Old Man Murdered.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1922, Page 1

Old Man Murdered.

PUNCHED TO DEATH. |*„y TEfiSO’nAPn— ; T*KB ’PKKfIS 'ASSOCIATION ] CmUSTCHL'RCH, Aug 27. , Samuel Holland, aged 35, a member of a well-known Ashburton farming fatnilv, 1 has been rtf rested at Ashburton on a charge of the murder of James Gill aged 62, a veteran farm laliourei. who' has been a well-known figure in the Asliburtou district for tbe past forty years. , , Tiie facts nppeiirto be that, about nine o'clock 'last night (Saturday), a number of men were standing outside The Victoria Hall (Ashburton where a dance was in progress. Gill rode up on horseback, and, in dismounting, lie remarked that his horse was fond of music! It is alleged that the man Holland thereupon stepped out from the bunch, and hit Gill, knocking him down. GUI picked himself up, and he asked who h.ad struck him. Holland, it is said Then stepped out again, and ho struck old Gill a second time. Gill then fell to the ground, in the'middle oT the roadway.'fin'd lie did not'rise 'again.

Holland then went away. Some of the:others of tlie party, ( however, propped up Gill in the door-, wav, thinking that he might soon come round. One of them took Ins horse awav to a stable. It was half fin hour afterwards when this 'mail returned. On examining < Gill "he came to the conclusion that, ho wars dead. He scut for the police and a doctor. . The doctor, on arrival, pronouncea life to be extinct. . ± . . It is' stated that earlier m the day, Holla ml, and some friends, were at the. ■Chertkov Hotel, when Gill rode up. While Holland’s party were at the bin Gill came in. He called out: “Three dicers for the man who killed Michael Collins!” . . ~ Holland, or one of his friends, then retorted: “You are a De Valera are vou 5 ” Then there was a scuffle between Holland and Gill, but they were separated. Gill then loft the Chertsey Hotel. Holland will appear in the Court m the morning on a charge of murder.