GOLDFIELDS MURDER

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10732, 1 November 1928, Page 7

GOLDFIELDS MURDER

iHARDIE BEFORE; SUPREME COURT, i.

’-Press Association.)

v, '■ -I, DUNEDIN Oct. 30, , .William John Bardie pleaded not guilty’ in the Supremo' Court to-day to a charge 1 of murdering Joe Leong Shun at the, Kyeburn Diggings on JHlly, 17; "■ ' ' . When Hardic was escorted into the dock he appeared nervous, but pleanot guilty in a firm voice. Mr Hanlon appeared for accused. Mr Justice MacGregor, addressing the Grand Jury, said it was fairly clear that the Chinese had been murdered for his gold, which had disappeared. The only question was whether tile- evidence.- was sufficient to point to Hardic as being the murderer. His Honor then outlined the case. v Before the jury was empanelled, the Crown exercised 42 challenges and .Mr Hanlon three. Mr Adams, the Crown Prosecutor, in opening ,said there had been a certain amount of sensationalism in the public "reports and on behalf of the Crown' ho urged the jurors to recognise nothing -but what would now be produced in the evidence. Shun had met his death by bullet ‘wounds. Two of four wounds could have caused death- There was no possibility of the defence proving self-defence, arid it was either murder or manslaughter. The Crown could not produce any actual spectator of the crime, hut there was evidence which took them very close to the time when the .crime was. committed, namely that of Sue Pee, who was in the hut when Hardie arrived and saw. deceased and Hardie leave together. Counsel proceeded to t.ace Hardie’s movements.

Evidence was given by two of the witnesses, after- which the Court adjourned till the following lay. The jury was accommodated for the night under a police guard at an hotel close, to the Court. It is expected that tho r asc will occupy four days. CHINESE’S MATE’S EVIDENCE. {Press Association.-’ DUNEDIN, Get! 31. . The Kyeburn murder trial was resumed this morning. Sue Pee, an old- Chinese who worked with the murdered man and gave the first iiews of the tragedv. gave his evidence,, which had to be taken through an interpreter;. The witness said he remembered a man arriving at Shunt’s hut on a Tuesday. This man showed him four pictures of the exhibition, and another of a man with a big mouth. This man asked for Shunt’s- gun and cartridges, and they went towards Shum’s claim Witness was proceeding to tell what Shunt said when, lie found him shot, but Mr Hanlon raised a point that such evidence was not .admiss ible, -except as a dying' declaration, which lie argued it was not.. The judge said it was not desirable to argue this before the jury, and counsel retired with him. “THAT MAN SHOT ME.”

On the court resuming' Sue Pee said Shum cried out to him: “I am dying. That man shot me.” Pee asked which man. and Shum replied: ‘‘The man we gave dinner. to. Ho demanded £IOO. I gave him all my gold, tie shot me several times. That man has no heart.’’ When being supported to the li'ui, Shum said bis intestines were punctured. . and exclaimed: “I must die. - Sue Pee was asked by the Crown Rrosecutor who was-, the man wiio came to the hut. The interpreter: “lie says that man is here.” Witness then pointed to the accused. The witness said that on the Friday following Shum’s death lie was placed before a row of 17 men at the police ■ station. The Crown Prosecutor: Was the accused there ! J The interpreter: He says, “if lie was not, then how could I have p.cked him out.” The witness, to the amusement oi tho court, then demonstrated! the swaying of the accused wlien in the line of men in the police yard. Cross-examined, Sue Poe said he had never.seen where Shum kept iiis gold, and had not been in his'bedroom. Shum had told him that the gold'wash-ups amounted, t 0.., a little over two ounces. Asked it they were good friciids, witness said that if they we ye not he would not have been working for Shum. .

When tho Court rose after sitting seven hours, thirteen witnesses had been examined- and twenty-two others have yet to be . called. The case will be resumed in the morning.