PAKARAE SHOOTING CASE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2214, 11 June 1908, Page 2

PAKARAE SHOOTING CASE

THE GIRL’S CONDITION. OPERATION PERFORMED. HOPES OF (RECOVERY. At a kite hour Hast blight, Dr. Colline, who is still at Pakarae, informed a “Times’,’ representative tint the unfortunate girl, Mary Agnes (or “Minnie,” as she is more generally known) Peterson, who was shot at Pakarae on Monday afternoon,, has slightly- improved in condition, and fair hopes’.are entertained for her recovery. At eleven o’clock, the patients’ temperature was normal, her pulse at 120, her respiration .reguiW, and her general 1 condition satisfactory. IDr. Collins will leave Pakarae • it about 11 o’clock this morning, and hopes to reach home at about three o’clock in the afternoon. A trained nurse '"'ill • reach Pakarae to-day to attend upon the girl. EXTRACTING THE BULLET. AY lion Dr. Collins arrived at tlie scene of the affair on Tuesday evening the girl' was too weak from loss of blood to permit of any immediate operation to abstract the bullets. He then decided to ask Dr. Reeve to go to Pakarae to assist him to extract the bullet which had entered the. left shoulder. As it was necessary that tlie two surgeons should operate, Mr; AV. A. B irton, S.M., was instructed in the use of chloroform, and '.His AVorship administered the anaesthetic with a caution that would have done credit to a qualified practitioner. The surgeons then made a downward ,Cut two and a-li iff inches below the left collarbone, and found tlie bullet had passed clean through the flesh, smashed the collarbone and one rib, •penetrated the apex of the lung, .pierced a large blood vessel, and lodged underneath the shoulder blade. The blood vessel discharged freely, and the patient was in great danger of death from hemorrhage. An opening was then made under the shoulder, and the ibullet extracted from between the shoulder blade and tlie nape of the neck. The operation was one attended in'tli considerable danger, as the girl was almost exhausted from loss of blood and shock. Mr. T. A. Coleman and Mr. Barry, who wore staying in the Pakarae hotel, and the licensee (Air. J. Sli iw) afforded the surgeons considerable assistance. After the operation was over, the girl was put to bed, as' her condition was very grave, and it was decided not to attempt to extract tlie bullet which liad-entered her head, it being feared she might die on the operating table. A BULLET IN THE BRAIN.

Towards yesterday afternoon the patient’s condition had so greatly improved that Dr. Collins carefully examined the track of the second bullet that had entered the ifaee and lodged in the brain. He fouhd the pellet of lead lodged in the base of the skull. In its track it had smashed the chin bone and passed l .through the rooF of the mouth. •Dr. Reeve will go to Paka.rae this morning, and if the patient’s condition is maintained an operation will be performed by both doctors to extract the bullet. THE ACCUSED MAN. .Tire man, AYalter 'Symons, who was been taken into custody. will be broug/ht .before the Court this morning and formally charged with the attempted murder of the girl Petersen,. Tlie police will apply for a remand, \iTiieli will probably be granted. Wlieii Detective Rawle arrived at the Pakarae hotel, Symons had already been secured, lie having been prevented, as reported in yesterday’s “Times,” from doing any'injury to himself. The people at the hotel, had safely secured him with ropes, but he was quite calm, and not in- the least excited. He was ra.ther glad to be released from his uncomfortable position by the detective, who merely handcuffed his hands behind his back and locked him in a room. He made no effort to be fractious yr to escape, and seemed quite indifferent to bis position. He slept for about three hours.; ate a good, breakfast, and was thenttajugbt into Gisborne in a buggy byDeiective Rawle and Constable Dandy.. He eat up in tlie vehicle with his hands fastened behind hif back all the way, and along tlie road occasionally exchanged .words with the officers of tbe'law as if nothing serious had happened. AATiile he was at Pakarae. Symons stated it was his intention to kill the.girl, and expressed regret that- he had not: succeeded in putting an end to both his victim and •himself.

A\ lien .tlie girl’s depositions were being taken, tike accused was in the r00m.,;, Detective Rawle, as was his duty, cautioned the prisoner in the usual way, and suggested that he should" engage counsel, there being two lawyers in tlie hotel, to appear on his- behalf. (Symons rejected tlie advice, .and when the girl’s statement was concluded she looked up and sla w him standing near, and addressing him, said, “AAulter, AA'alter, why did you do this?” Tbe prisoner contemptuously replied, “I did it,” as if that was sufficient explanation. Symons then eaid, “this loom is stuffy,” and was taken out. One gentleman who was present at the time informed' a “Times” representative that he never sanv such a callous man in all liis life, and his brutality horrified everybody. It is understood that Symons made and signed a full confession of his part in the affair while at Pakarae, and informed the p6l ice that he purchased the revolver at an ironmongery store in Gisborne last week. Since arriving in Gisborne the man has shown no signs of worry, and eats and sleeps well.

COMFORTING THE VICTIM. The Rev. Father Lane proceeded Bakurao on- Tuesday night to comfo the girl, and returned to Gisbor alter a tiring journey yesterd morning. Tlie girl’s mother and bi thor also went up, and their nieetii war. mogt pathetic. In the event of Miss Petersen fit climbing to -her injuries, the poli will arrange for an inquest to be lie at Pakarae, at which the accused w bo present.

THE GIRL’S STATEAIENT.

The unfortunate girl’s depositions were taken by Mr. W. A. Barton at 5 o’clock yesterday morning, and are at present in the hands of the police. She was quite conscious and rational at the time, and gave a clear statement of what occurred. The depositions arc at present confidential, and cannot be disclosed until Symons is placed upon trial. Since her rally alter the operation she has, however, told those in attendance upon her some of the incidents surrounding the affair, and her statements go to bear out the facts reported in yesterday’s issue. She explained that Symons had been keeping company with her for some months, and they were to have been married in January 4 last, but the marriage was postponed. A few weeks ago Symons came to Gisborne to be treated for an injury to Ins leg, and returned to the hotel on Monday, bringing the revolver with mm. He had a conversation with Miss Petersen in the morning, and said he was short of money. While She’s-was in the wash-house‘at about two o clock lie went to her and asked her for some money she had of his. She replied that she had no money. He asked her to go out and get some from Mr. Shaw. She told him she had not earned it, and would not ask tor it. ‘Can’t you get it from your brothers? lie asked. She replied ®he would not ask anybody for money. ‘Take that, then,” accused said firing at her with a revolver. MR. SHAW’S STATEMENT.

The licensee of the hotel, Mr. J. R- Shaw, is very much affected over the unfortunate affair. He acted with the greatest promptitude in getting medical attendance for the girl and has spared no effort or expense to; provide for the comfort of her relatives who are on the spot, and for the doctors who are in attendance. making a short statement of the derails of the occurrence, Mr. Shaw said there was a fairly large number of people about the house, but no actual eye-witnesses of the shooting. A man named Millstead, an employco at the hotel, hearing the revolvershots in the backyard, jmaped the bark fence and rushed to the rlcene where lie found Symons about to discharge the contents of a third chamM Mkf th i° *? v °lvor into his own head. Millstead was fortunate enough to succeed in striking a blow on the man’s arm, causing the firearm to arrived 6 op" 1 ti 1 '® By th * timer ailived on the scene to investio-ato thecanscof the unusual sound of firekJacl- T bk n '°"f rt ‘i llark «l to me, sorrv* T? doue A and I am not u itl! ‘o • 011 c? se ’ zc d the man, and with assistance immediately had him lnit !j d -th ropes, and held a prisoner temaltT iSSrt™™*' te w “