TOT MURDER AT GREEN ISLAND.

Evening Star, Issue 3440, 2 March 1874, Page 3

TOT MURDER AT GREEN ISLAND.

On Saturday evening the police at CaVersham received intimation that a very deliberate and cold-blooded murder had been committed at Green Island. Constable Anderson at once proceeded to the locality, and there received information which caused him to arrest Patrick Long, landlord of the Kaikorai Hotel. The simple facts are these A number of men were drinking in Long’s house on Saturday evening, among the number being the deceased Nicholas M‘Donald, a railway laborer,' and another laborer named M ‘Sweejicy. The Jitter’s‘'wife, una’{ile to get him home, got M‘Donald to persuade him to leave the hotel, which be ultimately did. What then transpired is thus told by an eve-witness ; “About five minutes to nine o’clock on Saturday I was standing outside of Long’s Hotel. I saw Patrick Long put a man named M‘Sweeney and deceased out of the hotel; There was no quarrelling going on then,, but on deceased being put out he wanted to. fight. Immediately .a tall man naihed; Hairy O’Kane came forward and knoekgd dopeased sowqqnd kicked him. Deceased got dp again. L'mg said, That wul dp j come inside. ■ The deceased then threw . S stone at the verandah of Long’s hohse, and afterwards tried to push the door uiiwith his head; Long then came from the back i.of the house and caught me by the shoulder and pushed me away, saying, ‘ I will protect my premises, and no other man rii . then fired at M ‘Donald, .who foil without saying, a word. Long then went away with the revolver in his hand. ” The theory that will be put forward by the police is, that Long, after getting his revolver* went to the back of his bouse, fired a shot to try the weapon,; and then went to tire'front and deliberately hilled M‘Donald. The revolver case has been found, but nob the revolver, though diligent search has beep made fdr it. must been kdled instantaneously, as the hall penetrated his head just above the temple. Long denies that he was outside his house that night, or that be fired the shot that killed M'Donald. He is thirty-five years of age. a native of Ireland, married, but with no family, and has Imd some years in the distnot,. where he has been regarded as a quiet, inoffensive man M'Donald was a native of Ayr, Scotland, twenty-five years of age, and a recent arrival m the Colony. 6 r THE INQUEST. An inquest was held to-day at Eagerty’s Hotel, Green Island, before Mr Sheriff Watt (in the absence of the Coroner, Mr Hocken) on the body of Nicholas M'Donald. who was shot pn Saturday night last. Mr Barton and Mr J. Smith hatched" the proceedings oh behalf of Patrick Long, Mr Watt bald that no doubt the jury would agree that a fiosf-wiorfcm’ examination should be held. Dr Burn was in attendance, and, with the consent of the jury, such examination should be held. " Andrew ‘ Kerf, coalminer; I know deceased by sight, I saw him on Saturday last, on the evening of which day, between eighkand nine o’clock, I was standing at the bar of Long’b hotel, in company with Daniel M Lauchlan, when deceased and one Donald M Sweeny, came in. The latter iasked me to have a drink, arftl threw down the money I? P ■ 9 r ea3. Long would not give him and Mr M‘Sweeney came in and Pij ■?*!£ a qs them, so we got them, ?vT tried tp get M'Sweeny home with hjs Wifp ; but he wab not for going, and then Long shoved M‘Sweeney eut of the door and afterwards deceased too, I was outside also, andtold deceased that if he let M‘Sweeny him home.' The latter was tap worse for drink,' but deceased

d&a not drunk, though he had had a glass or two. Then I looked rotoud and saw a big fellow knock down deceased in the road and kick him. Ido not know who this man was. [Henry O’Kane was here called, and witness stated that he had seen him before, but could not recognise him as the man who kicked deceased ] He ran into the hotel whoever he was, and the door was closed. Deceased then got up aud threw stones at the door, and afterwards went up to it and either kicked or struck it. Long then came round the house from the back, and I saw the lire and heard the report of a pistol, and then heard men calling out that a man was shot. -Long then turned and went back the same road as he came. I saw deceased the same evening after he was shot. He was at a stone house about forty yards from Long’s, and was alive. I saw a wound in his forehead, and , w ® 3 IQ sensiide. I did not hear him speak after he was shot, I did not see him again till to-day. I was quite sober at the time of the occurrence. Long fired the shot that I heard. I heard only one. It was a clear moonlight night, and I was about eight or ten yards from Long when he fired the pistol, ihe men called out that a man was shot directly after long fired. There were a good few people about, and I could not see how far deceased was from Long. I did not see deceased carried away, having come along the township as far as Eagerty’s Hotel before 1 went tq the stone house. }°. Jury • Long gave no reason for refusing drink, to the deceased. The latter was out in the road when he was shot. Long came round the north side of the house. 1 know of no previous disturbance at the hotel, and deceased did not offer to enter the hotel after being shoved oqt. I never heard Long speak to deceased or warn him to cease kicking at thq doqr before shooting him. 1 did not the me:q say who had shot deceased when they called oqt that a man was shot. I no idea where the big fellqw that knocked deceased down omie from, but he went into the hotel afterwards. Long came four or five yards round the corner of the house before he fired When Long fired he held his arm stretched out. Norman M’Kay, laborer : I know deceased only by seeing him on Saturday night at Long s hotel, between eight and nine o’clock Hqand another man were wanting a drink, and Long would not give them any, but shoved them both out. I then saw a big man knock deceased down and kick him. [Henry O’Kane was here again called, and witness identified him as the man who kicked deceased.]— Deceased got up, and Kane knocked him down and kicked him a second time. Long then roared out to 0 Kane, “That’ll dp, come inside, he’s got enough.” O’Kane went inside, arid the door was closed. De,‘eased then threw one stone, arid struck the verandah post with it. and another which bit the door. He then kicked the door with his feet, and ran at it with his head aud shoulders. Long then came round the corner of the hotel and said, “htand clear, till 1 protect my pro perty ; - for if no other man will dp it I’ll do it myself;” and then took up the revolver in both hands' and shot deceased. I saw some of the men carry deceased away. He was wouuded in the right side of his fprehead. I Wrint with the men, blit d’d not Hear deceased d qt the side of Long whep he firpd the shot. I was only a' ftU" a foot away from him. Deceased was among a crowd of people when he was shot. The distance between where I and deceased stood has been measured and found to be seven yards.

James M'Lauchlan, miner; On Saturday night at about half-past eight, I was opposite Long a Hotel, and saw deceased and another man trying to get iu through the front door. Long stood iu the doorway and shoved them both back. Deceased said to Long."lf it is fighting you want, you had better come out,” and O’Kane came in and knocked deceased down and kicked him, and then went: inside the house. Deceased then rapped at the door with his feet to try ai d get O’Kane to come out, calling him to come out. Deceased then stepped back in the round, and Long came round the corner of the honse. I was about six yards from the verandah. Long rolled up the sleeve pf his coat, on the right arm, and held up bolh arms j and then 1 heard a report. He then said, "That’s the way I’ll serve all such ——: — as you, who destroy my property.’’ . I saw deceased fall, and went forward to him and struck a match. I saw there was a wound in the right forehead, [Left sitting.]