CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 2 August 1913, Page 5

CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER

' DEATH AT SUNNYBIDE.

DISCLOSURES.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRLSTUHURCH, Last Night. The public benches at the Magis* trate's Court were / crowded to-day, when Joseph Martin Chapman, an attendant at Sunnyside Mental Hobpital, was charged that at Christ- > church he* murdered one Charles Thomas McMeekin. Mr Donnelly appeared for the accused, and Chief-Detective Bishop conducted the prosecution. Eliza Jane McMeekom, , widow of Charles Thomas McMeekin, stated that her husband's health generally had been very good. He was committed to the asylum on July 7th. A month prior to that he had shows signs of mental weakness. HJb eyesight was badly affected, one eye being almost sightless, and the other was affected considerably. He was never violent. ' : ,■ Jam ee Todd, an'attendant at the Sumnyside MehtaJ Hospital, said that on Monday, July Bth, Chapman told him that the patient was kick* ing up a row ahd thumping oil the door. He indicated McMeekin'a room. Chapman opened McMeekin'n door, and McMeekin rushed at Chap* man as soon as it was opened. man closed with him, and both felt jbo the floor. . Thea Chapman ros». and .put'; iMcMeekin in a sitting position .against the waJi. ■ Chapman then 1 -' idfcityered ttfo'or three >-sev«fe .bloi##*'pii ; McM eekin's sheet, aild 1 hit TunsT on the jaw twice with bis and .•his ■' leffc-fcasiidsf.r Witness ' /in ths room up against the wall. McMeekin was then . put on the bed by Chainman and v witneM: McMeekin then -was weajing only (a; rflamieK Then Chapman stood over McMeekin - and kicked; him an the, abdomen about, three times. Chapman kicked ' with the heel of .his boot, or shoe. The kicks looked pretty . severe, McMeekin kept. on saying enough ; Cross-examined, -witness said thelrfe was a rule at the -asyhitat which; pro*; V vided that When Sm atteridtot J^ 1 * another iil-treating a ljad to report it. • He. knew i that , ito*-. quests 'He did "Bay quest,becattefr ; he wias a' bii'M'filderT ed with Ch«ipm4n saying' '.'sit fighVV, and beinte second in v charge,•. >.m . v charge: at the time of the assatift. %, He Sa4»f.§eeii ;an" attendant at tihe' months aftd Wto} ' that' he sad 'worked at Lak'6 Coleridge. ■ • • Mr Donhelly: As' a navvy? '/ , Witness: Yes,* as a common nsWyl Before that he had not had any experience of asylums!- , t Thomas John' Stephens, another, attendant at Snnnyside} said 1 that on July Bth, while 'walking along to- 1 wards . "1)" vpartl, at about 1 ' 12.20' j p.m., he • noticed- two attendants-—: Todd and Chapman—in HcMeeKin'a room.MoMeekai was then' .lying pn . the bed, and Todd wks staidinz ftt, thei'oot.. Chapm&ii : ;i over ♦ his foot ; oyer McMeekin's ahdomeji; ..jV' 1 James Attendant &t {Sunnyside,. said tbdt Bth The . yelieved ' AtfaM&ttt "wiaptoah vsfor about tHirty minutes. JtfcMeekin Was a bit 1 was room. On ,Tuly ' : hiin 4ntp r n'ess -the dayl*<^ shown - av r6p:brt\^to. : . th6» : -'eff^ : '\i"thit-,ij;: Jsctoeekin made a violent Chapman and witness. Chapman told Coakley- to swear to that, and witness told him it was not true, and that the patient had. not made „ any violent attack. ; Chief-Detective .Bishop:', Ha vey on ■ seen the report-book since? Witness: 1 saw it at 8.30 on the following day.) Chief-Detective Bishop: Was thai report in it then? Witness: I don't know. - Chief-Detective Bishop: Was' there a page Bussing}* ' , Witness: 1 don't know. Chief-Detective Bishop then hand? Ed the report-book to the Magifc-< trate, remarking that a page between the reports dated July 7th and Jttly 1 . Bth had been torn out. Charles Henry Sykes, .night attendant at the hospital, said tEat on July Bth, at 8 o'clock, hie Chapman, who .told him to be caretful, that McMeekiA Had Jwen lathing 'out, banging the door, and mantling his clothes and %emoke.. Both Chapman and the head attendant at different' timeei told him' that lie was hot to gjo into McMeekin's room alone. Chapman said if . McMeekin got out, the best tkirr do was to let one-man hold his ' "&S while the other attendant punched him in the stomach. Chapman on one occasion said to him, "In dealing with these . old 'men, the best thing is to drive ; your heel into their guts, because we don't want such cattls here!" Dr Western's, wlio conducted post mortem exaiinnation. i said ■were no external marks of violc- "e on the body, btit there were a f *" slight abxasioma on -the legs '« • I arms. The abdomen, was pound a; ! healthy, but at the commence of th;», oarta there were signs of disease. > The right lung showed signs of hemorrhage, and the left lung - slight sighs ■ of; hemorrhage. ■ : \ Similar evidence given by. Dr . C Ramsbottom luid Dr Grow, of the hospital staffs the statement being madol tjiat if the body was covered with! blankets when the blow was delivered a bruise would not be likely to show. j The charge was reduced to one of manslaughter, the accused was committeed for trial, bail being allowed in and two sureties of £l5O each, or one of £3OO.