ATTEMPTED MURDER AT DEVONPORT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2176, 19 June 1886, Page 2

ATTEMPTED MURDER AT DEVONPORT.

We take the following from the Herald :— The inhabitants of Devonport were startled by the firing of shots about half-past nine o'clock on Wednesday night, on the Beach Road, going towards the Calliope Dock. Here a scene enacted under wb.it seem to be the following circumstances :— A man named Michael Lnnny, fired upon his wife with a roxolver, discharging two shots at | her, one of which took effect in the groin, lodging in the thigh, and glancing round the bone. Lunny, who it seems had kept a boarding-house for some time past in one of Alton's new cottages, had not been on the j best of terms with hi* wife, she having left , him a month ago, and come to Auckland. About the same time! Lnnnv hnd complained to the local constable thit his wife had gone to live with a man named George McGuire, and did not know what to do with his family. McGnire, who is a blacksmith at the dock, had been n boarder at tho house for some time. On his leaving, it is said Mrs Lunny hod bpen ween in McGuires company several tinier by Lunny, who followed him and was on the watch. He purchased the revolver, and Mrs Lunny going over from Auckland on Wednesday night by the 0 o'clock steamer from town, was met by Lunny. who accompanied her a-long the road for some distance, and on learning that she was going to sop the children for the last time, stepped in front of her, and drawing a revolver from his pocket, fired two shots at her. The firing of course attracted attention, and the neighbour* t>ni>bed out into the road as another shot was fired at McGnire. When Lunny was requested to give upth» weapon hr dwrhnrged another Rhot in the air to show them that it was a revolver, a« he was asked to hand over the stick that ho had got in his hand. Lunny said, "You see that is a revolver." and discharged it at random in thn air. Ho then handed it to two men named James William-* and J.ime* I'Vatherhtone, who gave it to the police on their arrival. The statement of Mrs Lunny was as follows:— I left my husband four weeks ago, and resided at Auckland since leaving. I came over to-night to spo my children (fivp) for the last time. My husband, Michael Lunny, met me on the road after landing from the 9.30 p.m. boat from Anck land. Mrs Renwick wa« with me. Mv hnslnnd asked me where I was going, and I diiid to see tha children for the last time, as I was going to take a situation. He then fnmNed in hi< pocket, and got into the road in front of me, and fired two shots from a revolvr, mid walked away very quickly. I «at down, and froind the *hot had hit me, a« the hlood wan running down my Inc. I One shot, the fir-t one, hit me in the exoin, and the second i»ra»>d mv hat and broke the feathers. Mrs Hopkins took me into h«r house at the ie(juf«t , ( f my companion, Mrs Renwick. ' Dr. Parkinson stated that on attending Mrs Lnnny he found a hull.'t wound iji the groin, but could not vouch for its seriousness, an the bullet was imbed led in the flesh, having taken a downward course. On searching Mrs Lunny's room, the hat and feather broken by the bullet were found, also thn dress with a hole through it, and the underclothing pierced and besmeared with blood. Lunny wa<» arrested in hi? own residence by Constable Hutchinson, where he was found sitting in one of the ro im«. He said he had shot at both his wife and McGnire, and further added tint he was sorry that he had not killed them. Constable McGovern took charge of Lunny to convey him to Auckland by the special steamer which had been engaged to bring him over to town. On the way to the station accused said he intended shooting his wife and George McGnire, as he believed she was not acting honest towards i him, and that he had been left with a large family. Under the influence of beer he had been prompted to commit the act w ; th which he was charged. He also stated that he intended to surrender himself to the police. His act had been premediated, having purchased a six-chambered revolvor on Monday last. Jealousy, he said, was the whole cause of the offence. Michael Lunny was brought up at the Police Court on Thursday morning, before Messrs W. Duncan and S. Y. Collins, Justices, and charged with feloniously shooting with a pistol at Margaret Lunnv, with intent in doing so then and thereby feloniously, wilfully, and ot malice aforethought to kill and murder the said Margaret Lunny, at Devonport, on June IG. The accused, on being charged, seemed rather unconcerned, except to gaze about the Court, was not represented by counsel. S >rgeant Pratt said the attempt was made by the accused on bis wife, at Devonport, about half-past 9 o'clock the previous night. One 4f the shots had taken effect by lodging in the groin, and the second one had grazed her I bead. The bullet bad not been extracted yet, and the woman was now lying in a I most dangerous state. Subsequently, with the same revolver, he had fired at a man I named McGnire. The flow of blond from [ the wounded woman had been large. It was neces«ary that a remand should be applied for till she was able to appear. The Bench granted the application for a remn^l to Friday. June 25. The 'injured woman was brought over from Devonport on Thursday afternoon in Aarge of Sergeant Clarke, and conveyed in the ambulance waggon to the hospital,

where she was rcceivod by Dr Bond. On inquiry last night, we le.irned that M^ Lunny wiw fitill in the s.uno condition as when ndmitteJ, being thenina\eiy piecanous condition.