RIFLE SHOOTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 59, 6 March 1903, Page 3

RIFLE SHOOTING.

__» THE TRENTHA.M MEETING. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. Trentham, March 5. The New Zealand D fence Forces R &■* Association's mealing opaned at 10 o'clock this morning with tbe Auckland match.

The entries ie eived are 341 or abjut 40 more thin hst year.

I Tne arrangements a'l round appear very satisfactory. Additional targets have been erected to enable 29 squads to fire, and a number of minor improvements have been made to remedy defects noticeable at previous mo ting.-*. Colonel Sommerville is in charge of affaire and is assisted by dlooel Collins.

No pains are being spired on the part of the officers to make the mee iog a success. The weather is all that ; could be desired, with passing light J clouds and li»ht wind. ! Although the firing for tho fist stage of the Auckland Ma'cb, 200 yards, is concluded, the new system of individual scoring cards mikes it impossible to get the compete scores until . tbe match is finished. Williams, (Tara- \ dale) and Howard (Napier Guards) > made the possible, Cox (Auckland), Parslow (Obinemuri), Lester (Christchurch) McHattie (Mastertoa), Lieut. Okey (fan.naki Kill-*), Stevenson (Wellington Guard*) made 34 eacb. Thirty-eight prizes are given in the match ranging from £8 to £1 and absorbing .£63. ! | At 500 yards Ching (Nelson), and D&vidsen (Waverley), mide the pos \ eible, their aggregates b.-ing 68 and 66. o;irnß(Ohineasuri),Small (Kaitangats), ! Hyde (Opaki), Maingay (Piaka), and Turner (Wellington) made 34, their aggregates being 68, 67, 66, and 66. Majir Okey fired the opening ehot at the meeting. BI J SCORES. Later. , The shoo*ing to-day in the Auckland Match was a phenomenal record ,for the c.-lonv, probably ef Amtr<l*3 ; a. 'The men never shot b tter in an opea- , iog match and Hyde (Opaki) and ; Lester (Christchurch) made 100. Even | with perfect light and weather this is remarkable. Turner (Wellington) ; was a little behind, putting up 99, | while Speck and Ching made 98 each, j which in ordinary years would have secured first Napier had the honor of making first possibles through .the veteran F, W. Williams and ' Howard. There were r.umerous 34's and 33's. At 500 yaids wera jfour possibles, viz, Ching (Nelson), j Corporal (Linwood), Whitley '(Kaiapai), and Davidson (Wftiroi). j At 600 yards th? fine quality of'he , shotting whs maintained, Oh ; ng coming to Hyde and Lester wish 98. ] Anything under 98 was scarcely legarded by Vihe onlookeis. j Auckland Match, 200, 500, 600 •yards, seven shots following. Tbe ;prize-takers are:—Hyde, Opaki, .£6, 100; Lester, Canterbury Engineers-, I £5, 100; Turner, Wellington, £i, 99 ; Cox, Auckland, ££, 99; Speck, Sr*tford, £Z, 98; Ching, Waime.?, .£3, 98 ; Wilson, Petone, 97 ; Webster, Akarana, 97; Heetley, Hasting?, 96; Riit, • Eaitangata, 96 ; Davidson, Wairo.i, 96; i Williams Taradal", 96 ; King, Opaki, i 96 ; Sandford, Christchurcb, 95 ; Ay- | son, East Taieri, 95; Milroy, Nelson, i j 95; Purnell, Patea, 95 ; Smill, Kaitan- ! | gata, 95 ; Hardy, Blenheim, 95 ; Turn- •' bull, Opaki, 94 ; Kemp. Christchurch, ■ j 94; Birraclougb, Wanganui, 94 ; », Lieutenant. Okey, Taranaki, 94; 6 j Howard, Napier, 94 ; Burns, Karori, » 94! Searle, Caversham, 94; Irvin-, MWaimea, 94; Ballioger, Petone, 94; 11 Henry, Opaki, 94; Brown, Hauraki, ' 194 ;£2 eacb. Counted out: McHattie, , Opaki; McKee, Piako; Corns, OhineJ muri.

E. O'Neill, a waiter in camp, took ill yesterday. His condition was serious this eveuing, and be was removed in an ambulance to the City ! Hospital. It is supposed to be a case lof scarlet fever. The general health in [ camp is good.

