TWO KILLED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21601, 2 January 1945, Page 6

TWO KILLED

THREE WOUNDED SHOTS IN NAPIER MAN WITH REVOLVER (P.A.) NAPIER, Dec. 30. As the result of a shooting affray in Napier yesterday afternoon two people are dead and three others wounded. Although the affray lasted only a few minutes, the police estimate that at least 20 shots were fired. The victims were:— Killed Ur. Charles Edmund Swain, aged 44. hotel porter, shot through the chest, •tokn Barry Howe, aged 14, Dahlia st., Palmerston North, bullet wound in brain. Wounded. .Mr. Henry James Kearney, aged 33. married, retired journalist, Karori, Wellington, wound in left shoulder: condition satisfactory. Air. Thomas Rodgers, aged 04. Napier: grave injuries, right upper arm shattered. Mrs. Selma Allcock, aged 28, Napier, wound in (lie groin; condition satisfactory. The affray opened in the- public bar of the Caledonian Hotel, where Air. Swain was shot, the same bullet striking Mr. Rodgers in the arm. Mi'. Swain immediately collapsed and died. The mail ran out of the bar into the foyer, where Mr, Kearney was sitting, and lired a shot, which passed through Mr. Kearney’s shoulder and smashed a glass panel behind him. 1-Ie then ran out into the street, where several shots were fired in two directions, Mrs Allcock being struck and the boy Howe, who was on a cycle going past, received a bullet through the head.

Within a few minutes of the first shot the police were converging on the area from various parts of the town. Detective-Sergeant D. McKenzie and Detective A.'Reid, in a car, attempted to manoeuvre behind the man, but lie pumped several shots at the car, two of which penetrated the front and rear right-hand doors, narrowly missing both occupants. Detective-Sergeant McKenzie fired return shots, wounding the man slightly in the groin. The man started to retreat south down Hastings street with several police in pursuit. The police taking cover from odd shots in doorways. Reaching an intersection, the man darted two or three chains down the road, where Senior-Sergeant F, Forsythe, Constables E. Rippin and B. Nathan closed in and arrested him. They found that the revolver had live shells in the magazine and one in the chamber, while the man was clutching- a bag containing a further 37 shells. iii the Magistrate’s Court this morning. Martin " James Eyles, aged 44. a waterside worker, was charged with the murder of Mr. Swain and remnndetl until January 8.