VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 February 1940, Page 9

VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY

ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE. INCIDENT IN BOARDING HOUSE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. After a retirement of nearly an hour, the jury in the Supreme Court. Wellington. yesterday, found Charles. Theodor Nelson, seaman, aged 51. not guilty of the attempted murder of Stanley Meredith Hunt and not guilty of discharging a revolver with intent to do grievous bodily harm, to him. In ihis summing up his Honour. Mr Justice Ostler, put the following question to the jury: ‘‘Was the prisoner guilty of causing actual bodily harm in such circumstances that if death had been caused he would have been guilty of manslaughter?” On this count the jury found Nelson guilty, and he was remanded for sentence.

Hunt, stated the Crown Prosecutor, (Mr Cunningham) lived at the Salvation Army Hostel, but his sister, Mrs Revell, lived at 20 Jessie Street, Wellington. where she let rooms. On Saturday. November 25. accused was one of the boarders. On that day a race meeting was on, and Mrs Revell's brothei-, Hunt, went along to Jessie Street and started to listen-in to the races. He was there for a considerable time, and at 20 minutes to five accused walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Apparently he received an indication from Hunt that he was listening to the races and did not want to listen to accused. Accused called Hunt a several times, went upstairs, and returned to the living room with a revolver. He started another conversation, and Hunt turned the radio on rather loudly. Accused went to the far end of the room, removed his coat and waistcoat, and. taking a revolver from his hip pocket, said: ‘'This is a blank cartridge; I am going to shoot you.” He thereupon fired. He then said: -'This is a live cartridge: I am going to blow your brains out.” He fired again, and Hunt ducked, the bullet going into the wall. Hunt got the discharge of powder and smoke in his face.