A MAYOR MURDERED.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1922, Page 7

A MAYOR MURDERED.

NEW SOUTH WALES TRAGEDY. At the inquest concerning the death of Mr. T. R. Hogan, Mayor of Moree, New South Wales, who was shot dead while returning from church on a recent Sunday, Alfred Fairhall, an employee of the municipal council, stated that on the morning of the crime he was in the garden at his home about 9 o’clock when he heard two shots in Auburn Street, near his cottage. On going to his gate he saw a man in a white suit staggering. There was a man following him shooting at him. Witness heard five shots fired, and actually saw three of them fired. When the man fell down witness ran out or to the street and. ran after the man who did the shooting. He recognised the man as John Curran, who was before the Court. He heard no words uttered by either the accused or the deceased.

Thomas George Purtell, motor mechanic and bicycle agent, said that he knew the accused, and was in his company on Sunday morning. He met him at his house between 6 and 7 o’clock. I Together they went to the bore baths, witness driving a motor cycle ,and the accused occupying the sidecar. The accused was not carrying anything that witness knew of. Later they went to Peters and Co.’s refreshment rooms. While there witness saw Mr. Hogan go down Balo Street on the opposite side to that on which witness was. Witness heard a remark about Mr. Hogan, and the accused said, “There goes ‘Holy Tom.’ ” Witness said, “Yes, that’s Tom Hogan.” The accused said, “Who’s the girl?” There was a lady walking with Mr. Hogan. The lady was Mrs. Bailey. Witness had never heard the accused mention having firearms. Witness knew nothing about a rifle, which was produced, and had never seen it before. He was at the scene where the shooting took place on Sunday about 10 o’clock. To Sergeant McDonald, witness said that he did not hear, nor did he make, any remark to the effect that what Mr. Hogan got served him right. The’ accused, when asked if he desired to make a statement, said: “I think it would only be a waste of time. I don’t want to make a statement, and I don’t want to go into the box.”

The coroner returned a verdict to the effect that Mr. Hogan was feloniously and maliciously murdered by John Curran, who was committed for trial.