"I PULLEM TIGHT."

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 99, 29 April 1939, Page 11

"I PULLEM TIGHT."

ROPE ROUND NECK. ] MURDER CHARGE EVIDENCE. ABORIGINALS QUARREL CAIRNS, April 20. A native witness told Mr. Justice Douglas in Circuit Court to-day that he had seen one aboriginal lasso and strangle another at a camp fire. Peter Moran, alias Peter Cunjeboy, 60, was charged with the wilful murder of Johnny Martin, whoiSft body wa3 found in the scrub near Malanda. J Harry Raymond, the witness, said that he saw Moran standing behind Martin with a rope lassoed around Martin's neck. Raymond said that he tried to free Martin as Moran pulled the rope tight. Martin fell forward on his face, and Moran said, "Johnny, he talk too much." Moran then told Raymond to "get him bag," and together they put Martin's l>odv in a bag, and carried it a mile into the scrub. In police evidence, it was alleged that Moran had said, "Johnny Martin no <rood. He make trouble, and talk about women. He make me mad. "I sneak up behind him, throw rope round neck, and pullem tight. After little while he fall down dead." For the defence, Mr. R. Cormack suggested that the evidence of an aboriginal could not be taken as Gospel. As a race, they were timid and weak, ind open to suggestion. The jury retired at 12.13 p.m., and ivlien the judge called them back to Court at 7.30 p.m. the foreman announced that there did not B»em to be iny possibility of reaching an agreement. The jury was than diech&rgoi.