THE MURDER CASE. INQUEST ON KATE KENNEDY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 327, 22 December 1888, Page 3

THE MURDER CASE. INQUEST ON KATE KENNEDY.

The following, is tb.e~ conclusion of the evidence'in the above- oase, heaVd at; Auckland on December 17 :■— ■ Mr Brassey frequently interrupted with the object, of havings the contents of ; McDermott's letters published, but the coroner, and jury stood to their previous decision. Win, Wright was the next witness, and he •gave evidence-as'to'wliat he saw and Heard on the night of the, murder, as already published. '",,,, / „ ' Mr Brassey" again- demanded that the letters should be read. J3d said that they , referred to cU'cumesfcances which woukLp6s- ' sifcyly throw; light* .upon ,the subject of the murder., , The Coroner reminded Mr Brassey tliat the letters were to be read by the jury after they heard other' evidence. Mr Brassoy, addressing Mr vV right, -who was.givingJevidence, asked, " Do you know if this is the same woman who lived with Mr in Queen street?" Inspector Broham :. Has this anything to .do with the question at issue, Mr Coi'oner ? Mr Brassey.: There are names in those letters now before the Court, and they are nob to be shown to me. lam told that my next chance of seeing them' will be at the Kesident Magistrate's Court. My question is as to the names in 'those letters. Do you (addressing witness) know what they are ? Witness : I do not know. Inspector Broham said that hethought it scandalous that* the names of innocent men should be dragged out here and given forth to the world with gravo charges attached to them. It was very hard that such should >be' allowed, because none of these charges had been proved, and the persons mentioned were as likely as not innocent of any blame in the matter. Mr Brassey said that one person whose name had been mentioned in these letters — at least he was informed that his name was mentioned — was not an innocent man. He wuh given to understand that he had flogged this woman Kennedy over and ovei again. . Inspector Broham : You have no right to say so. Mr Brassey : I do say so, and 1 say also that he was partly the cause of the woman being in the position she is in now. The Coroner declined to read the letters, and the matter was again allowed to drop. Evidence 'was given by Mrs Wright, and Joseph Henry Neylon, and by Detective Hughes, each statement being very similar to accounts previously published in the Stak. Mr JSeylon expressed the opinion that McDermoct was of unsound mind for some time before the murder took place Mr Brassey returned to the attack when Detective Hughes was giving evidence. He asked : "Did you find letters of any description in the house of the deceased ?" Witness : Shall I answer that question, Inspector Broham ? The Coroner : Did you find any letters 1 Witness : Yes ; I took possession of khem. Mr Brassey : Have you those letters here ? Witness : I have not. Mr 'Brassey: -Have you read those j lettei-3 ? Witness : Some of them. Mr Brassey : Do they refet in any manner to this matter ? Witness : They do not. ' Mr Brassey : Are you sure ? 1 Witness : I am quite C3r tain. ' Mr Brassey : You have produced a portion of clothing found on the premises. Now why did you not produce the rest ? Witness :' I- did hot thinlc it neqessayy, 'Mr Brassey : Were you told that it was not necessary ? Witness : I was nuL. Mr Brassey : Then why did you not produce the letters ? Witness : I did not think it necessary. Mr Brassey: .1 shall ask the jury to have all those letters before them and read. Inspector Broham : 1 understand that they were nearly all foreign letteis Witness : They were nearly all from London. Dr. Hooper was then called on to give evidence. He, deposed to ha\ing been called to see McDernaott on the night of the murder. McDermott answered all his questions very distinctly. Ha stated that his reason for firing at Kate Kennedy was because she was always annoying him, that she had taken away his pipe and destroyed his tobacco. Witness asked McDermott — " Do you consider that sufficient provocation for shooting the woman ?" and he did not reply. He also deposed to having attended Kato Kennedy. She told witness that she had been shot Witness asked the woman if she had had any quarrel with McDerinott, and she said "No." Witness then ,toid her what, McDermott had said about his tobacco and pipe. She thought a moment and then said, " Oh', yes, I did take his tobacco. " Dr. P. A. Lindsay, house surgeon at the j Hospital, also gave evidence. He stated that the deceased and McDermott were brought to the Hospital together. She reproached him several times for having shot at her,- but he did not reply to her. Michael, McDermott was still in the Hospital, and'there was a strong probability that he would, recover, no vital jpart having been injured. McDermotb was a very obstinate man, but spoke very vatioually and appeared to be.in a sound, state of mind. Inspector Broham asked > the Coroner to explain to the jqry that ,it was for them to 'find as to the cause of death, and not as to whether McDermott was insane. The latter was not t a question either for the jury, or ,tjaB R.M. Court, 6ut for the Supreme Court. ( The Coroner instructed the jury accordMr Brassey again asked that the letters should be read, 4j and the jury decided to read the fetters- when they retired. After about fifteen minutes' deliberation , the jury returned a n verdict " That the deceased, died from a gunshot wound inflicted by Michael, McDermott." They were, informed that this was an open verdict." , The jury; said, they d,id not wish to express, an opinipn as to the man's sanity,, and, after.a little" discussion,, they added to the verdict, "but whether intentionally or ( otherwise there ja no evidence to show." < The Coroner said tbat the verdict was not in accordance with the evidence, but that rested with the jury. The jury were, then , discharged.

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