EDENDALE SHOOTING CASE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2244, 16 July 1908, Page 3

EDENDALE SHOOTING CASE

STOTT BEFORE THE COURT. AC< USED COMMITTED FOR , "- TRIAL. [Press Association.] INVERCARGILL, July 15. Thomas Stott was charged at the Police Court yesterday that he. did, on June. 20, at Edendale, discharge a double-barrelled gun at Alary Brown with intent to do hor-grievous bodily -harm. Accused was -not represented bv counsel. Inspector " Mitchell said lm would not call Mies Brown’s parents, because on the night of tlie occurrence they were both under the influence of liquor. Alary Ann Brown, aged' 20, who is still; a patient in the hospital, was extremely- nervous in Court, and the Inspector said she was in great fear of Stott, and he deemed it -advisable to scat.her with her back to accused, and almost hidden from him by the witness-box, while a constable stood at her. side. She said that she resided with her parents at Edendale, teaching in an Invercargill school during the week. For a few days bofore tho shooting she had been home on account of ill-healtli. On tho day in question she first saw accused at the house at about dinner time. Witness went-out, because slio did not avant to stay there with Stott. -Later in tlie day her father and mother left for Invercargill, and Stott remained, having fun with witness’ brothel's and sisters. -She. left the house again. Accused was back at the house after tea. Her father and mother and brothers were with him. They were talking but not quarrelling: All witness said to-accused was to ask him to go away. He said that if it had been any of the other young •men she would not have been hunting him away like that-. Slid did net -remember what' she answered to that. She told him that if he would, go home ho could come back the next day (Sunday). Her father and mother had both gone to bed when she kept asking iStott to go away. Both her father and another had some drink. When she told accused to come , hack next day lie got angry, and sfiid ho would not come back. He then went away, but witness did not know what time, it wax. It was in the kitchen tbit-the accused was sitting. After he went away she and her brother had some supper, and were preparing to go to bed, when somebody -rapped, hard at the back door. Somebody called out, “Dolly, open the door.”. She knew it was accused’s voice, and she told him to go away home. Accused said lie would come in, and witness got up and opened, the* door. As soon as she opened, the .floor, she saw that ho had a-gun with" him, and ran into her bedroom. She had just got into her bedroom when she was shot in the upper left. arm. She thought that she called out to her little brother, tint she was shot, and accused said. “That’s all right; I’ll do for myself.” ishe waited a niiiiute till accused went out by the front door, and then went across to Airs. Foster’s. That evening Dr. Baird came and attended to her arm. Accused was a good while before he came back and shot her. She was taken to the hospital on the following Monday, and had been there ever since. Constable Bogu'e, who arrested accused, said that Stott had said, “D ; - I shoot her? If I did I am very sorry.” Next morning, wheat having breakfast at the lock-up, Stott asked if witness had heard how the girl was. Witness said, “No.” Accused said, “It’s a bad affair, and I do not know what possessed me; it was drink, I suppose.” Accused reserved his defence, "and was committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme ‘Court -at Invercargill, about tho end of August. Bail was not allowed. Tho Bench took the opportunity of publicly complimenting Constable Bogue’on the pluck shown in the exercise of his duties under trying circumstances. “It, is not every man,” said Air. Cimickshank, “who would go out alone and tackle a ‘raving lunatic’ who had a gun.”