Wairoa Shooting Case.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 225, 30 September 1901, Page 3

Wairoa Shooting Case.

A LIGHT PUNISHMENT.

The Napier Telegraph has some welltimed comments on the extraordinary decision of Judge Edwards that a man > may fire at anoth. • man and very seri--1 ously wound him, fur no greater penalty 1 than a twenty guinea -le for costs. The ' Telegraph states :—4i. evidence went ! clearly to show that v' ether Maxwell was mad or not when h fired, he took great pains to fire accurately, and to fire at Mr Hewitt only. Under a doctor's instructions Maxwell was being prevented from seeing his wife, who had two days before given birth to a child. It was deposed in evidence, by the way, by the doctor called to prove that Maxwell was mad, that the latter had presented a revolver at him. Mr Hewitt was obeying that doctor’s instructions. Maxwell knew it was Hewitt he had to deal with. When he went, armed with a revolver, to force his way into his wife’s room in Mr Hewitt’s hotel, he was met by another man —who gave evidence — and he said to him, 1 It’s not you I want, but Tom Hewitt.’ When Hewitt came forward, and Maxwell aimed at him, he did so by resting his revolver upon his left arm to assist him in firing accurately, and when he fired the bullet passed through Hewitt’s right leg above the knee. Every circumstance indicated deliberate firing to hit, ami Mr Justice Edwards’ conclusion that Maxwell fired not to hit is diametrically opposed to the facts. It is a very sorry business altogether, and especially so in regard to that aspect of it ‘ which introduces us to the Supreme Court , failing to rebuke those who plead the ' • position ’ of criminals as a bar to punishment.