YOUNG GIRL'S DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 125, 26 May 1920, Page 7

YOUNG GIRL'S DEATH.

FATHER CHARGED WITH MURDER. THE ROtfGAHERE TKAGEDY. ...-, DUNEDIN, Tuesday. A& a result of the tragedy at Eongar here on May 15, when a farmer named John Sharp, aged 72 years, is alleged to have nttlly injured hie daughter in v Jit of temper, Sharp was charged to-day at Baidutha, before Mr. E, D. Mosley, SM., with murdering Sophia McLean Sharp, aged seven years. Constable Findlay said he Vent to Eongihere on the morning of May IC, and there saw the deceased lying on a sofa. She was unconscious and had

several injuries on her head. One of her fingers wae aleo broken. A doctor attended her, and arranged to remove ler to the Dunedin Hospital. He took her in his car, and' returned an hour and ■-half later with the body of the girl, as she died on the way. Witness found a rtick (produced) about ten yards outride the front door of the accused's house., A quantity of-hair was attached to the stick, and there was a pool of blood near the spot -where it was lying: David Ireland eaid he found the deceteed lying on the ground insensible. Her head and face were covered with blood. Witness removed her to his house and sent for a doctor. When the depositions of the last two witnesses were read over to the accused Iβ remarked: "It's the wrong stick." • Sergeant Kidd said that on the inornmg of May 16 the accused called at the police station at Lawrence and told him that he had assaulted his little daughter Sophia, and he thought her injuries were of a serious nature. Witnfcsß asked him »hy he had assaulted her. Accused replied that his oldest daughter had assaulted him on the previous night by catching him by his whiskers and throwing him on the floor, and the three youngest sisters assisted her to assault him. After getting free, he said, he picked up a piece of wood from a box and ran after the older girls, but he was unable to catch them. On his way back to the house he met Sophia and struck her with the piece of wood. AVitness then arrested accused, and later ascertained that the girl was dead. Witness told' the accused that she was dead. •Accused -replied that she was as well dead as to be half alive for the remainder of her life. Witness then charged him with murder. He made a statement, in which he said he struck . the deceased with a piece of wood on the head.

Cross-examined, witness said the accused w.as examined by two doctors in Lawrence ag to his state of mind. The accused, who is very dull of hearing, reserved his "'defence, and was committed for trial at the sittings of the Supreme Court in Dunedin in August. Bail was not asked for.

At the adjourned inquest on tlie victim the coroner returned a verdict that death ■was due to a fractured skull with concussion and laceration of the" brain substance, caused by blows inflifted by the girl's father.