THE FRANKTON TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3062, 25 April 1917, Page 5

THE FRANKTON TRAGEDY

VERDICT AT TE6 INQUEST.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. ■ Hamilton, April 24. The adjourned inquest in connection Vita tho death of. Albert. Ryan, who was found in an unconscious condition ; W ith his skull fractured in a bedroom itof the FTank'ton Junction Hotel, on 'April 16, aud who died two days later at the Hamilton Hospital, was resumed this morning, before Mr. w... I'. &lason, -Acting-Coroner, and a, . ]ury. Mr J. R; Lundon watched the proceedings on behalf of David Morgan Leckie, the man who was arrested and accused of tho murder of Ryan, and who is now in-custody. Evidence was given by two witnesses 'to the effect that Leckie hit deceased On the, head with a full bottle of lemonade in the' bar parlour of the Commercial Hotel. Leckie complained, that deceased had seriously kicked, nun in a certain iplace. . 1 Leckie was sworn as a witness, and said he was a freezing works employee, formerly employed at the Imlay works, Wangauui, hut recently living at Taumarunui. Ho declined to give further evidence. • . • After a short retirement tho jury •unanimously agreed that the deceased, Albert Ryan, mot his death as a result of a'blow on tho head with a; full bottle of lemonade delivered by David ' Morgan Leckie. .- ■. : ....