ALLEGED ATTEMPTED MURDER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2526, 12 June 1909, Page 5

ALLEGED ATTEMPTED MURDER.

ACCUSED ACQUITTED. . (Per Press Association.) WANGANUI, June 11. A very singular case occupied the Supreme Court during the past two days. The circumstances are to the following effect:—On February 22nd last, two men, named Amos Chatfield and Fred Garliek. left Ohutu for Taihape, a couple of miles distant. They were intimate friends, and Garliek accompanied Chatfield at the latter’s request. They intended to return home in time for the milking. About eight o’clock at night, Garliek led Chatfield’s horse home, and declared that he had thrown Chatfield into the Hautapu river. He was evidently drunk, and his actions during the next hour or so were of an exceptional nature. He reiterated that he had killed Chatfield, and threatened to ‘kill Mrs. Chatfield. whom he wanted to come in a cart and look for her husband. Eventually Garliek got his gun, and at about ten o’clock be was shot through the shoulder, the bone being shattered and the flesh torn away. Witnesses declared that the wound was self-inflicted while Garliek was terrorising the village. The party who had gone in search of Chatfield found him lying amongst some shrubs some fourteen feet down the bank of the river. The; shrubs had stopped a fall over a precipice 70 feet deep. He was dead drunk, and did not waken till after he was pulled on to the road. The hats of both men were found lying on the road, and there were marks as of a man having been dragged across tlio road to the edge of the bank. In Court. Chatfield stated that when lie and Garliek reached Taihape they had some beers, but left for home quite sober, both being of temperate habits. Garliek bought a bottle of draught whisky, aud this they drank going along the road. Chatfield had two drinks, and then lost- consciousness, knowing nothing more till awakened by the rescuers. * Garliek, in giving evidence on his own behalf, said that Chatfield got so drunk that he fell off liis horse. Garlick pulled him to the side of the road out- of danger, and Chatfield then rolled over the cliff. Garliek tried to pub him up, but could not, and then at Chatfield’s suggestion went for a cart and Mrs. Chatfield. From that point his mind was blank, and lie knew nothing of his subsequent actions at Ohutu.

The jury retired at 10.10 to-night, and after half an hour returned a verdict of not guilty of attempted murder.

The jury then considered an is* sue bearing on the charges of attempt) od suicide and intimidation. Midnight.

Tho jury found Garlick not guilty pi intimidation and attempted suicide! holding that lie was not in a rational state. Accused was then discharged.