Gas to get up, wlen I was passing, but , I did Hot go mar his hut. J - . To Mr Claude Weston : Cannot say if prisoner «m out fishing on Friday morning; Constable Lind was present when I arrested accused; when I took Inoe to the hospital ha had two pairs of drawers on, those produced are the ones; they have been in my possession War since. After I arrested prisoner we went to the but did aot have a drink together. We h~,d no. further conversation llun I have relattd. I went into the hotel to tak > down the names of tha witnesses. I took down the cjcva'Si'.ioa wi hi.t 'thrM minutes of it tskiug pi,ice. I an sore he did not say he in goon .after 12. I think I give the sumevidence in the Lower Oouit. The Court here sdj urn6d for lucch. The Qourt resumed at 2.15. John Frestney, employed at the Ereezing Works, siid that on the afte--noon of December 11th he went to the beach and spoke t a I nee. His Honor said that after Dr. McCleland'B evidence he should reject any evideace of conversations with Inc?, who was stone deaf. . Witness: About 4 o'clock went to Ido-j's tent and fouod him nsleep. Inco - cooked his food in a drum about syds ' from the tent. Saw no fire in the drum. Ince appeared worn out. Witness went on duty at midcigiit. O.t - Ida way to work saw no sign of fire. Had there bcea a blaze at Ince'.; tant would have seen it. To Mr. Weston: Did not notice what bad clothing there was. Saw how Ince was drosssd. To the jury: The night was clear ; and anyone could Bse for s me distance. 'Richard Simpson, whaif labourer, ' living near Moturoa Ho'el, said that ou the night cf 11th he was iu the hotel. Accused was there, and W3s talking to - Lowe and Hursthouse. Oyer-heard accused say he would fix the dummy up. ' Left when the landlord said it was 10 .o'clock. Accused joined him on the . road, and they stood talking for over 1£ hours. Accused s>id he had bsen into-.-town.to take out a summons Dummy for taking fiih out of 1 lus nets. 'They parted about 11.35. _ Accused went over the railway, taking - the track to the fishermen's hu's on the 4 beach. ■ r. . j His Honor: He went ia thi diriction of hiS|Qwp hot and Myers'. , Witness r' Thit is so. In going to r his on), hut accusad. would have to pass ' Myers'.- . .wJEteMr. Weston : Accused said, he had not taken the summons out as »' Messrs. Govettand Qailliam were not I go in town next day and ... tnhwhafhe cxuld do. Witness said it ,' waa the best thing accused could do. ,In his own mind considered accused's -' statement that he would fix Dummy up referred to the law proceedings. Hal no reason to suppose frem the conversation they had that accused thought of . doing Ince bodily harm, v - Gustavus Meyer, fisherman, living at : accused's hu\ Shortly *" after 2 ajn. on the 10th he halpsd sc'to launch a boat', and accused then pulled towards another boat that * waa out on the water. Two nets.were aet where the latter boat was stationed. Witness then got into Ms boat and " prisoner polled his boat towards witness. . Accused said Ince had no fish in his ' boat", as he had looked in to 89e. AcY cosed* said he had punched Ince's nose, ind made it bleed all over the boat. Tboaght' accused said " I've not done witj, him yet," but was not sure. On morning between 6 an 17 went fishing at the sunken rocks. Four '/ boats were out, viz., Brough, Ince, ac- - wed, and witntes, all being close to- " gather. Suddenly accused stood up in hie boat, and Bhaking his fist, sang out : "XWy, you , I'll well drown .... yon yet," Their boats w re .jut 30 yards apart. Ince pulied up his anchor and moved his boat away. If anyone shouted loudly Ince could hrar. Hiß Honor: Who am Ito believe, . this witness or Dr McOleland, who stated that Jnc3 was stone deaf ? Mr Kerr: That was only a m di;al inference. - His Honor: It Eeams that this witonly contradicting the medical endSsc& If you wish that then I will take a note of the evidence. Mr Kerr wished the statement taken down.

