THE MILLER’S POINT OUTRAGE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2546, 24 August 1893, Page 3

THE MILLER’S POINT OUTRAGE.

Sydney, August 11

A strange development occurred in the trial of the men charged with being coil' cerned in the Miller’s Feint outrage. The case had to be adjourned through the illness of one of the jurors, and on the resumption of the Court Mr Justice Innes announced than the juror in question was extremely ill, and not likely to recover for many days. Medical testimony was then given that the juror was suffering from insanity, being under the delusion that his fellow-jurymen were constantly charging him with committing offences, His Honor then discharged the jury, and the Crown Prosecutor withdrew the charge against all the accused except Reid and Rich, with the view of havi” them tried at the next Court t case against these two pr?; j, was needed with later on v n the day % s oner dec ’ jed £ 0 g ran t to the other M T. men previously on trial, and it is understood that they will be charged with assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm'.

The trial of the two men Rich and Reid was concluded on Thursday, the jury bringing in a verdict of manslaughter, with a recommendation to mercy. Mr Justice Innes asked on what grounds the recommendation was based. The foreman replied that it was on the ground of provocation. The Judge, in passing sentence, said the evidence certainly warranted a verdict of guilty on a more serious charge. However, he was bound to accept the verdict, although he could hardly conceive a more brutal outrage than that committed by Reid, for, after Rich had knocked Pert down, Reid had deliberately kicked him in a vital part while he was lying helpless. He failed to see that there was any ground on which to base a recommendation of provocation. It was deplorable that such a state of things could exist as that a man while smoking within sight of his home should be knocked down and kicked to death. A warning must be given to those inclined to err in the same direction, and, therefore, Reid would be sentenced to ten years’ and Rich to five years’ penal servitude.