for a car, Crago replied "About i£600." Ho said that the car shown irould just suit his purpose for a taxi service between Northcote and Birkenhead. Crago was then to. fix, Alp,, with Mr. Jenkins, and about'three-quar- J tors of an hour afterwards Jenkins inr structed witness to get 'tile car ready for tho road for Crago. Tho party then drove to.the wharf, after which "they drove inboard the Goshawk. At 1.30 p.m., when they unshipped tho car at Devonport, they drove on, to Takapuna, witness driving and giving Orago instructions on the way as to the working of it. They drove a couple of miles -past Takapuna, into Campbell's Head, and when they were a couple of hundred yards down that road Crago said, "Stop, I want to get a mail box which is in the scrub." . . The Motor-car Under Fire. ' There was some thick scrub at the sidf of the road there, and when the car was stopped Crago sot out aiid went into tho scrub. A companion named Skeates. was : leaning over from iflio back seat, talking to witness, w"hen they heard a_ revolver shot, and witness felt himself hit behind tho sfroulder. He jumped up and looked round, and saw Crago in tho act of firing at Skeates. Crago was then about two yards away towards the rear of the cai, on the driving side of which the 6crub was. Witness saw a revolver in Ciago's hand, and heard reports, but could not say how many shots were fired. Skeates seemed to be hit, and fell in tho tonmeau of the car. Crago was firing almost, point blank at Skeates when Skeates fell. Witness at onco jumped out of tho car on the side away from Crago, but received a bullet in tho right side, just as ho was getting out. When he was on tho step of tho car another bullet just grazed his neck, and he fell. Ho turned as ho fell, and 6aw Crago still firing. He heard several more shots fired', and while he was on the ground he saw Orago walking in tho direction of the eerub. He was thci. feloading his revolver. At this timo Skeates was lying in , the car, and, taking him for dead, witness made a dash for tho scrub on tho side of the road, away from Crago. He : watched Crago for a second ,\nd saw him go back to the car, rest his hand on the side of it, and fire several times point plank at Skeates. Witness wont in tho direction of a house down tlio bay. He next Crago at Takapuna with Eullerton in the car.

The Youth Charged with tho Shooting,

Witness told the Takapuna constable fiiH story, and tho constable said to Crago, "What's all this? Who'so been doing nil the shooting ?" 'Witness then pointed to Crago, who was in tho driving Beat, and saul, "You." Crago said, "It is a lio." Nothing further was said, but the constable then searched Crago and tho car for the revolver, and l got nothing. Tho came' back later, and witness and tho doctor drove to where the former had last seen Skeates. Skeates was not there, but there was a small pool of blood on tho road where the car had stood. Wlulo they were searching for Skeates Sergeant Baskerville, two constables, and Crago arrived in tho car. They all went to a whare by tho roadside, and there found Skeates, and an old woman attending to him.

The Doctor and the Youth. Dr. Fullerton said that he saw Crago lit about 1 p.m. on tho date in question. Witness asked Crago tho nature of-the injuries to the men who were said to have been shot, so that they might know what instructions would bo necessary. Crago said thnt ho thought that one man ws dead, and that the other had run away, but. ho thought ho ha<l a broken arm. Witness went in tho car with Crago, and, on tho way, he stopped at a shop. As lie was coming out of tho shop ho noticpd a man up the road who. looked ill, and had his arm hanging painfully. Witness asked accused what the man was like that was wounded, and Crago said, "Something liko liim/' pointing to Hanna. Witness went to. Hanna and asked him if he had been shot, and Hanna said he had. Ho also told witness something of his story, and, when they came up to Crago. Hannan said that it was tho latter .who shot him. Crago donicd it. Among other things ho said: "It's ridiculous! You can't prove it! You've never seen nio with a revolver! Hanna had icveral bullet wounds, but none wore dangerous, though they wero. In a dangerous situation. Witnes9 said that there wore so many bullet wounds 511 both Hanna and Skeates (whom he saw later) that his memory of. tho number of wounds on each was somewhat oonfnsed. Skeates had two or three wounds in the head, one in the brow, one in tho bund, and one in the side of tho chest. Revolver Shots Point Blank. . Perev Robert Sk'oat'cs ga've evidence about "Crnco'f visit'.to ".the garage. Ho; had some doubts concerning Crago's honafides, and made inquiries through another person v;ho, after talking with accused, considered that tho latter was all ri"ht, and knev; very well what he warit»(f. The car w,as taken out on the understanding that the transaction was to be cash on delivery. He did not get any money at .-all from Crago. Witness corroborated what Hanna had said concern- ' in" the journey out to Takapuna. A house which Crago pointed out as his was rather a niccly-localed place. After Crago got out to get tho mail witness heard a report, and felt that ho was struck, and fell into tho car. He opened his eyes to see Crago with a revolver pointed at him and another report came, ■and witness was conscious of being hit arain. He was then leaning against the pido of the car, nnd Crago opened the door, with tho result that witness fell out on to the road. He was still conscious, and heard Crago Telosdmg and fire another shot. Then Crago came up to his left side, and fired again. Meantime, though conscious, witness kept very quiet in order to inculcate tho belief in 'Crago's mind that no further shots wore necessary. He heard Crago then •start the engine of the car and driyo away, and saw him go round the bond in the 'road. Concerning the shooting he remembered ono incident and that was that while he was lying on the ground after several bullets had been fired, lie (heard Crago call out 'Bert! Bert! Whos shot us?" Witness did not see Crago at the time, hut knew his voice. ' The Firearm Found and Identified. Frederick William Rickard, salesman, dated that, on the afternoon on March 13* ho sold the revolver produced-a sevenchambered rovolver-to Crago for 3os. He also sold Crago a box of cartridges for the revolver. , , ~ Constable Clayton stated that the revolver produced was found by hoy 111 the scrub about 30 paces away from the snot 1!!! the road that had been pointed out to him by Hanna as tho scene of tho Baskervillo said that, when first asked about it,. Crago protested a-ainst tho idea of his being accused of doing the shooting as ridioulous. He said |.r, had purchased the car for jE<t2o, end Skeates v.ia runnim? round and showing

him how -to drive. He had paid Skeates tho money—J!3oo in sovereigns and the balance in notes. Ho had won .{MOO in a sweep in TnttersaU's, and another 4.10U ho had mado in horse-racing, while a friend had lent him .£2'>. 11° sa '(l that he had occasion to go into tho scrub, and while there lie heard tho shooting. He camo hack to tho road, and saw Skeates lying apparently dead on tho r °a<l. anil tho other man, whom he did not know, running away in to tho scrub. Crago pleaded "not guilty, and, reserving his dcfence, was committed to tlio Supremo Court for trial.