PAKARAE SHOOTING CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2249, 22 July 1908, Page 2

PAKARAE SHOOTING CASE.

INJURED GIRL GIVES EVIDENCE ACCUSED PLEADS NOT GUILTY AND IS COAIAIJTTKI) FOR JiJOfM TRIAL, The Alngistrate’s Court was filled to overflowing yesterday morning, when the evidence for tile Crown was taken in tins case of Walter Symons, who is in custody on a charge of the attempted murder of Alary Agnes Peter,sen, at l’aknrae, on June Oth 1907. The ease has been remanded i.evernl times owing to the fact of the injured girl not being sufficiently recovered to give evidence. Yesterday, however, nlie was considered well enough by her medical attendant to be present, and although still apparently suffering somewhat from shock, Alisa Petersen shows comparatively no trace of her terrible experience. Symons looked none the Averse for his "term in custody, but lie evidently realised the extreme gravity of his position more than lie appeared to on his recent appearances before flio Court. Air. J. W. Nolan, Crown Prosecutor, conducted the case for the police, and Air. G, Stock was present on behalf of Symons. Air. Nolan called :

Alary Agues Petersen, who said that she know the accused Symons. On the 9th of Juno she was in the wash-house at , the Pakarae Hotel, where she was employed, when accused came in to her, and after a few seconds of silence, ho said “Haro you got the money you owe me?” Witness replied “I have not got it at present, but I will give it to you as scon as lam able.” Upon this accused said that witness, had said previously she could have got the money before from Air. Shaw, or her brother. In reply to this witness stated that she would not. ask Air. pShaw for the money until she had earned it, nor would sho ask her brother lor it. Witness further said to accused, that her life was not worth living if r:lie was to be postered all tho time. She was then shot by accused with either a pistol or a revolver. Two shots were fired, both of which hit her, one in the left shoulder, and one in the mouth. Sho had been under Dr. Collins’ care since then. Slio was quite positive that the shots were fired by the accused. Her teeth were knocked out by one of the shots, and sho thought that the teeth (produced) were those belonging to her. James Clive Collins, medical practitioner, said that in consequence of a telephone message, ho went to Pakarae on June 9th. last; On. arrival lie found the previous witness lying in bed, very much shocked from the effect of two bullet wounds. Sho had a severe hemorrhage and ouo bullet had penetrated the left cavity of; the chest-, the other having chipped the lower jaw, passed through the roof of her mouth and lodged somewhere in tho region of tho base of the brain. Tho left side of tho neck was seared as if a bullet had evidently grazed it. Ho then attended tho Injured woman, and extracted one of the bullets from the apex of the right lung, but at that time the sufferer’s condition was too serious to warrant anything further being done than the mere location of the second bullet. Tho bullet (produced) wa6 the one which he had extracted. In witness’ opinion, the shots were fired at a short distance as shown by the nature of the entrance of the wounds. Ho was still attending the girl. Tho second bullet was not extracted by him. Harold Robert Alillstead stated that be was groom at the Pakarae Hotel in June last. About 2 p.m.. on June Oth. he was in the back of the stable, about seventy or eighty yards from tho wash-house. While "lie was thero ho heard a shot fired, and ho ran to the wash-house, where lie thought the shot was fired. On his way a second shot was fired in the wash-house, which he could then seo from where ho was. "When lie got tothe wasli-liouse, accused was lying on his back with a revolver pointed to his mouth. Witness took the revolver (“’d threw it. away, but accused said It is all right, Harry. I know what 1 have done.” Aliss Petersen was 'ying on the Hoor in the wash-house, with her feet, towards the door, and was bleeding from the chin, and also nom a wound just above the heart. Mr. Shaw then came and took hold of the accused and said “Who has done this?” or words to that effect. Accused replied "I did it.” Accused was then tied down, and witness later picked up the revolver which ho now identified as the one produced in Court.

A io]et Gardiner, said that in her capacity as nurse, she attended Wes I etersen at Pakarae, who was suffering trom shock, consequent on billet wounds and was being attended ri.v Dr. Collins. Witness extracted 011t j, bullet oil June 17th. from the l ; o< > Miss Petersen’s mouth. The bullet (produced) was the one she had' extracted'.

John Robert Nioliolls said he had known the accused for six years. On Monday, June Bth., witness came to Ins ironmongery shop 'and purchased a six-ehambered revolver, 38 calibre, which ho identified as being tho revolver in Court. Accused also purchased a box of cartridges. Tho cartridges exhibited in Court were similar to those supplied to the accused. John It. Shaw, Licensee of the Pakarae Hotel, said that Aliss Petersen was in his employ in June (last. About 2 p.m. oil 9th nit., ho was in the dining-room when lie heard a shot filed. Ho said to one of the girls at the table “What is that?” Immediately he heal'd a second shot, and ran out tlie back door in the direction trom which the sound had come. When ho got to the wash-house, accused was standing jin front of the door, and Aliss Petersen was lying on her back in the doorway bleeding from a wound in the chin and one m the region of the heart. He turned to accused and said: “Did you do that (pointing to Aliss Petersen)?” ind accused replied: “I did. Ain. Shaw, and I’m not sorry for it.” Witness then said : “You cur!” and seizing him by the two wrists, brought him to tho back yard, sent the groom for a rope and threw the 'accused on the ground and secured him. When witness went to the wash-house lie did inot see Alillstead, but several men were about. Ho assisted to search the accused, and found bullets similar to those produced, in his pockets. He banded the bullets to Detective Rawle.

Sidney Rawle, detective, said that about 2.30 p.m. oil June Oth. in consequence of information received, lie went to tho Pakarae Hotel, arriving tlier e about 6 p.m.. He there found the accused lied up and sitting on a form in the yard of the hotel. Witness took accused into a sitting-room and on the arrival of Constable Kirby from Tologa, at 9 p.m., he (witness) charged accused with attempting to murder one Alinnio Petersen, by shooting at her with a revolver oil that date. Accused replied “I don’t know,” and about twenty minutes later said, “I suppose they will put me in my place for a year or two for this, probably give me the b— rope.” Between 7.30 and 11.30 p.m. accused asked three times how the girl was getting on, adding, the -third time, “She will get over it. Where was she hit?” Wit,ness found the girl’s teeth on the following day in the washhouse, about six feet away from the door. The revolver cartridges were handed to him bv Air. Shaw early on tlie morning of June 10th, The revolver was handed to witness in it‘s present condition by Air. W. A. Barton S.AI. on June 9th. He received one of the extracted bullets from Dr. Collins ami the other from iSergt. Hutton.

George Alfred Dandy, constable, said that he arrived at Pakarae at midnight on June Oth. About 6.30 on the 10th June, accused said to him in the sitting-room of the hotel “Do you think Alinnio will get better?” Witness replied that he hoped so, and accused said “By God, I am sorry that I did it since I saw her lying tliere like that.” Aliss Petersen’s dying dispositions had been taken in the presence of accused shortly before this. Accused also said “I suppose I’ll get ten years for this, that is, if she gets better.”

This concluded tho case; for the Crown, and on accused being asked if he had anything to say, he firmly replied, “I wish to reserve my evidence for the higher Court.” ■, After haying read the usual charge

llis Worship said, “Do you desire to plead guilty!*”Accused: “Yes, Your Worship.” ,Mr. Stock, at tin's stage, had 'a short consultation with 'his client, and when the (juestio.ll was repeated I>y His Worship, accused slid ho would •plead “Not guilty.” Ho was remanded for trial to the next sitting of the Supremo 1 Court to bo held in Gisborne. , Tho probable date of the trial will h 0 Soptemher 17th.