MURDER CHARGE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 April 1932, Page 5

MURDER CHARGE

W. WOGAN’S DEATH;

WHALLEY ARRESTED

Yesterday afternoon, acting under instructions, Sergt. King made an arrest, and shortly after at the Magistrate’s Court before Mr A. E. Benjamin, J.P., William John Thomas Whalley, married, aged 33 years, was charged, that at The Hermitage on oth. November, 1931,. he did murder one William Edward Wogan. Sergt. King stated that the accused had only been arrested a few minutes before. He asked for a remand, wbieft was granted, the accused to appear at Timaru at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 26tb.

At , The Hermitage on the evening of the sth November of last year William Edward Wogan, a member of a former well known family of Bqkitika, employee at the Hostdl, died a few minutes after receiving a rifle shot in the head. At the inquest that followed tile medical evidence stated that the rifle had been fired from a horizontal position, at right angles to the head, Other expert evidence stated the riflo had been fired at a distance of net. less than 8 to 10 feet away from da* censed, Accused in giving evidence etated he had just left Wogan in the room when he heard a shot, and found that a rifle that Wogan had just previously been handling had been discharged. Deceased did not speak after the shot. v The inquest was adjourned for further inquiries and after several adjournments the Coroner returned a verdict that deceased died from an injury caused 1 by the discharge of a leaded rifle, which was not self inflicted.