TRIAL OF TWO CHILDREN FOR MURDER.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 158, 3 September 1881, Page 2

TRIAL OF TWO CHILDREN FOR MURDER.

At the Geelong Assizes on July, a case against William Henry Hall, aged ten years, for murder, and James Hall, 14 years, for being an accer-^ory after the fact, occupied the whole of the day. The circumstances of the case, as elicittd, were that William Henry Hall went out with a boy, a Chinese playmate, named Tommy Wing Hock, live years of age, from his father's house at Scarsdale, on the morning of June 16 last, and having takeu a gun with him, acctf.ently shot Tommy Hock iv one of his legs. He got assistance from his sister, who boand up the wound, and he carried Tommy to a fence at his wish, as he felt sleepy. Finding that Tommy kept crying towards evening, Hall cut his throat with a knife, and with the assistance of bis elder brother, dragged the body into a waterhole, where it was subsequently found. A great many witnesses were examined, and it was showa that uutil June 25 the lads 7 statements as to which of them bad committed|the deed differed, but afte- that it was shown that the younger one had done it. His Honor, m his charge to the jury, which we extract from the Geelong Advertiser, remarked tb?t the case was su Wounded with some d ; m*cnlties, and there were questions for. '■em to consider, wb'ch he might, as far as r r as William ws*s concerned," state were;— Ist. Did WPlwm. cut Tommy's thvoat ? 2nd Did he cut the throat diviig life ? 3rd Did bedo it, well luiowin-r that he was .committing a criluioalauc? His Honor then explained, ihe noinls for the jury to remember m fie?. 1 " nts with the charge against James. The evidence of the capital charge of mu !> < ; <. was, his honor stated, derived from l)e J-li'tcmenls of the bnys, which was given imde>- peculiar circumstances. These statement* were, till June 25, con-l-adictory as to whosu b.'ud actually cut the throat --each boy accusing the other — but on the 22nd the 'boys gave a uniform su'teincut thatW'lHotn cut Tommy's thvoat. There was so much doubt m the matter that his Honor was glad that it. did not rest with him to solve this doubt. If there was doubt ; n the ininds of the jury, the piisoncr uiust get the benefit of the doubt. His Houor proceeded to aialype the ev/dence bearing on each of the questions for their consider? tion, reminding them that the law had to prove malice m criminals of the age between 7 and 14 years and that the law presumed t-at criminals have not guilty knowledge between these years at the. time they commit' a crime. His Honor continued by saj-ingthat he had, during the coivse of the trial, carefully observed William, who was so smalt t^at he had to be placed upon a high stool, so that he could be seen above the box. He (William) had been playing; laughing, and blowing through his bands, anjl_ amusing himself generally. . There was apparantly no conception on the part of this yorng savage as to what the proceedings bad been about. The parts of the evidence brought forward at the trial which would move responsible beings compre-. hending their nature, seemed to. have no influence on this child, and he appeared to regavd his elder brother, when at times hs showed some little emotion, as a perfect curiosity. The verdict, which 1 would .decide the fate of Wil'iam, goveined* g'eatly that of James. If the jury decided that, m their opinion William had not mnrde?ed Tommy, James was not guilty ©f the charge of being an accessory ; and, although Tommy had" been muidered, unless, m the opinion of the jury, it was clear that James had assisted m hiding the body, knowing it to have been murdered, he should be discharged. His H onor then pointed ont the reasons which must guide, the jury to a verdict of guilty. The jury reti'-ed at 5 p.m. They came back to • Court at seven, and returned a verdict that the prisoner William was not guilty of the charge of murder, and that the other prisoner, was not guilty of being accessory" after the fact. The boys were then discharged. They showed no signs of gladness or emotion of' any description on heaving that they were free. '