CHARGE OF MURDER.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 3, 4 January 1923, Page 4

CHARGE OF MURDER.

SHIP'S FIREMAN IN DOCK.

A STARTUNG STORY.

INJURED MAN LEFT UNATTENDED.

When John Finnigan, aged 31, a ship's fireman, was charged at the Police Court this morning with having assaulted Con O'Keefe and caused him actual bodily harm, a sensation was caused by *-T" e f Detective Mcllveney stating that he w<juld withdraw the charge and substitute one of murder against the accused. The man alleged to have been assaulted, he added, had just died in the Auckland Hospital.

Mr. Allan Moody appeared for the accused, Finnigan,' who was remanded until to-morrow. Bail was not applied for.

Both the accused and the dead man were firemen on the steamer Tredenham, which arrived in the Waitemata on December 31, and berthed at the wharf the following day. According to statements made to the police the crew of the Tredenham were given £2 each allowance on New Year's Day, and came ashore at about 1 o'clock. There was some drinking among the men, and it is said that there was an altercation between Finnigan and O'Keefe. It is further alleged that O'Keefe was lying asleep in his bunk at midnight when Finnigan came down into the firemen's quarters and struck the other man and pulled him out of his bunk on to the floor and kicked him on the head and back. Finnigan, it is said, was pulled away from the prostrate man, who was lifted back into his bunk in an unconscious condition.

The extraordinary thing 1 about the tragedy is that the unfortunate man is alleged to have been allowed to lie unconscious in his bunk until the matter came to the ears of the officers at noon on the following day. He was then sent to the hospital in an ambulance, and as he had not recovered consciousness Jast night, an operation 'was performed by D>r. 'Milsom. The patient did not rally, however, and died at aibout 9 o'clock this morning.

Another peculiar feature about the cafee is that although the alleged assault took .plaice at mignight on the first, and O'Keefe was admitted to the hospital on the next day, the matter was not reported to the police until one o'clock yesterday. A search was then made for Finnigan, who was arrested in Albert Street iby Detective Gourley at about half-past three and charged with assault occasioning bodily harm.

The accused denied all knowledge of the charge when arrested.

The inquest on O'Keefe will be opened at 4 o'clock this afternoon, when evidence of identification will be given. It will then be adjourned until to-morrow morning, when further evidence will be heard in conjunction with the charge of murder to be further pre-ssed against Finnigan.