SUPREME COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4288, 30 November 1892, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

• Ik Wellington Shooting Tragedy. Tho Supreme Court, was crowded yesterday when tbo tritjpof Henry William Finley and Ernest Seel, charged with having murdered Charto Groenroso on tho 18th September last, was commenced befo'ro His Honor the Chief Justice. Tho appearance of tho prisoners was considerably altered since thoy were ' last before the Court, caoh man hav ing grown a heard in the interval. Mr H, D, Bell prosecuted on behalf of tho Crown, Mr Jellicoo and Mr Poynton, ap* peared for Finley, and Mr Hutchison for Seel. Mr Jellicoesaid that counsel for the defence wore anxious that there should bo separate trials. Tho Crown Prosecutor opposed llio application. Mr Hutchison supported the application, pointing out that if tho defences were severed, Finley might be induced to go into tho witnese-Box and give evidence on Seel'a behalf, supposing ho (Finley) were tried first and acquitted. . His Honour said that on tho whdf4 he could not refuse tho application. ■ The Crown Prosecutor intimated that the case against Finley would be taken first..' Seel was returned to the cells, and the hearing of the oharge against Finley was proceeded with, The following jury was empannelled:—Messrs Thomas TJridge. (foreman), Edward Banks, John Haggerty, Samuel Gilmer, Alfred Curtiss, Eichard Henry Wilson, Thomas CorIfllti William Georgo Brett, William White, Robert Francis Richardson, and Willi am Hook. On the application of Mr Jellicoe; all witnesses were ordered out of": Court,

The Crown Prosecutor in opening the case oxplHiii* d the circumstances of the affray and said a question hud arisen whother the offence was one of murder or of manslaughter, Thf fullest cvidenco would be iidduced, and the jury wmild receive adircolion from His Mnnnnr, and they would then consider their verdict, There wero cas> s in which persons charged with murder brought forward circumstances which reduced their crime to manslaughter, but tho present case was not one of that kiud. John Campbell, sailmakcr of the Waiuialo at tho limo of the shooting, was tho first wiinoss called, lie deposed to seeing Greenrose and Lynch going off the Railway Wharf on tho Sunday in question. .The two men mot Finley and Seel, and an altercation ensued. Greenrose made as if to strike Finley, and witness believod that Finley was struck, Greenroso mr.de as if to strike again, and Finley, drawing back, fired two shots from a revolver in bis coat pocket, Greonrose then fell, and on 'going up to him it was found he was dead. Seel did not produce a revolver, but said he had one, and ho called out to Finley to " Shoot the b—s down." After the two shots wero fired, M'Donald, second malo of the Doris Eokhofij who was about five yards away, went up to Finley, and aimed a blow at him. U'Douald then drew back, and a shot was fired frooi Fmley's pocket, Finley afterwards fired at Lynch, as the latter was running back to the Waimate,

The next witness was Albert Stohr, a German seaman who had boon one of the crow of tiie Doris Eckboff. He doposed that Greenrose, Lynch, McDonald and others, beside himself, wero in tho Branch Hotel on Saturday night, September 17, when Finley and Seel entered. They all went out together, when Finloy and McDonald came to blows, aud Seel struck witness, who retaliated. Then Seel and Lynch afterwards struggled together, On the Sunday morning, witness and others went on board the Waimate, and subsequently proceeded up tho Eailway wharf and along the breast-work, Green-

rose and Lynch in advance, McDonald a yard or eo behind thorn, und witness and the- others fallowing. Finley and Seel wero met coming from the opposite direction, and after tho exchange of soino blows between Seel and Lynch, and Greenrose and Finley, tho latter fired two shots at Greenrosb, one shot at McDonald, and then pursued and fired two shots at Lynch. Tho witness' evidence agreed generally with that of Campbell.

Mr Jollicoc's cross-examination closed at 5 p.m., and tlio Couft then adjourned till this morning. Latek. In tho murder trial Lynch was oxamined this morning, but nothing new was elicited. Petersen and Stohr both said Finley was on the ground when he fired tho first time. In this respeot they are contradicted by Campbell, who said Finley was not knocked down, Lynch did not know whether Finley was knocked down or not, McDonald, tho ivoundod man, will give his evidence at this trial.