ALLEGED MURDER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 138, 11 June 1917, Page 6

ALLEGED MURDER.

LECKIE BEFORE THE COUfiT. ', (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent) 1 HAMILTON, this day. ' David Morgan Leckie wae arraigned id the Supreme Court this morning for tha alleged murder of Albert Ryan at Hamilton about the 17th April. It was alleged that, as the result of an alleged assaulti by Ryan on Leckie, the letter followed! the former into the Commercial Hotel, and struck him on the head with a> bottle of lemonade; that subsequently both men went to the Frankton June* tion Hotel, where they put up for the night. Xext morning Leckie left early for the King Country, leaving Ryan in the room, where he was found subsequently in an unconscious etate, Hβ was removed to hospital, where lie eubsequently expired. A post mortem proved that lie had sustained a fracture of the skull. Mr. Gillies is conducting the case for the proetetition, anu i£i. 0. L. MacDiarmid is defending tile prifioner. Mr. J. W. Warren is foreman of the jury. The case is expected to lasb until to-morrow afternoon.

The Crown Prosecutor said this was a most serious case; It would be shown that prisoner, a one-armed man, threatened to kill Ryan, who wae released from Auckland gaol on the 15th April. It would also be shown that the sort of lemonade bottle used by prisoner was only kept in the hotel where deceased was struck, and, further, that though prisoner and deceased ehook hands after the assault, the former endeavoured to get another bottle of lemonade. It was admitted that prisoner had ibeen eeri* injured.

Counsel proceeded to explain the law bearing upon manslaughter and murder, and said that if, in the heat of a fight, injury was inflicted and death ensued, the law held it to be manslaughter, but when a prisoner had his row, weat away and set his mind to do grievous injury and subsequently carried that threat into effect, the law held that to be murder. It was his duty to place the case fairly and equarely before the jury, and leave them to return a verdict accordingly.

Evidence was given by Jaik Morton, barman at the Hamilton' Hotel, who related a etatemeut made by the pris6ner in respect of being assaulted by deceased. The prisoner threatened to kill Ryan that night. When prisoner called at the. bar he seemed in great pain, and called for brandy.

Cross-examined, witness stated that if was possible prisoner was alone when ha called at the hotel during the day without witness seeing him. The case is proceeding.