A Christchurch Sensation.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1897, Page 4

A Christchurch Sensation.

__ « A Man Killed with an Axs. \ The Assailant Charged1 with He Pleads "Self-defence." (by telegraph.— feess association.) ""^^^-^ Christchtikch, this day. This morning, a man named Horatio John Parkes, single, 71 years of age, residing in Fines Road, Opawa, confessed to Constable Hayes at Woolston that he had killed another man named Michael Ryan, in self defence, with an axe. It appears that Ryan had been living with Parkes for about nine months, the latter having a small income sufficient to keep him. Ryan, it is alleged, was in the habit of coming home the worse for drink and assaulting Parkes, and last night between twelve and one o'clock Parkes was awakened by Ryan pulling him out of bed. Ryan struck Parkes with what he thought was the leg of a table, and then got an axe and threatened to cut Parkes up. Parkes got the axe away, and striking Ryan two blows with the front of the axe killed him. Parkes says he then fell into semiunconsciousness, and when he recovered sufficiently this morning he went and reported the matter to Constable Hayes. Parkes is a very old resident of the district, having lived by himself for over 20 years at Opawa. Ryan was about 45 years of age. When charged at the Christchurch police depot with having murdered Ryan, Parkes said : " I did not murder him; I killed him in selfdefence." He also added, "He very nearly killed me. I am half ddea now." Parkes had a bruise under his left eye, evidently the result of a severe blow.