THE PERRY MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1915, Page 2

THE PERRY MURDER.

WIDOW BEFORE THE COURT. EVIDENCE OF AN EXPERT, ACCUSED ACQUITTED. By Telegraph.—,Pross Association. Auckland, Yesterday. At the trial of Amelia Perry on a charge of. murdering her husband today, Colonel Hazard, who had lifteen years' experience as a guiunaker, deposed that he had made experiments in the room where the tragedy occurred, and concluded that the gun must have been fired downwards at Perry's head while he lay on the bed. He did not consider the fatal shot could have been fired tmoiigh the window, Replying to the Judge, he said he wa's assuming the window was open only at the bottom two inches. It would need a very tall man to make the wound he saw. Witness produced a sheet of cardboard at which he had fired the gun in Perry's house at various distances. He considered the mark made when the muzzle of the gun was two feet from the card corresponded best with serrated edge of the wound in Perry's head, though the mark made at three feet was much similar. He believed that the gun found in the house had been fired between twelve to eighteen hours before he inspected it on September 25, Gordon McDowell, laborer, showed reluctance to answer questions with regard to his relations with 'Perry and his wife. The Crown Prosecutor suggested that McDowell might be treated as a hostile witness, His Honor said witness was in a peculiar position and entitled to claim the privilege of a man in that position. Witness continued to answer questions in a guarded way. McDowell declined to answer questions whether he cohabited with Mrs. Perry and as to whether accused had spoken to him about one of her children. Witness said that on the night before the murder he was working on- Sutton's farm piid went to bed between nine and ten. He slept in the same room as Sutton and did not leave the house all night. Cross-examined, he said accused had never had anything to hope from him in the way of marriage if she were frep. William Sutton corroborated McDowell's evidence. Chief-Detective McMahon said accused was arrested after she had told a number of lies about McDowell. The Superintendent of Police was present and they were satisfied beyond doubt i!wt McDowell had nothing to do with the murder. After evidence, lasting for two days, was heard, His Honor summed up, and after a retirement of 31 minutes the jury jury returned a verdict of "not guilty." The accused was therefore discharged.