MURDER CHARGE.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 10835, 6 April 1932, Page 3

MURDER CHARGE.

Welington, April 5 Remanded from Eketahuna, John Dilon Corrigan, aged 23, farm labourer, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court to-day with murdering his parents, and was further remanded til Wednesday week, Accused was not represented by counsel. A lonely farmhouse, near Mangamahoe, was the scene of a. double murder early on the morning of March 2S. The victims were; Mr John Corrigan, farmer aged 64 years, and Mrs Ellen Corrigan, his wife, aged 57. The tragedy occurred about two o’clock, when Mr Corrigan and his wife were asleep in bed. The former was shot above the right eye and death must have been instantaneous. Mrs Corrigan, who was wounded in the right side, evidently sat up before she was hit. A son, Lewis, rushed to the house of the nearest neighbour, where a telephone call was put through to the Eketahuna police. Constable Ede and Dr Simmers proceeded to the scene, but upon their arrival Mr Corrigan and his wife were dead and the bodies were later removed to Masterton. Both barrels of a double-barrelled shotgun, which was taken possession of by the police, had been discharged apparently at close range. The son John went to bed the previous evening as usual and apparently was on good terms with his parents, of whom he was very fond. Beside the father and mother and accused, there were two boys and two girls at homo. Mr and Mrs Corrigan had lived in the Eketahuna district off and on for about 40 years and were highly-respected residents.