ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO MURDER

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 69, 14 December 1939, Page 7

ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO MURDER

Allray With Revolver I MAN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL On a charge of attempting to murder Stanley Meredith Hunt in Wellington on November 25, Charles Theodore Nelson, seaman, aged 51, was committed to the Supreme Court for trial by Mr. Stout, STL, in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday. Nelson pleaded not guilty. Nelson was remanded till after the major charge had been dealt with on a charge of being in possession of a .32 calibre revolver for longer than seven days when he was not a licensed dealer and was not the registered owner of the revolver. A further charge of discharging a loaded revolver at Hunt was withdrawn by the police. Detective-Sergeant W. It. Hurray prosecuted and Mr. K. Hardie Boys appeared for Nelson. Stanley Meredith Hunt, steel worker and freezing worker, residing at the Salvation Army' hostel, Vivian Street, said be visited his sister, Mrs. Gladys lieveil, 20 Vivian Street, every weekend. He bad met Nelson, who rented a room there. Accused drank and witness bad seen him under the influence of liquor three times. Ou Saturday, November 25, witness was sitting in an armchair in the sitting-room at his sisters place listening to racing results on the radio. There was no one else in the room. Dator in the afternoon Nelson walked into the room That was the first time witness bad seer* him that day. It was about 4.-J0 p.m. Nelson sat on a sofa in the corner farthest from the radio. _ Nelson said “I have been putting the rule over vou. but can’t place you. Anyhow, I haven’t any — use for you. Witness replied: “I haven’t any-use tor you. I don’t want to talk to you. 1 want to listen to the races.” Accused said: "You don’t want to talk to me. WitDPSb replied: “I don’t want to be bothered with vou.” Accused then got off the couch and said: “You are a big —. He repeated that quite a number of times-, and then left the room, aud went upstairs, presumably to his room. About a couple of minutes later lie came down again and sat in the same place and said : ‘•Well, how are you?” Witness replied: “Don’t ask questions.” Nelson said j “You reckon you are a bit of a wrestler. Witness said : “Yes, I have done a bit of wrestling.” Accused said : Vou think vou've got it ou me; well. I’ve got in on vou.” with that, witness turned the radio full ou. Accused said twice: “Turn that — thing off.” Witness replied: “Leave it alone.” , _. , Revolver Fired. Accused then got off the sofa and walked to the wall farthest from witness. When bv the wall lie kept repeating: 7° ua f® .. hj.r —He then put his band in "xclion Iheu walked back to the wad In his lod-iugs. Witness said he was a ~t Ltller When Nelson entered the . " I 'was drunk, but knew what he was doing. He seemed to work himsed up into a terrible state. Witness had never -dven Nelson any cause for enmity. by Mr. Boys, witness said there was no l ,ohtlcal x ?*?® 1 “mu ni-wiKMon between him and Nelson, Die word "scab” was not used. There waa no discussion on Communism. On the batui d-iv witness did not accuse Nelson of beim- a bosses' man, and say that witness wJ’s a Communist. Witness said he was interested in the development of the Soviet Union. Witness did not say he had a good mind to take a ccused 1 \y it . yard and knock his head off. Wit Less knew Nelson had been ashore bavin,, treatment for his eyes, but did not know that on the Saturday in question he was partially blind. Witness denied that there was only one discharge from the revolver. Witness said he was sitting down when the second shot was fired. Condition When Sober.

He bad known accused for about IS mouths, aud had seen him the worse for liquor on only three occasions, said I Hunt lie was harmless aud inoffensive ■ when'sober. Witness went to his room in Vivian Street about 4.45 p.in., and saw a constable who came to witness s room at 6 p.m. . To the detective-sergeant Hunt said ne did not drink or smoke, and did not make . n practice of using bad language. x\el- t pub was aggressive on the day in quesKuv Ernest Drummond, a, constable stationed at Mount Cook,, said that at .'j 25 p.m. on November 2o he went with Sergeant Audley to 20 Jessie Street, The door was opened bv Nelson, whom they did not know. In reply to questions. Nelson said he had no knowledge of any disturbance in the house that evening. He also said be had arrived home about 10 minutes before the police ar «ved Nelson smelt of liquor, but was not drunlr At 7.15 P.m. the same day ketaeant Audlev and witness accosted Nelson on the corner of lory Street and Vivian Street As witness approached Nelson b<? saw the handle of a revolver protruding from one of his pockets. Nelson was taken to the police station and in a pocket ob cartridges and an empty cartridge case were found. When the revolver was taken from him Nelson said he was just on his way to dump it Cross-examined by Mr. Boys, the constable said there was nothing in the breech or cylinder of the revolver, lhe empty shell was in the pocket and the bullets were wrapped up in newspaper, but neither on accused nor at Jessie Street did witness find another .32 calibre shell. Sergeant R. Audley said that at the Mount Cook police station accused said: ■•Hunt is a Communist. You will "ive me a square deal. I know you w;ll. I can shoot straight. 1 am good with a revolver. I admit having a shot at him this afternoon. If my eyesight was not so bad I would have got him. This will be tiie end of me now.” Nelson -would not put that explanation in writing. On Sunday morning. November 26. witness heard Nelson talking to a fellow prisoner. The other prisoner said: “How many v-iiotH were fired?” Nelson replied: “Ob. a few.” The other prisoner then said’. ■'lt is lucky for you you did not hit him.” Nelson said: “• only fired one at him; the other shots were fired into the, couch in the room.” The sergeant said ani.tber emptv shell of ."2 calibre was found in the room where the shot was fired. Nelson was refused bail.