Tuapeka Murder.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5175, 21 March 1888, Page 2

Tuapeka Murder.

IN THE ACT OF SELF DEFENCE,

EXTRAORDINARY TREATMENT OF

THE WOUNDED MAN

A MIXED STATE OF AFFAIRS,

WHAT WILL BE THE OUTCOME ?

[srECIAX. TO DAILY TE-KGBAPn.]

[OWS OOBBESPOJTDENT.—BY TEIO-OBAPH.]

Dunedin, Last night. The circumstances aro of an exceedingly painful nature, and the way the unfortunate man was treated after tho occurrence shows a shocking want of humanity on the part of those about him. It appears that Alex. Connolly (tho deceased), in company with James Mcßoy and a man named Walsh, were drinking together on Sunday evening at the Tuapek-, Mouth Hotel, owned by a mau named Edmeads. After a timo McRoy went outside with Walsh to look after some horses that had broken loose. Connolly remained in the house drinking with two others. At about nine o'clock Moßoy was standing at Auld's store, when Connolly, with several others, advanced towards him in tho dark and called him a bad name, at tho sanio time striking him and knocking him down.' When Moßoy was lying on his back, Connolly knelt on him, putting his hand on his throat, when Mcßoy, after trying to get up, pulled out his knife and stabbed Connolly m the groin. As to what transpired immediately afterwards lam not in a position to say, but Connolly was allowed to lie at Tuapcka Mouth all night in his cloths, which were saturated with blood, and no effort was made to obtain medical assistance; nor does there seem to have been any attempt at dressing the wound. In tho morning he was put into a spring cart, littered with a little straw, and in that was jolted over sixteen miles of rough road to the hospital. Even when ho arrived at Lawrence, he was allowed to remain in the street for a while until a permit for his admission was signed j bj r a number of the Hospital Board. He became delirious, and died about an horn* after being admitted. Thero is another incident.in connection with the matter which should not be overlooked. When Connolly was brought to the hospital Dr. Withers saw that he was dying, and immediately despatched Edmeads, the hotelkeeper who had driven the man in a spring cart, with a letter to Dr. Blair, asking him to come at once, andassist him in ligaturing thewound ; also with a letter to tho police, asking them to bring a Magistrate to take the dying man's depositions. For some reason or another these letters were not delivered, and Connolly was dead before his depositions were taken. Edmeads denies having- received the letters.