CHARGE OF PERJURY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9145, 22 July 1908, Page 5

CHARGE OF PERJURY.

SEQUEL TO WESTFORT MURDER. BY TETiF.attA.PH —PRESS ASSOCIATION. WESTPORT, July 21. At the hearing of the charges of perjury against Wm.' T. Connelly, to-day, Hallmen was severely cmssexamined. He denied the material statements made by the chief witnesses for the Crown at Westport and Nelson. H. Christensen, a lad, gave evidence rrainly corroborative of Hallinen and Andersen's as to the time they were at the theatre, witness staging that he sat in the same seat as these two and next to Haakonson, who was with them. Maria Alexander Pearce said that she saw Bourke and Connelly come out of Ayer's Hotel arm in arm. Connelly waa dragging Bourke, who was drunk, against his will over in the direction of McLaughlan's shed; that Bourke fell down and Connelly struck him several blows with a bottle, and afterwards dragged him into the shed. He lit a match, and on appearance of a man with a lantern and a dog, hurried out of the back ot the shed and over the fence. Cross-examined, witness said she had no drink that 1 day. She was not drunk at 4 o'clock. She had recently been in Court applying for a separation order from her husband, alleging he was addicted to drink, her husband at the same time making a similar charge against her, and the Magistrate declined to make an order. She was accustomed to take something before going to bed at night. She had not given her version of affairs because she expected Hallinen and Andersen, who she knew to be innocent men, would get off, and did not wish to get mixed up in the affairs, but considered it her duty to come forward now and give evidence. The Court adjourned till to-morrow.