AFFRAY IN A GUARDROOM.

Auckland Star, Issue XXXVI, 21 October 1905, Page 13

AFFRAY IN A GUARDROOM.

SOLDIER SHOT DEAD. A FRENZIED MAYS CRIME. A shocking affair took place last month at the Victoria Military Barracks. Belfast. Trivate Mahoney (No. 1,397), West Torkshire Regiment, attacked a number of soldiers in the guard room with a loaded revolver. kilUng Private Johnston (7,424), and seriously wounding Lance-corporal Windsor (7,277). Lance-corporal Booth closed with Mahoney and disarmed him, and sent for the policp, who arrested Mahoney on a charge of murder and attempted murder. Later inquiries show that the prisoner, who is a native of Cork, is about fortylive, and has been about twenty years in the army. He possesses four good conduct badges, and wears several South African bars. The bullet entered Johnston's face just below the left eye, kilUug him instantly. Windsor was wounded in tbe breast, and while his condition is serious, the doctors are hopeful of his recovery.

The reports of the occurrence axe somewhat, conflicting, owing to tbe reticence of the military authorities, but it seems that during the afternoon a private in the West Yorkshire Regiment named O'Mahony, -who had beeu on furlough ia Cork City, of which lie it a native, was being taken to the guard room for refusing proceed to Ballykinlar where a detachment of the regiment is stationed, when he suddenly pulled oat a five-cham-bered revolver, and shot the two men, as described. Turning upon the sentry at the gate the frenzied man fired again, the bullet grazing the sentry's sleeve, and before he could be disarmed he had fired a fourth shot, -which fortunately did no harm. No motive can at present be assigned for tbe crime, as neither of his victims had ever prievlously seen O'Mahony, although both belonged to the same corps. It is therefore that O'Mahony's mind must have suddenly becoaae unhinged. It is stated that during his holidays, a portion of which he passed in and around Dublin, O'Mahony spent oyer £200 in -'jollification." "DID I KILL ANYONE?" At Belfast, Q'Mahony was remanded on a charge of the' murder of one comrade and £he attempted murder of another In barracks. The police sergeant who went to •the baracks to arrest prisoner found him asleep- When aroused he said: "All right. Did I till anyone?" On the way fjf the station he wept bitterly. It was stated rrieews- h*d hAd saastrofce some.yeai£ .ago.