MANGAMAHOE TRAGEDY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 210, 29 April 1932, Page 5

MANGAMAHOE TRAGEDY

(Press. Assn.—

SHOOTING OF COUPLE SON CHARGED WITH MURDER OF SLEEPING PARENTS EVIDENCE OP INSANITY

•By Telegraph— Copyright).

PAHIATUA, Thursday. The hearing and inquest in connection with the Mangamahoe shooting opened in the Magistrate's Court to-day. The magistrate was Mr. J. x Millef , and the coroner, Mr. E. G. Eton, of Masterton. John Dillon Corrigan, aged 23 years was eharged that on March 28, at Mangamahoe, he did murder his parents. Lewis Joseph Corrigan, sheepfa'rmer, of Mangamahoe, 20 years old a brother of accused, said that on Sunday sight, March 27, witness went to bed about 11.45. His parents were in bed. Witness had been asleep a little time when the noise of two gunshots fired in the house awoke him. He did not take much notice of them at the moment, as he was very sleepy. Just afterwards accused walked into the hedroom and said: "I have shot mum and dad. You had better get up." Witness did not believe accused at the time, so the latter went into another room and woke his sister Agnes. The latter than spoke to witness, as a result he took a candle from her hand and went to his parents' hedroom. He could see lfis father had been shot. He did not see his mother then. Witness, terrified at the sight turned and ran out of the house to Birnie's (a neighbour) place. As he was running out of the house he heard accused ring up the police. Birnie also telephoned the police. Looked Unusual Agnes Elizabeth Corrigan, aged 16 years, said that about 2.30 in the morning she was awakened by her brother John. Accused said there had been a tragedy, and their mother and father had been shot. She was too scared to ask him who shot them. Witness continued that accused looked unusual. His eyes looked peculiar in the dark. Her brother was of normal disposition, and showed no eccentricities. Only the week before accused told her that he had never felt better in his life. Accused had some fads regarding food, and did all his own cooking. He would not eat anything cooked hy anyone else. Asked if she could give any reason why her brother should shoot their parents, witness said: "Well, I don't thinlc he liked them himself. I don't know why he disliked them, but I think he did dislike th'em." J. H. Birnie, farmer, of Mangamahoe, said that for the last two years the health of accused appeared to be failing and he was rather melancholy. J. C. Cooper said accused seemed all right until they talked of his health food, when he made some slips that a sane man would not have made. Witness might not have noticed this had he not known accused was supposed to he mentally defieient. He discussed all farm topics normally. Medical Evidence Dr. H. T. Dawson, of Pahiatua, said he was called to see accused at Mangamahoe on December 10, 1930. He examined him for any mental deficiency he was supposed to have. Witness formed the opinion at the time that he should be sent to a mental hospital. Witness took the parents into another room and told them this. He formed the opinion that accused might be dangerous to himself and might commit suicide, hut he did not think .he would he dangerous to others. He told the parents that they should putaway all razors and fire arms. Mrs. Corrigan would not hear of her son being sent away, so witness iss'i ;d instructions that he be sent to Pariatua Hospital the next day for observation as a ' palliative, hut he was not sent. WitnesS was prepared at that time to certify that he was insane. "The parents, however, did not carry out your instructions?" queried the Magistrate. "Yes," said witness. Accused told him he would nCt let anyone else pilepare his food as he was afraid something might be done to him. Not Self Inflieted Evidence of Dr. Hosking, of Masterton, W. Donovan, Government Analyist, Detective Russell, of Palmerston North, Dr. Lynch and S. G. Tisdall, Wellington, also further relatives and neighbours of deceased, was to the effect that the shots were apparently fired in the room at very close range. Mr. Corrigan was shot in the head, and his wife apparently sat up in bed when the shot was fired at her husband and threw up her arms to ward off the next shot. It was stated that it was impossible for the vietims to have been shot through the window or for the wounds to have been self in-; flicted. Constable Eade and Dr. Simmons, Eketahuna, said that accused admitted telephoning to them. He was perfectly cairn and handed over his gun, whicla had been newly diseharged. The Magistrate committed accused for trial at Palmerston North Supreme Court. The coroner's verdict was that the deaths were caused by shots fired by accused. The Court roOm was crowded. Accused maintained a cairn demeanour and appeared to take an intelligent interest in the proceedings.