DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1927, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

' [by TELEGRAPH— rEP. PRESS association.] j LOCO SHED FATALITY. N.\ PIER, March 8. As a locomotive was entering the sheds at the railway station at eleven o clock to-night, it ran over a man sitting with his legs over the pit, and killed him instantly. Papers in the man's packet hear the name of If. O’Neill, one giving an address tit Kaiwaka. and another at Kaitaw.-i. The deceased v. as aged between -l.) and 50. GiDY IN HARBOUR. AUCKLAND. March 8. ’lke ..of a man was found in the harbour, i ite body had been in the water L.-r about four days. The deceased was about 55 years of age, but • lias not been identified yet. WOMAN INJURED. AUCKLAND. March 9. Mrs I*. O’Donut!!, aged 28. is in the. hospital with a fractured skull as the result of the collision of two motorcars. driven by Godfrey Ohms and W. H. Panklmrst. Airs O’Donnell was thrown out. her head striking the roadway. Last night her condition was reported serious hut to-day she had recovered consciousness and her condition wax improving.

GREYMOI"I'II SENTENCES. CKEYMorm. .March 9. Prisoners were sentenced this morning by Justice Adams as follows:

William Low and William Brown, for breaking, entering and theft, to throe years' Borstal.

Stacey Joseph Oxonham, ex-Cottrt bailiff, for theft of £BB I Is, fo proha I ion for three years, to pay easts LT .'is 01. make rest it tit ion at the rate of -Cl weekly, and to take out a prohibition order.

AXEMEN'S CARNIVAL. WORLD'S CHAMPION SAW TO WESTLAND. WELLINGTON, March 9.

Owing to cold weather the final dav ol the .Axemen's O.trn.ira! was poorlv attended.

World's chat n ll iimi double-hand 21inch handicap saw was won by Jack ami Clayton (West land), from Woodward and Newman (W.iitnarino) the holders.

Hi>ink (Southland) defeated Clayton tor the world’s champion single handed 21-inrh saw after a much exciting contest in (58 2-5 sets.

’1 he 0)1011 handicap |(i-in sjtnding chop was won by Costello (Auckland) and the 12-inch by Hemi (.Marlborough) .

Double handed 21-inch sawing handicap in.went to Jack and Clayton, and the open Ltindicap underhand chop to Acker (Southland l.

EIRE BRIGADES. GORE. March I). fourteen ht'igadt s .are engaged a Gore to-day in the biannual deiuot stration of southern districts fir brigades. ’lhe delegates were act-on Oil a civic re:option yestereve an then a torchlight procession. Late the v.nnunl conference wits held at lit fire station. Mr Yfhite of Mosgic presiding. Officers elected wei'e:President, Lieut,eit-nt J. A. Waili (Gore) ; Vice-President*. Captain A

Rusbbatch (Hillside). Captain J vSmenfon (Mosgielt; Treasurer. Lieutenant J. A. Mitchell (Mosgiel); Auditor. Fireman T. James (Gore); Seereiary Superintendent W. Cmipitr ('Oa)nni.r'ti). If, was agreed to hold the next eoniercucc at Queenstown. Gore Brigade presented a cup for competition among teams never placed in a New Zealand demonstration. Alexandra presented the Cottlson Shield. There is great interest locally and the weather is fine for to-day'.-, demonstration. Two man e died hose wet--Gore A !0 4-.3 secs 1. Hillside A. II sees Gore B. 45 secs J. Fourteen teams competed. Hose, hydrant -and union (three men)--(lore A. and Oamartt A (equal! 10 sees I. Hillside A. II 2-5 secs J. The |ir>t two divide honours. Sixteen teams stalled. THEFT CHARGE. ASHBURTON, March !.». A charge of stealing a postal packet containing three pound notes Irom i mail bag at ’I mwah! on l-chruary lt(ith was preferred against a youth, aged IS, formerly a railway porter it Tinw aid. lie pleaded guilty and was ijunmitted for sentence. Bail in sell of ££.*,fr and a surety, and his name was .suppressed.

MURDER TRIAL. COUNSEL'S ADDRESS. GISBORNE. March 9. The trial of .John Sullivan charged with 'murdering Jeremiah V. illianisott concluded at the Supreme Court this

Addressing the jury Mr Hodgson (for the iliTence) paid a tribute to the fairness oi the prosecution. I ulos.-i the iury were .satisfied that guilty intention was proved, they could not enter a conviction, and il they were convim ed accused was insane at the time lie was clearly entitled to an acquittal. The medical evidence, he submitted, all pointed in this direction and

showed the accused was unconscious of Ids actions and incapable ol telling l ight from wrong. I here was an entire absence of motive, uirderod man being tin* accused's best and only friend. Accused's behaviour throughout was consistent with insanity. There was no effort to conceal the clime or his connection therewith. He asked the jury In find accused insane to the commission id the oftence. The Grown Prosecutor said in the interests of tin* public, the plea of insanity, which was increasing greatly, required watching carefully. Accused must be presumed to lie sane unless the defence clearly established otherwise. It would be a dangerous policy to conclude that the prisoner was

not responsible because of mental instability in the family. The

defence was that the prisoner by drinking produced a condition of sanc-

timonious insanity, hut this was no excuse. If the jury found he knew what lie was doing as he commenced the assault, they must find him guilty of manslaughter; if cognisant of the whole proceedings, guilty ol nuiiiiei. The prisoner's prior and subsequent actions all point to a realisation ol his actions, it the jury reached this conclusion there was only one possible verdict.

Summing up 11 is Honour said al though there was no doubt the deceits

ed was killed by the accused, it did not necessarily follow that he "as guiliv of murder. Before convicting they must he satisfied he was guilty with intent. Drunkenness was no excuse. as a man been me drunk at his own peril. If accused did not know the nature and quality of his acts ho was entitled to acquittal on tlio grounds of insanity. It was no defence to say the accused was fighting drunk. The medicai evidence appeared conclusive that he knew what he was doing at the commencement of the attack. li this opinion was accepted by the jury, then tin* vei'diet would lie guilty of manslaughter. If they believed he was

uuco;;:-,ious of his acts from beginning to end, then he was entitled to acquittal on the grounds of insanity. If he were guilty of forming an intention to strike deceased hut not of killing him then they would find a verdict of manslaughter. Finally, if they were satisfied he knew what he was doing when ho killed ■ Williamson, they would find him. guilty of murder. The jury retired at 11.10 a.m.