SHOOTING CASE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1518, 27 November 1886, Page 4

SHOOTING CASE.

Haweba, Nov. 24. At the E.M. Court to-day John David Maclean waa charged, with shooting at Frederick. with intent to murder. Prosecutor’* statement waa to the following effest.:—l know prisoner. He lives on part of nay property, which' 1s ; situated near Hawera. r There are two dwelling-housesjon. the property; One is occupied by myself and one has been occupied by prisoner. He was'in -our employ when he first weniinlo occupation of the bouse.' He has! been out of reghiar employment for a mouth or more, but has assisted in shearing;- -The bouse I occupy is about!half a. mile away from Macleat/s. ,Oo Thursday, 38tb, I saw, prisoner about eight, o’clock in ,the morn-, ing. Prisoner came tip in an excited manner, toot ino by the am, and said I had sedticed bis wife. I replied that he must be mad. ■ He then said that he woukbahoot me or I would shoot him—that he would give me two days* to live. Be said bis! wife tout told him I bad done no. I then f .-ff>r«d to go with him to his wife, and said she must be mad. He said if 1 went over 1 would not leave the place. 1 inferred from that that he meant be would shoot me. He told me (bat ho had my Ho then went

away. Ha was very ranch excited ..J'He had borrowed my gun five or six months 1 saw’ him coming across the paddock iri the ev&fiing, about five or six, with a: gun. lie was on foot, 1 was on ‘horseback. He came itito the paddock, where 1 was. . I kept out in the paddock He proceeded along the paddock a little .way ah'd then' fired at about turning when be fired. He was about sixty ykhis off. Ikode kway. Ho llay down l felaokened pace, and rode ‘in the dirCctido of hfa house, with the intention of going to town. I thought 1 would go to, the police, I did not see aoyi tnore of him. 1 changed ray mind' -about going to town. ! 'lt fcia getting 'tather darkj 'and'l hurried round and lj went out of'the 1 pkddock by the gate I bad come in at. I then observed him going (ow'irds my house, still hating the gun with him;' As I bad seen him near tnjrhouqd I thought'-\t better to keep away. I did 'not come back to my bouse that night.' Witness positively denied that he bad acted as prisoner alleged. Evidence was also given that later the same evening he ‘challenged the' prosecutor's brother in mistake for prosecutor, and that he told the brother he wbuld shoot Iredale. When arrested he admitted to the police that he 'lntended'’to' shoot Iredale, and said that if he had seen Fred Iredale on the evening of the 18th, he would have shot him, and then have committed suicide. He waited about Iredale's homestead till late on 18th inst., and next day his gnu was found loaded in one barrel with ball. Accused was committed for trial.