MURDER CHARGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 March 1940, Page 5

MURDER CHARGE

DEATH OF SIR M. O’DWYER

INDIAN ENGINEER IN COURT.

EXHIBITION OF INDIFFERENCE

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, March 21.

Not even bothering to remove his hat. Azad Singh. Indian engineer, faced a charge of feloniously murdering Sir Michael O'Dwyer at a meeting of the East India Association in Caxton Hall on March 13. A gaoler snatched off Azad's hat, but the defendant continued to grin, and he had his hands in his pockets as the story of (tie murder was related. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Evans, said .he believed Azad's real name is Udham Singh. The charge was accordingly amended because of a misapprehension about lhe defendant's religion and race.

The defendant was alleged lo have made the statement: "I don't mind wind sentence 1 get. 1 did my duty. I did not intend to take a person's life. I just meant to protest. I don't belong to any society.” A witness, Bertha Herring, a whitehaired. middle-aged woman, told how she tackled the defendant after the shooting. “I heard a terrific explosion and saw a revolver in the hands of a man," she said. “He turned and came toward me. I felt a deep resentment and ran lo meet him and grabbed and struggled with him. Two gentlemen then leaped on his back.” 'The hearing was adjourned.