CHARGE OF MURDER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 510, 18 May 1909, Page 6

CHARGE OF MURDER.

' f -'■';•■■ THE JVESTPORT CASE.; . ■) .'■;■':•:'■ (BY -TELEOBAI'ffi-rPEESS ■ ASSOCIATION.). ■%: ■ : ' "■'•- Chrlstchurch, May 17. .'The trial of Connelly, charged iwithjihe 'murder of -llirriost John Bourko, at 'Westportj; .on ; May 8, .1908, commenced te-dayj-nbefore^Mr.' Justice Dehriiston, >at the iSupreme :C6tirt.' The; prisoner, was. defended by"Mr.vA. C. Hanlbk (Dunedin), and Sir. Donnelly (Chri stchurch). ;' : ; ,. 0 - j'-Mr.. Stringer,'-K..G.,'. conducted the prose-i icution, and; in opening, laid stress on Connelly's confession at Hokitika .last.- Septembers/after; being found 'guilty of '.'perjury, the said perjury being, the statements, of Corinelry. implicating Hallinon and Anderson as .haying . been,-tho perpetrators ;of * the deed:. "'Connelly 1 ,-.-■: in. his ; confession,. had stated , that he alono \killed and •robbed "Bomko l ';and--.t]ja<f-;HalUD(en ; ..an.d'-.-:-jtndeVßOii were innocent.-ineri. ; ' .Counsel prosecution, said the only possible defehco was. that, the'".confession was ...an untrue-.and'a false/confession,' but'tho case: for- the. Crown was . fairly ..simple, ■■ apart from; Connelly's confession:.-. .Ho:, intended,- to lead.''strong circumstantial ..evidence to show that ..Connelly, who did the deed. -This evidence alone, would point, with an almost interring"finger to Connelly as the man implicated; /"whether''alone or with- others, whilst'.the confession, unless: the effect thereof;was removed from■ the jury's mind,would' make ; .the:conclusion irresistible.. :- •'.■•■

: Eyidence of ■ Julius Shadick, licensed sur.veyo'r;;;i\yestport, .dealt .with 'the [distances betwcerijcertain ■ hotels and the shed where Bourko's .body; was found. .; , ',' ■"• '■'.'■■'

;;';..WUliam-'.Mijrrayi:>ho'''.was'\vrith;-.: i Coiiiielly onvtho: night of the. murder, gavq evidence as to Connelly's movements. ,He'was-subV jected to .'a searching, cross-examination, the object of' which..was.to;'croate doubts as to the,>times at which witness stated- certain ■; -Witness, stated that several ;-. : remarks ;'made by., him to'.'..-'Detective. .M'llyeney-.at'.Westpbrt were wrongly- ; reCQrded.-- I . ' V--%''r '■'"■ ■ '.'-..'A- ;i,.; ;: ■■...'.'■'" : - .; '. \J& T - . Hanlon: vThe ■'.- detective •■' .wrote down .soniething and ..read : put something different t , , : :-; ,:'■.,'. ■:'•.". V:!■■...' '-~ .■■.-•. ,;■■■ .-.. .- ...- v :"Yes,-"-/There, are two or. three things -diiferent'.. .:\ : ■.••/;• }'■■/■', , •..'■-:(i $;Afterwards .■ > he : i the;-;detective must have'.misunderstood;:,what .he :. ;Mary. .'■ Bowring','. ''barmaicl .at. the'. Q.C.E. Hotel, ...whence .: .■'.Coh'rieUy■"-.-• andv, Bourke went;.oxit-pn. the. night of the. murder,.-in •crpss-'examinatiorty.'idid: : '.n6t;..suppprfc some-'of: :thel^dericp?qf^Murrayy..-,»'.^ ; V.' ■■;,:"■. - ; i ■ hotel, :gave, : "eviderice that ', slid Bourko'to! go. to' .his'.lodgingSjC.and Qonnelly undertook to take him. - :■'v : •■'■;'?;;<. -.-' !;: : ' '^~-:-.!.'. '■' ■';■:.■'■ - .:fJohimfla'.,Phiilips 'gave;,.'evidenco.;that : sho'. had .seen a;short ,man and.a tall' man, , who' ltepedj,": go rtoward-. ; MacLaugbJm's: ; shed,i 'whence' she .heard, a Bonridj-as .of someone falling ,_ and 'of someone, .groaning. "Sho •saw..:neith'er .man ■ come out.' .■• Cross-examined closely .'.'as' to"why, she'.hadv.nqt come forwajdfiarlier with her evidence,; she stated she was in ■.ill-healthi' ! and - ; afraid she would, bo un-; ;ab!e : -te govthrdugb ; thp. ; .triaU ' She denied being offered fifteen pounds,-' or any money if she.gave evidence., ~: . . ',-'. ■■ r, ~ ■i.Hugh .Duncan and Constable Keenan gave' evidence, regjir'dingjiho.nnclirig'.of, the-body. The first-named '.mado a statemoht.'regarding the. finding.'of foot-marks-leading from tho middle.bf-Jthe.'-shed-.to; tho gite at.-tho.back ;pf.the.shed;' In: cross-pxamination. Ke,enan' .stated -V^hat. he. ;and':.tlie ioth'er.; constable .mado .a;.care|ul. search: beforo-Duncan 'came'on;the:.scenf«v.and saw no footmarks. Koonan, in cros's-rexamination,' also;'stated that he;_was: r acc'oste'|iS.b'y.. ! a,'man when he was brolren-a-:window.;; 'ITio ,injmjasked, him to let Cbn-nelly..go,-:as< his-steamer it-as.-leaving at two" ;o,clockv:in:'tlie^:mbniing;:^This'man witness '-■-'■':■ ■:• adjourned/ ,7.,.; .