Witness (continuing): Aacasad left for town in the afternoon saying he was - going to see bis old man about Ince. To His Honor: Deify had been doing nothing on that or tho previous , morning that witness knew of to cause accused to sing out. , r,»His Honor said he could not see any oocmcctian in the story, which was not at all clear. Mr Kerr pointed out that reference had been made to the nets set. His^Honcr: That still leaves it unintelligible why accused jumped up and •Cohgotit. As for as appaartd Ince had done nothing to offend accused. Witness then detailed what occurred .- about midnight on the 11th when accused came to the hut and woke up witness and Brough. On leaving ac'cosed said he was going to see deafy, adding "I'll give him what fdr." Witness advised accused to go to b<d and not be a foo'. Accused walked away eastwards. As far as witness cou'd. see acuosed was nol goiog in the direction of his own hut. To Mr Wtston: Could no"; sty , whether accused did not turn off to go to his own tent. Could have seen from his bunk if the hut dors were shut bat not whether th>y were tied together. It was a mere accident seeing accused walk towards the bridge Did sot think accused was. going to luce's. Did not take any notice of accused's 'threats. Considered they were mere talk as accused was a bit blustering. Would have followed accused had he thought that Ince was likely to receivo -* any injury, Ince's cooking drum had . previously been inside the tent but had been removed about three weeks prior to the fire. The tent was free from draughts unless the door was open. The light used at night was a candle Stuck on a piece of wcod and held by four nails. Ince had two white blankets. Could not say whether there was a mattress. Accused was up whin witness and Brough got up at 3 a.m. -.* than morning. Knew a man named 'Brandon. First knew him about two __ or thr«e weeks after prisoner's arrest. -' Did not know thitt Brandon was in the - neighbourhood of witness' hat en the sight of tha fire. Neither saw nor heard any one about tha hut that night except accused. Sycamore had to'd v?iti_ ness that a man was coming down to t buy his (Sycamore'*.) bos'. Thin w.:s i, two or three days befoie Br; ndou c;m : * with Sycamore. Brandon formed one of a party of fiVi> why wetu- out iishi.'j;- \ in a large boat. Br<u;don .said nothing about the fir* but heard the .jthers talk ■- about it. Thought BrnnHo.- tsifcyi i. about buying Sycamore's bo it and put- ; £".ting an oil engine in. Brandon did j g,«ot say he was a private detective, j |;lhtre was not, nor had th«re -been, a j &

waterbut behiud witness' hut, but a spring ran ove;- a concrete wall about a foot high. To Mr Korr: Oa tte night of the Ilth theie was a case two feet square oa the eastward sHe o? the hut, and near the trtck leading to the hotel. It had been us-.d for a cupboard, also for washing, as it held v?ater.

To Mr Weston: The bsx was half woy between ona end of the hut and ths other. Any one coming down the track would see the box.

To the jmy: Could not fee which net Inc-'s b>at was new. It might have betn bis own. Accused, whsn i.o left witness' hut, took the shortest way to Inec'p. Accued seemed as if ho had had a alass or tw:>, and wis a bit (X----cit<d. Know nothirg of the fire. Joseph Brou ;h, fisherman, gave corroborative evidence. John Smith, a Swede, gave similar evidence to that givea in the lower Court. Arthur Bobert Brandon was then called, and substantially repeated his tes'imony in the lower Court SENSATIONAL CRO3S EXAMINATnV. Caoss examined by Mr Weston: Oould not say whether the person he saw approaching him from Myers' hut was prisoner; did not come from Oakura to New PJyinou'h on his bicycle; It was true that ha left town a few after 10 p.m., on his bicycle for the breakwater; did not ride the bicycle all-the way to Oakura, but left it within two miles of Mr Honeyfields, whn-e the sand com-mer-ccs; travelled the rest of the way en foot; said in tho Lower Court that he ctme f=oaj Auckland to New Plymouth, and that he hid only rec.nuly arrive! fiom Ecgland. Came to Ni.>w Plymou'h to start busiaess as a private detective. Mr Wes'on: How long Ind you been in Auckland before you-came to New Plymouth. Witness: I don's remember. Was emp'oyed by Sycamore to watch the boats; was to receive £5; thera was an agreement iu writing, dated 10. h December (produced). Did not remember when the agreemsnt was signed. Tha bargain was made on Deoembfr 10th. Po3si'oly tho agreement was not eigr.od till January 7th. Had beea plen'.y of times to Sycamore for the money, butcauld not git it. Mr Weston : Kindly tell me how you have earned the £5. Witness: I have not legally earned the money. Synamore was not my cousin. Had not stayed there. Mr Webtoa : Have you putaken of his hospitabili'y. Witness: Ido not understand you Mr Wtston : I will leave the jury to draw thsir own conclusion. Witnei?.: Did not remember how locg he was iu Auckland ; was not in Chsistchurch before he w*nt to Auckland; hadheento'Chrfctchurch; could net remember what he did at Christchurch.

Mr Walton then subjectod witness to a eea< ching exam'nation as to bis past carerr. Witness cou!3 not eay whose boat he was to wa-.ch. It was thj boat in front of Ince'a ten 1 ;, Could not swe\r the boat was ready to bj launched. It was ready to be launched in a way. Was sitting on the box. No one in the right of way could have seen him sitting therr. Kißw no one saw him, Placed himself where he could not be Been. Had there been a person there ha could have seen him. When he left the box he could not sae the boa!-, till higher up the bink. From the position he took up ha could see the object of tho boat at times. It was 600 yards distant and painted white. When he saw sonißone moving about be w dked from ti;e lupins past Myers' hut to i.ear the fishing place. Kept the matj in sight, but mS altoge'her. Did not kse sight of the man un*il he turned off from the bsaeh towards tho tent. Therj was only a rock which preveat-sd witne?s from following the min's movements all tho way from Myess' hat to the boat. Siw signs of fird at I*.ic-}'s knt. When be h>:ard accused's threat hi did not think ho was go'n* to carry it out. Lift his bicycle at the railway crossing. When getting it did not see anything further of tha fire nor did he hear any scream?. Did not say in the Lower Court that he left his bicyeb at the crossing near the Freezing Works. It was a cuispriot. Went out in one of the boats ab.nit three weeks nfter tho fire. Did'n -t get ihc history of the fire then. C:uld not retmmbar the conversation at all. When watching on tho 11th coa'd only see the lime by his watch oc ;ssiinally. H?.d started as a watchmaker. Had distiibuted cards t>'that eff ct broadcast, Then went to Honeyfield's as a milker.

