A SERIOUS CHARGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9139, 15 July 1908, Page 5

A SERIOUS CHARGE.

BY TEI.EGHAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION. INVERCARGILL, July 14. Thomas Stott was charged at the Police Lourt to-day that he did, on June 20th, at Edendale, discharge a double-barrelled gun at Mary Brown, with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Accused was not represented by counsel. Inspector Mitchell said that he wouH not call Miss Brown's parents, because on the night of the occurrence ihey both were un:!er the )influence of liquor. Mary Ann Brown, aged 20, who is still a patient in the hospital, was extremely nervous in Court, and the Inspector said that she was i-i great fear of Svott. It was deemed atlvisaole to seat hu' with her back to the accused a'd a'most hidden from him by the while a constable stood at hrv side. Miss brown sa;d that she vasidecl with her parents at Edendsle, teaching at the Invercargill school during the. week. For a few days before the shooting she had been home on account of ill-health. On the clay in question she first saw accused at the house at about dinner time. Witness went out because she did not want to stay there with Stott. Later in the day her father and mother left foi Invercargill, and Stott remained with witness' brothers and sisters. She leit the house again. Accused was back at the house after tea. Her father, mother and brothers were with him. They were talking, but not quarrelling. All witness said to accused was to ask him a few times to go away. Accused said that if it had been any of the other young men she would not have been hunting him away like that. She did not remember what she answered to that, but, she told him that if he would go home he could' come back the next day (Sunday). Her.father and mother had both gone to bed when she kept askir.g Stott to go away. Both her father and mother had had some drink. When she told accused to come back next day he got angry and said that he would not come back. He then went away, but witness did nut know what time it was. It was in the kitchen that the accused was sitting. After he went away she and her brother had some supper and were preparing to go to bed, when somebody rapped hard at the back door. Somebody called out, "Dolly, open the door." She knew it was accused's voice, and she told him to go away home. Accused said he would come m, and witness got up ami opened the door. As soon as she opened the door she saw he had a gun with him, and ran into her bedroom. She had just got into her bedroom when she was shot in the upper left arm. She thcught she called out to her little brother that she was shot, and accused said, "That's all right; I'll do for myself." She waited a minute till accused went out by the front door and across to Mrs Foster's. That evening Dr Baird came and attended to her arm. Accused was away a good while before he came back and shot her. Witness was taken to the hospital she following Monday, and had been there ever since. Constable Bogue, who arrested accused, said Stott had said, "Did I shoot her? If so, I'm very sorry." Next morning, when having hreakfast at the lock-up. Stott asked if witness had heard how the girl was. Witness said "No." Accused said, "It is a had affair, and I do not know what posssepsed me to do it. Drink, I suppose." Accused reserved his defence, and ; was committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court at Invercargill, about the end of August. Bail was not allowed. The Bunch took the opportunity to publicly compliment Constable Bogue on the pluck shown in the exercise of his duties, under trying circumstances. "It is hot every man," said Mr Cruickshank, "who would go out alone and tackle a raving lunatic' who had a gun."