MILLIONAIRE'S SONS ON TRIAL

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 246, 14 October 1905, Page 13

MILLIONAIRE'S SONS ON TRIAL

VEEDICT OF "NOT GTTILTX." Before Lord Ardwall and a Jury In the Hign Court of Justiciary, Edinburgh, last week, John Schapper Phipps and Henry Carnegie Phipps, sous of Mr Phipps, of Pittsburg, tenant or Beaufort Castle, neai Inverness, appeared to stand their trial. The charge was to the effect that on July oth, ou the River Beauty, they discharged loaded guns at three salmou fishers, the shots striking them on the tieads, faces, arms, aud legs, whereby John Fraser, of ' Oiulves, had his right eye permanently » destroyed and his left eye seriously Injured. The accused pleaded "not guilty." I John Macrae, head sairuon fislier to Lord " I Lovi't, said that he aud his live assistants ' I went down to the silver pool on the night > I in question, and took out about 40 salmon | from the nets. The witness and two of \ the men went away with the fish, leaving the other three. The witness admitted that he and his men "had no right to fish in t the pool without communicating with Mr , Phipps. They fished In the pool because it was overcrowded with salmon. Donald Fraser. one of the three men . I shot, told what happened after Macrae \ and bis two companions had left the pool. j tie was engaged in putting the net back , I into the stern uf the boat, when he heard a voice from the other side asking what they were doing theie. He saw a figure on the other side of the water, but he , did not answer. The leport of the first j shot rang out. He broke cover, but before he could reach the bushes he was hit on the head and right arm. He saw John Fraser fall. The witness had received 70 guineas compensation, and bad not lost any wages. John Robertson, another of the men, -said h* was hit on the legs and arms, and was hit again before he could reach cover. John Fraser, of Cruives, whose eyesight was severely damaged, had to be assisted into the box. He was 41, and had been all his life In Lord Lovat's employment, having charge of the angling on the river. When shot he fel! to tne ground, but was afterwerds able to get up. Onp of '>ie l'hipps waded across the river to his assistance, aud he was kept in the castle ■intil leuioved to ihe Edinburgh Royal In-fti-mary. He had been given an annuity of 32/ per wreU for life, and for the lifetime of his wife. * Dr. Jobs Loach spoke to being summanfd to the castle and being told to spare no •xpense. ■ i Mr J. F. On'Tioeh, factor to Lord Lovat. said that Mi Phipps paid £2150 for three months foi Ine entire shooting rights, and | •he angling- rights for throe days a week. ' He held by assignation the rent of the ingling rights, paying for these £200 a month. No one would have saiir-tfoned the night expedition, and he regarded the men is poachers. Lord Lovat said that no our had been given sanction by him, or in his inme, to tnke fish from the rlvpr pool. The Jury brought In a veidict of "Not "•nllty," which was received In conrt with loud applause.