MILTON SHOOTING SENSATION

Evening Star, Issue 17850, 22 December 1921, Page 9

MILTON SHOOTING SENSATION

MILLIGAN SENT FOR TRIAL. ACCUSED'S ALLEGED ADMISSIONS. [From Our Own Reporter.] MILTON, December 22. Tho charges against tho young man Arthur Joseph MuliganjojE the attempted murder of James Edward Ashley Perry and John Frederick Perry were heard before Mr A. E. Stewart and Mr W. Moore, J.P.s, this morning. Ohloi-detec-tiv© Bishop prosecuted' and Mr A. C. Hanlon appeared for tho accused. Tho two charges were taken together. James E. A. Perry, residing in Milton, said that on November 29 last ho was manned to tho accused’s sister, Gladys. There was some objection to the marriage by members of the Milligan family. Accused threatened to shoot the Perry family. t He hoard him say on the night of the marriage that ho, would wipe the six Perrys and their father of! the face of the earth by shooting them. Witness’s wife was just on eighteen, and her father, Samuel, gave consent to the marriage. Witness was sixteen last April. Mr Milligan, sen., was present at the wedding. About 8.15 p.m. on November 30 witness was standing at Joseph Hill’s gate in Ajax street in company with his wife, Mrs Hill, and hoi' two children. Prior to this witness’s father, John, went into Hill’s house. Shortly afterwards he saw' accused getting off a bicycle about ten yards from the gate. He laid 1 the cycle on the road, and, putting a rifle to his shoulder, pointed it at witness. Just as ho fired witness’s wife jumped in front of him (witness) and pushed him aside. Tiro shot missed. Another was fired as witness was going towards the house- Witness then had bis back to the accused. The shot struck him on tho middle finger of tho right hand. Witness did not hear a third shot. He walked on to the verandah of Hill’s house, .and then heard his father say that he had been hit. Ho could not say how many shota were fired. After being hit on the hand he saw Hill (witness’s uncle} chasing accused. Witness then went Dr Reid was called’ in and attended to witness and his father. Ellen Douglas Hill, *wifc of Hill, said that when accused got oS the bicycle ho was about ten or twelve yards away from the .gate. He at once stood up and put a rifle to Ins shoulder and fired in the direction of Perrv, witness, and others. The shot had no“ effect. She heard the bullet whiz past the side of her head. They all scrambled towards the house. Witness put her arms over her little girl to protect her and fell. While lying on the ground she hoard a second shot, vv itnees igci’eatncd for her husbund, XTo Ccituo out on to the verandah with John Perry. Then a third shot was fired, and she heard her brother-in-law call out: “I’m hit.” Accused then ran up the road, and witness’s husband cliasedi him. Accused put tho rifle to his shoulder when oemg chased, but.it did not go off. Witness? husband did not catch him Accused lifted the rifle as if to strike her husband over tho head with it when ho found that it would not go off. It was quite light at tho time of the shooting. THE FAHER’S'STORY.

John Frederick Perry. _ laborer, who entered the witness box with bis right arm bandaged, said that he knew that some of the members of the Million family nad some objection to his son's marriage. Un the dav after the wedding witness met accused in Union street, and had a. conversation with him about the mauiage, and they both agreed to part friends. Shortly afterwards witness wc-iu. to Hill * house,* and was sitting talking to too father when he beard Mrs Hill screaming. 'Xhey both ran out and saw accused standing on the road with a nfio m his hand. Accused pointed' it at witness and mcd. The shot hit him on the rigat shoulder. Witness was sent to,, the Duneoin Hospital the following morning, rind: had icon there ever since. The bullet had not been removed from his shoulder, and lie was still a patient of the hospital. THE CHASE. Joseph Hill, mine manager, said be called ‘out to accused to stop shooting, but before witness could get uom He verandah to "the gate, accused fired Wo more shots. Witness then made for hum Accused went up A]nx streeigot near him when accused uirned, pat He rifle to bis shoulder, and tned_ to lue. Witness continued to run after inm, but oonld net catch him. , , Cross-examined i Witness reckoned he heard three shots after hearing Ins wife She says Ho did not scream until after the second shot was fired, and He witnesses say there was only one shot after that. It your evidence is right five shots were fired. Witness ‘ said he thought there were three shots fired after he came to the door. He was sure of two, He did not hear Perry, sen., sav that he was shot. He simn’v mad" for acmned. He took it that accused intended to use the rifle as a club if ho got too near him. FISHMONGER'S STRATEGY.

Thomas M'Cormack, fishmonger, earn that at 8.20 p.m. on Novrmbc 50 he was standing at his shop, when he saw accused standing on the mad wth a riue m his hands. Witness said : “ What have you been define, mate!” Accused' replied; ’“I have boon "doing a hit of shooting, and am expecting them along any minute. Witness said “Who?” Accused replied “ Conetabb ' M'Quitty." _ Witness asked him what he bad been doing, and accu-ed said; “ [ have been doing a bit of shooting, and 1 if the rifle had not jammed I would have done more.” Witness coaxed him to his shop from the middle of the road, and tried to get the rifle off him. Ho put it down fo his side. Witness said: “What about me having a look_at it ” Accused said “It is jammed.” Witness raid: “If you let mo have it I will fix it for you.” He look hold of it quietly, and accused let him have it. Witness gave it to the constable. It had eight live cartridges in the magazine There wa-s one empty shell, which had jammed. Accused said that he had been doing the shooting at tho two Perrys; that he did not want to shoot, anybody else but them. INJURIES DESCRIBED.

Dr Reid gave evidence as u> the injuries. Perry, sen., had a small circular wound in the right shoulder, penetrating tho muscle. The direction was downwards, upwards, and inwards. Perry, jun., had a small clean-cut wound in one finger. Tho injuries were consistent with bullets from a .22 calibre Winchester repeating rifle. ACC USED’S STATEMENT. Constable M'Quilty said that accused told him that he had fired some shots at the two Perrys, but that he did not know whether he had hit them or not. Re further stated that if a shell hod’ not got jammed in tho rifle ho would have done for all tho Perrys. On tho way to the police station accused said that he had taken the rifle from his homo, with eleven cartridges in the magazine, with the intention of shooting John Frederick Perry, owing to a grievance between them. Ho did not say what the grievance was. This concluded tire case for tire prosecution. Accused reserved his defence, and was committed for trial at the February sittings of the Supremo Court at Dunedin. Hr Hanlon asked for bail, which was granted—accused in his own recognisance of £2OO and two sureties of £ioo each, tho conditions being that accused reported himself daily to the local constable.