Pis Honor: That is an honourable employment.

Witness: Would swoar ha was at Moturoa on the 11th. Came from Mr. Honeyfield's into town. Cash d a cheque at Oakura. Could riot ramembsr how he came into town. Could not say whether he cams in on Mr Houeyfield's horse. Remember borrowing a spur cf Mr Stoite. Remembered a young man mmeJ Besi-, a felLw wo.k-s- nt Mr ilintyfield's. Best asked lh> f, r soaio monay to pay witness for a plane Did not remember what time he got iuto town. Co'ilJ cot recollect what time he made the con'rac; with Syo.iraore. Slept at the b-a'diag-hou o. Could not remember what he did next day. Pottered about to"'n, Did not go back to Hoceyfield's till tho morning of the 12th. Did cot go out oa tba 11th, Touk the hotse away from the stßbles on the 1 lth acd drove it in front of him as it was a beastly old thing he would not ride. The hcrse went on its way home while he was watching the boatsMr Wtskra : Then if I produce a witness to prove the horse returned to Oakura on the 11th you will ba telling a lie.

Witness did not reply. Was not sleeping in the same room with Best at Honeyfield's on the night of the 11 tb. Did not know how long he was in partnership with Mr Oarring'on. The partnership was dissolved almost as sojn as it began. H«d taken a book to Mr Oarrisgton and asked him to copy it. Is was the evidenca in this case and wa3 wanted by the police, Mr Oarringlon did no"; call his attention to inconsistencies, and witness did not tell Carrington to alter the evidence. To Mr Kerr: Was close to the fish frame when he ctased following vccused.

Mr Kerr: Will your Honor tako no'e that the distance is only 30 or 40 yards.

His Honor: Yes, and I will also take note of the witness' evidence in chief, thit the diatavce was about 90 yards. You ara asxing tha witness to contradict bis evidence. Witness : Guessed the distance. Thought it was about 30 yardc. Ktpb the object in view till it w, nt away from the boa f . Did not remember what time he got th 6 horse from West's stables, but thought it was in tie afternoon. Went down the South Road for about two miles, but not as fa? as the toll gate. Left it ou a. by road tied up. Then came back to town f>r his bicycle. Stoppsd in town till he wtnt to Moturoa. Often left the ro Jtn he shared with Best wittnut the hker knowing.

" Mr Wes'.oa asked permission to ask one or two questions. His Honor said bo must know what tho questions were.

Mr Wesion wished to know what ba came of the saddle and bridle.

Witness said ha put tba saddle and bridle in the hedge near the horse, , His Honor : That last reply is too ridiculous.

To the jury : Knew where the boats and nets wt>re that he had to watch. The boat he was watching wf.s not in front of Inch's tent, it Was neartr the Breakwater. Oculd not see the boat from Myers' but couid see the net. Could not sea luce's font. Did r.ot itoen know Lee's name. Had bean told to watch the man who lived in a tent pointed out to him. There was a light, but Lot much, in the directum < f loco's tent just as witness was going away. Did not notice any flare us ho walktd towards the Freezing Works. On his way towards Tataraimaka he picked-up the horso, put the sxddleaud biidlci on, and drove the horse before him.

Thi-i concluded the for tho pro secution,

Mr Weston said he had four witnesses to call, but it was physically impossible for bioi to go on that night. His Honor said be wculd consult the

The Foremaa sail the jury were willing to adjourn, but, after consulting again, the jury said they would go on. Mr Wf skn absolutely declined to go en. Tho cass waa ono (f such enormous responsibility that he would throw up his bi ief sooner th'»n go on, as be felt, afteo such a long day's strui.', he was quite incapable of doiug jiu.tita to ihe accused.

The jury then d cided to adjourn, and they were accordingly t' ken to the O'ofl'ee Palaco for tho night in charge of two eocs*abhe.

The Court adj .uriied till 10 e.m to-d^y.