ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 August 1921, Page 4

ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE

SHIP'S ENGINEERS QUARREL. GUILTY ON MINOR COUNT. By Telegraph—Prsss Association. Dunedin, Last Night. Before His Honor Mr. Justice Sim (Acting Chief Justice), Charles Howard Tipping was charged in the Supreme Court to-day with “that on May 4 last be did attempt to murder Alfred James Pottinger”. There was a second count against accused of causing actual bodily harm, under such circumstances that if death had been caused he would have been guilty of manslaughter; and a third count of assault so as to cause actual bodily harm. Accused pleaded not guilty. The occurrence which led to the charge took place at Port Chalmers. Accused was the sixth engineer of an overseas steamer named the Mabia, and Pottinger was the fourth engineer on the same steamer. The two men had shipped at r London for the voyage, and on. the passage out had apparently been the best of friends, and the other officers said that there had been no quarrel between them. Ou the afternoon in question Pottinger went ashore by himself. At about four o’clock he met accused‘and another engineer named Robertson, and they went to the hotels and had several drinks. When they returned aboard the vessel a quarrel ensued, and accused drew a revolver and shot Pottinger. Accused was found not guilty on the first and third counts, and guilty on the second, with a strong recommendation to mercy. He was fined £3O.