THE STIRLING HOTEL CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 205, 19 August 1908, Page 2

THE STIRLING HOTEL CASE.

OHAIIUE OF MANSLAUGHTER. N AOOUSJSD JJJSFOIUS THE SUKKEMIs (JOUKT. • . Bv Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Xight. A charge of manslaughter against Itichard Cornish, till recently licensee of tlie Stirling Hotel, was commenced at the Supreme Court to-day,' Cornislh was charged with that ho did kill his wife Catherine Elizabeth Cornish on May Ist. Accused pleaded "not guilty." The Crown Prosecutor (Mr. Fraser) laid stress on Hie contradictory nature of some of the evidence. -Mr. Fraser also pointed out the contradictory nature of the statements of accused, wlio had tokl tiio police repeatedly at first tlijd he got up at 10 a.m. on May Ist and stumbled over the dead body of lus wife iu the passage and then olmngcd the time of his awakening from 10 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. The Crown Prosecutor called tile jury's attention to the enormous strength of accused, to liis wife s weakness for drink, to accused's own statement that when she drank tihey quarrelled, and said that in tone ot theso quarrels Cornish might have un-der-estimated his strength. Elizabeth (lore the cook, gave similar evidence to tlliat'giv-en by her at Balclutlia, repeatinn- her statement that alter Cornish took her in to see tlie dead woman he had said: "I always said T would murder her, and I've done it." Mr. Hani on submitted witness to a severe evoss-vxam'mation, Medical 'evidence havin'g teen given, the Court adjourned till to-morrow.