PEER'S SON CHARGED WITH MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 76, 20 September 1911, Page 3

PEER'S SON CHARGED WITH MURDER.

♦ - SHOOTING TRAGEDY IX BRITISH COLONY. An important statement was made by the Colonial Secretary in tlie House of Commons regarding the alleged shooting of a native in British East Africa by the Hon. Galbraith Cole, Lord En : . skillen's second soil. '.Mr. Edmund Hiwy asked Mr. Jfareuiivt "whether his attention had been called to the trial at the Xaknra High Court Session of the Hon. Galbraith Cole for shooting and killing a native suspected of sheep-stealing, and whether lie will publish as a White Paper the observations and report of the judge and the report of the Governor on the trial." '.Mr. Harcourt replied: "Yes, sir. The Governor of the East Africa Protectorate is sending a full report on the matter, and, pending the receipt of his despatch. I think it would he premature to make any further statement." .'., , ,V{k According to evidence brought out at the hearing before the Xakuru High Court, May 31, Mr. Cole had been losing a number of sheep through native thieves. On the night of April 9 a sheep was stolen. On the morning of the Uth j he and his manager, Mr. Wright, and several .boys set out to follow clue, which led I hem to a hut in the bush three miles away. !

There they found throe natives picking wool from a, sheepskin. Two of the natives jumped up and ran into the forest. Jlr. Cole lired at one and missed him, ihut hit him with a second shot. The second native escaped, hut a. third was caught by the hoys in the lint. Mr. Cole ordered them to release the tliird native, and told him to look after the' wounded man, wlio.se name was Sionga. 'lnside the but they found'sheepskins and a quantity of wool. There wen; evidences of mutton having been cooked. Neither he nor his manager saw any lionev or lionev-hoxcs, The two native, declared (hat thev had cooked no mutton, ami thai. Ihey had seen no million fat. They admitted, there was a quantity of wool in the hut, but insisted "that they had been 'collect ing honey.

Mr. )'. C. 11m'.5.,)). stationed at Xakurii: Mated tliat lie had found mutton fat at tin' camp, and hlmi two places where sheep had been killed, lie said I hat, .Mr. Cole h-id given him every assistance in his search. Dr. I'.odeker. ihe Protectorate medical ollieer. stated that he had found bits of sheepskin in the hut. After a few minutes' deliberation the jury returned a. verdict of "Not Cuilty." and judgment was entered accordingly. Mr'. Cole is a broilicr-in-law of Lord Delamere. who owns a hi rue amount of land in Ihe Ka.st African i'rolcctorate.