TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4223, 20 September 1892, Page 2

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN WELLINGTON.

Further Details,

We now publish further particulars' of the sensatioual shooting affray which took place in Wellington on Sunday morning, ; The murderer is the mate of the American barque Dorris EckhofT, and tbo murdered man was a Russian Finn named Greenrose, an A,B, of the : same vessel. The arresting constable boarded the Flint in defiance of its threatening mate, pushed the latter aside and walked up to the armed murderer, snatohed the weapon from him, and arrested him. The first statement secured was that of the arresting constable. It was as follows: CONSTABLE JOIINBXON'S STATEMENT. " While on the wharf, I heard two shots fired near the railway Wharf. I saw a lot of people running, and I ran over to the spot. There I found the dead man lying, shot through the heart, with blood streaming from his mouth. I sent for a doctor, Iliad heard other shots after the two just spoken of, Burning on the'wharf) I saw the prisoner walking about the quarter-deck of the Flint, revolver in hand. The mite of the Flint was there too, and on my reaching the gangway,, he eaid: 'lwon't allow any. son of a b—-on board my ship.' I got on board when he again stopped me, but I wentup.tothe priaoneivHe nas putting bis revolver in his pocket when I snatohed it from him. Constable Wilson then joined me. When arrested, prisoner said:' Well, if a man's bigger than you, you must bring him down to a G—d—d i level with yourself,'"

THE BODY, The body of the murdered man was taken to the Morgue, where a crowd eagerly gstbered round, It was found, on close examination, that deceased, who vns apparently about 86 years of ago, had been shot through the heart; & clean round wound being disclosed on the lefc breast. In his breast pneket was found a small packet of letters, and this packet Yfaa shot through by the bullfct. THE PRISONER. (jk/ The man who fired the fatal sjnt was named Finlay, a single man, of 87 years of age, a naturalised American citizen, of Irish extraction, belonging to New York. He is chief officer of the barque Doris Eckhoff, and is re« ported to be of violent and quarrelsome temper. The following (extracted from the Evening Press) is another acoount of tbe fracas, and gives rather fuller particulars than we published in our yesterday's issue>4When Finlay after leaving his own vessel proceeded to the Railway Wharf, and boarded the " Flint," he was joined by the mate of that vessel, and the two proceeded ashore. On the roadway between the wharf and Cable's Foundry, they met deceased (Ureenroae), McDonald (2nd officer), and throe other men.

THE AFFRAY. ; On their meeting, it is Baid, the mate of the" Flint" cried to his companion "Shoot him." Greonrose thereupon knocked him (Finlay)'ikwn and kicked him, Finlay got up, imw his revolver, and fired. Greenroso dropped face downwards, and on ai tempting to rise, staggered and fell dead across the rails, Finlay then turned bis revolver on McDonald and fired at him, wounding him in the groin. The wounded man stood the shot, and remained on his feet (ill after Dr Tripe had examined the dead man, and then submitted to examination. The parties were near the edge of the breastwork, a yard or two to tbe southward of the railway wharf, and some bystanders a Bhort distance off realised that mischief was in the air. Finlay tben presented his revolver indiscriminately. The men scattered in fear, hardly daring to run lest Finlay should 6re at them, In firing at a man who stood near the iron shed, he sent a bullet olean through the corrugated iron wall of the shed, and a hole remains to testify to the fact. Finlay then walked composedly round the wharf towards the" Flint," carrying the revolver, wbioh had Que chamber still undischarged. ssit followed has been already detailed,

ON SUNDAV AFTERNOON. the vessels, the two American barques and the Waimate, were visited by hundreds of curious persons, and the wharf and breastwork were thiokly studded with large groups of citizens innpecting the scene of the tragedy, and conversing eagerly about it, The citizens are universally indignant and liorr ; ed at the glimpse of Ameiican life which they have just had. Borne Americans exhibit equal indignation, and declare that had such a thing happened in the Stateß, th« crowd would have lynohed the murderer on the

spot, Seel, the mate of the Flint, is a Swede. He was arrested on the charge of being an accessory before the fact ofthemurdor.

THE ACCUSED BEFORE THE COUIiT. On Monday morning at 10.80, John Finlay and Ernest Beel were brought up before Mr fl. W. Eobinson, E.M., and charged with the wilful murder of Charles Greenrose, The densely crowded, and a good deaf of excitement was manifest when the prisoners v/ero oalled in, and entered under a strong guard of police. Tliey were perfectly calm and self-possessed. Inspector Thomson, appeared to prosecute, and prisonora were represented by counsel. Inspector Thomson asked that the case might be adjourned for a weok; lie could not proceed until he had Gathered evidence.

I His Worship concurred, and said he 'would grant the adjournment, Mr Geo. Hutchison asked that tlio remand should be Bhort, as he would bo able to show that one of the ptN | sobers had been arrested under a misapprehension of the faots of the case. '

Inspector Thompson said he would be willing to lake an adjournment till Friday,

The K, M, said he would like the adjournment to Friday, as he was due at Masierton on Tuesday next, and. he would not like the c&so throte over till next week. ™ Inspector Thompson agreed to the remand till Friday. Part of the

necessary evidence would Lave to be given by the wounded man, who waa at the Hospital and could not ho called yet. He (the Inspector) had arranged with the 13 ospital authorities to bo summoned, at once, if there should bo a fatal 'orraination. . Items. -

The man MoDonald, who is #pparently, about forty-fiva years of age, lies in the hospital in a critical state. The bullet entered tbo groin, and passed through him to the other side. It has not yet been extracted; the fear is that inflammation of a severe character may set in, The bullet, which went through tbo wall of the goods shed, flattened itself against the buffer of a truck inside the shed. When the police searched Finlay'a cabin they found twenty-one rounds of ammunition, The revolver taken from ' tft person of Finlav was of a fancy make, and wassmall, In the course of the fray Seel is said to have remarked "I'vegot a shooter, and I'll U66 it on you, G— d— me 1" No revolver was found on Seel, however. Seel Was not arrested until after Finlay had been put into a cell. Hig arrest was made in consequence of its being found that ho had incited Finlay to use his revolver,