AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3295, 14 August 1911, Page 2

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

OLD MAN SUBJECTED TO INDIGNITIES. ’ RETALIATES WITH A GUN. Before the Criminal Court at Adelaide the other day, Thoma's Glendinning pleaded guilty to a charge of shooting at Edgar Herman Day on 6th June, with intent to murder iiim. Accused is a Highlander, aged 77 years. Counsel for the defence said accused went to make a complaint, and was rolled in the mud 1 and kicked by prosecutor, who then put accused across his knee and slapped him as though he were a child. This drove accused to commit the act of insanity. The. Chief Justice said he was shocked in reading through the depositions. He had never heard a case in which a man had been treated l with so much indignity as accused had been. He had been subjected to much annoyance by prosecutor’s children. Instead of any apology being offered to accused, lie was rolled ini the mud. He (his Honor) had never heard of a grown up man taking advantage of his physical strength to put an old man over his knees and slap him, as though lie were a child. He could not imagine that it would enter into the mind of any man, however depraved. He was not going to justify what he did. Accused turned round and threatened to use a knife on prosecutor He might just as well have said a mn. He lost his self-con-trol, and, with a view of punishing one of his tormentors, fired a gun, filled with sparrow shot, and peppered one of the young rascals that had been insulting him. He did not think any man living -would be able to restrain himself after suffering such indignity. Personallv, he hoped he would not think of firing a gun, but he was thankful that he had never been, subjected to such irritating conduct as accused had had to contend with. Accused was overcome by remorse, and destroyed the gun, and then; attempted to take his own life. His Honor thought justice would be satisfied by sentencing accused to imprisonment until the rising of the court. He did not believe there was another man in South Australia who would be guilty of such conduct as that of prosecutor.