CHARGE OF MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1916, Page 7

CHARGE OF MURDER.

KIELY COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. By Veiegraph —Press Association. Waipawa, December 21. ! , Giving evidence at the magisterial trial of Patrick Kiely, charged .with the murder of George Dodd, Detective Butler deposed to asking accused if he vantfd a solicitor, and he said a solicitor could do him no good, as he supposed he would 'have to suffer for it. IJe did not remember what had happened, but something must have been said to annoy him, and in that state lie would not stop at anything. He said he had. known Dodd and Wainwright for years,. but he did not like them. They had been on the river-bed for some days. On Saturday Dodd had askod him to the camp to have a feed. Th>y had tinned meat and .potatoes. After that Dodd and Kiely went up town and got some beer. -Dodd got three bottles and he got one. The three drank one •bottle, and Dodd said he would keen three for Sunday. He told them they had better go away or he would be getting full, and so he was. He told t'heni lie would get a policeman if they did not go. Kiely said he did not remember any more after that until "Joe'' (Wainwright) came to camp and said his mate was dead. He went to see, and "Joe'' said: "You have killed him." They said something must have been said to make him angry. He asked why Wainwright had not stopped him, and |'"Joe" said he had turned on him ("Joe") and stabbed him. Accused went on to say he had been drinking, and it had a /bad effect on him. He had a very bad memory and could do a thing and forget all about it the next minute. Later on, in the police office, two knives that , were found at the camp were placed on the table, and accused, pointing to a blood-stained knife said: "That is my knife," and that he had told a policeman a lie about a knife he had bought at the stores on Saturday night. If he had meant to kill Dodd 'he would not have bought stores. Asked to plead, accused said: "I reserve my defence," and he was then committed to the Supreme Court for trial on March 12.