SENSATION IN LYTTELTON.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 67, 9 March 1908, Page 2

SENSATION IN LYTTELTON.

A SHOOTING TRAGEDY. MAX MORTALLY WOUNDED. REVENUE THE MOTIVE. Per Press Association. Christchureh, Laßt Night. A great sensation was caused in Lytteltou at about a quarter to 5 o'clock on .Saturday afternoon, when three revolver shots were heard in Oxford-street. It turned out that a man named Alexander James Muir had been shot and wounded.

The origin of the affair was a quarrel between Muir and a man named Frederick Hall some months ago. On that occasion Hall affronted Muir and broke, his jaw, and for doing so received three months' imprisonment. Hall had not been long out of goal, and according to Muir he hud met Hall repeatedly, but had not spoken to him. On Saturday afternoon Muir was standing on the front doorstep of Clark's boardinghouse in Oxford-street, when Hall came along and said, "You think you are going to get out of this, but you are not!" He then drew a revolver and fired three shots at Muir, two of them taking effect. Hall then ran away and hid himself in a right-of-way off Norwichquay. Constables Moriarty and Wilson gave chase, and as Constable Moriarty approached him Hall pulled the trigger of his revolver twice in succession, but the weapon misfired. He was then ar-, rested and taken to the lock-up. Muir was taken into Clarke's boardinghouse and attended to by A doctor, who states that he is mortally wounded, and his depositions were taken.

Muir and Hall were wliarf-lunipers, and there had been enmity between, them ever since the quarrel referred to occurred. Hall came out of gaol in January last, and although the men met almost daily at Clark's boardlnghouse ; for meals, they never spoke to eaoh, other. Muir used to live there, and Hall went there for meals only. Muir was attended by both Dra. Nowell and Upham, and the latter stated that he had two bullet-wounda in the body. One bullet entered above the liver, and the other, which had evidently been fired from behind, lodged in the back, tearing the left lung. The latest advices report the victim, to be in a state of collapse, and his recovery is considered hopeless.