McMAHON IN COURT

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 256, 25 July 1936, Page 9

McMAHON IN COURT

Incident During King’s

Procession

BUILDING CROWDED Alleged Statements By Accused By Telegraph—Press Assn.--Copyright. (Received July 25, 1.24 a.m.) London, July 24. A one-legged, be-medalled ex-ser-vice man headed the double queue of 500 outside the Bow Street Police Court in which there was very limited accommodation for the resumed hearing of the charge against McMahon arising out of the incident during tho King's procession. Three clergymen were among those admitted to the court. The Attorney-General explained that charges had also been preferred under the Police Act, 1842, under which statutory misdemeanours are created, including "presenting to the person of His Majesty a revolver with intent to break the public peace,” also "producing a revolver near the person of His Majesty with intent to alarm His Majesty.” “You’ll See It in the Papers.” Accused had a habit of lunching at the Two Brewers’ Tavern, Buckingham Gate. On the day of the Incident he told a barmaid: “I’m going away. You'll never see me again." She asked why, and he replied : •■Something dreadful has happened. I would like to tell you but I can't. You’ll sec It in the papers. Good-bye.” On the morning of the procession Mounted Constable Flood stopped his horse immediately in front of the prisoner, who was among the crowd. Accused called out, "Take that damued horse away. I want to see the procession.” Flood had not moved his horse, which was latex 1 turned to face the procession. As the King came from Wellington Arch accused was seen to write something on a newspaper and also look at a picture postcard of the King. Special-Constable Dick was on duty controlling the crowd. As His Majesty reached a point 20 yards from the prisoner, Dick saw accused raise an arm with something in his hand. Dick knocked up the prisoner’s arm and the object in his hand flew nearly to the middle of the road. It was a revolver. It was picked up after His Majesty passed and it was found that one chamber was empty aud the others loaded with ball cartridges. The Attorney-General added that he was calling a gun expert who would say that, while one chamber of the revolver was loaded, the pulling of the trigger would have discharged the cartridge. Two more cartridges were found in accused’s pocket.

The prisoner made a statement that he had not. wanted to hurt the King and that he did it only as a protest. Later he said: “I wish I had done the job properly,” and also said: “I could easily have shot him, but I only threw it. It would have been better if I had shot myself.” When informed that ho had been remanded to July 24, he told Inspector Kidd: “I shall be dead before then. I wanted to make a protest and shoot myself in front of the King, but I lost my head.” Tho Attorney-General then called evidence. Accused’s Agitation. The accused was neatly dressed, but his agitation was so great and his head so trembled that he seemed incapable of making notes. Mary Bleucowe, barmaid at the Two Brewers’ Tavern, giving evidence, repeated the statement of the AttorneyGeneral, saying it was made by McMahon at noon. Cross-examined by Mr. Kerstein, Blencowe said that the prisoner had not told her he had been given notice to quit his office and would therefore not be seeing her again. John Remes, night porter of a hotel at. Brighton, gave evidence that he saw the prisoner. When a constable took something from his hand, witness pushed his way through the crowd. "I said ‘you swine,’ and struck him. The police arrested mo, but I was subsequently freed.” The hearing is proceeding.