TAKAPUNA SHOOTING CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 316, 6 January 1909, Page 2

TAKAPUNA SHOOTING CASE.

ACCUSED BEFORE THE iOL'RT. By Telegraph.—l'ress Association. Auckland, Last Night. The hearing of evidence ill the Tak.inina shooting case which occurred on .'hrislmas Eve occupied a great portion jf to-day in the Police Court. It will lie remembered that a farmer, Nicholas Casey, on the night in question went to the house of \V. E. Speck, a neighbor, and called him out. Then followed tlie bring i.i a gnu and the voluntary surrender of Casey, who was charged with attempted murder. Tlie evidence showed thill Casey h.l 1 for some lime been annoyed by til« visits of Xpeck to his house, rightly or wrongly forming the opinion that .is Sped; wes a married man his attentions to accused's 111-year-old daughter were undesirable. Casey and others deposed that the former repeatedly warned Speck not to route to accused's place, and that no notice was taken of these warning.!. .Speck denied that such warnings liad been given, but Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M, clearly intimated that he disbelieve 1 liiin. Casey's defence was that he had merely iired the gun to frighten Speck. In the <*ml the charge was, by consent of the Magistrate, reduced to one of common assault, to which Casey pleaded guilty. He was convicted of the lessor offence and discharged.