TRIAL OF M'MAHON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22986, 15 September 1936, Page 9

TRIAL OF M'MAHON

GREAT PUBLIC INTEREST THREE WOMEN ON JURY (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 14. (Received Sept. 15, at 1.30 a.m.) A long queue formed outside the Old Bailey two hours before the court assembled to try M'Mahon. Many well-known society women were among those privileged in the special gallery, and three women are among the jury. M‘Mahon pleaded not guilty to all three charges—unlawfully possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life; presenting a pistol near the King with intent to endanger peace; and wilfully producing a pistol near his Majesty’s person with intent to alarm him. The under-sherriff, picturesquely dressed in a velvet jacket and kneebreeches with lace frills, and two aldermen in blue robes and carrying posies of flowers preceded the crimson-robed judge. The Attorney-general outlined the case for the Crown, details of which were related in Bow street. He said M'Mahon made several statements, one of which was that he could easily have the King if he wanted to. The Attorney-gen-eral contended that M'Mahon’s offence amounted to presenting a weapon, while on the question of intent it was difficult to imagine any act more calculated to create a disturbance. It was unnecessary to inquire what was in the prisoner’s mind, still less to inquire whether his Majesty was alarmed. Intent to alarm was inherent in the act’ itself. The judge directed a verdict of not guilty on the first two counts. Explaining the words, “ May I love you? ” written on a new wire the prisoner carried, the Attorneygeneral pointed out that May was the name of his wife. He added that the prisoner threw a loaded revolver at his Majesty as he was passing him. It either hit a leg of the horse or fell so. near that more than one witness thought the leg was actually hit, but the ooint perhaps did not matter. An unloaded chamber of the revolver was opposite the barrel, but this was a type of revolver in which the pulling of the trigger would turn the chamber, so that it would actually go off. However, perhaps the prisoner did not appreciate this. It may be, having left one chambpr unloaded, he thought one pull of the trigger would not discharge the revolver.