Story of Tragedy

Grey River Argus, 31 March 1932, Page 5

Story of Tragedy

NG MOTIVE DISCLOSED. ACCUSED MAN INTOXICATED (Per Press Association). DUNEDIN, March 30. Six hours after he was shot in th? abdomen, when he answered a call at the door of his cottage, at Tomahawk, early this morning, Findla - Douglas Buchanan, a young manned

man. died in the Public Hospital from his injuries. At the time of his death, another young man, Louis William O’Connor, was in custody on a charge of attempted murder, and to-day he was charged with murder. Both the arrested man and Buchanan were, unemployed. Buchanan was well known as a hotel employee, until seven months ago, while O’Connor was employed, until recently, as a carter. They had been on friendly terms for some time, and only an hour befor<' the shooting occurred, O’Connor had called at the cottage. He had been advised to go to his home at Anderson’s Bav Buchanan, his wife find a young child had occupied a small cottage on the Main Boad about 200 yards atm“Glencairn Hill, for the past seven months, Buchanan going to Tomahawk to reside when he became unemployed’’Ho was at home all day yesterday, and he retired for the night a little later than usual, about 11 o’clock. An hour and a-quarter later, the •uchanan’s were awakened by a loud knocking on the front door, and they ndrnitted O’Connor, who showed signs of having been drinking. At his request, O’Connor was given a cigarette by Buchanan, -who advised his visitor to return to his own home, as he had i been away all day, and his wife was probably worrying about him. No cross words were spoken, and O’Connor seemed to be in an antagonistic mood. After a few minutes’ stay, O’Connor left the cottage. Then he was asked ■by Buchanan to leave. The household • was disturbed half an hour later by J .nocking on the front door. Buchan \an went to the door, which opens into 1 a room adjoining the. bedroom. Mrs j Ruehanan, who was awake, heard n* ; words exchanged between the men. A shot burst, and the woman rushed through to the front room. There was no light there, but the room was i ! ■ laminated by light from the. bedroom. Her husband was lying on the floor | zith a wound in his abdomen, and O’Connor was standing at the door j with a gun in his hand. O’Connor I rushed off the verandah. Mrs Buchan ar. hurried to the house of her neigh- | hour, and landlord, James Newton, to whom she exclaimed: “He has been ‘shot!” The police were sent for, and Buchanan who was still conscious, waf ( able to make a statement. ■ A search was made for O’Connor, lad he was arrested on a charge of [attempted murder, at his home m Cranston Street, about 4 a.m. O’Connor was asleep when the police arrived. Buchanan, was removed to the hospital, and he died a few hours after i admission. I O’Connor appeared before the Police Court this morning, and was formally charged with the murder of Buchanan, and was remanded to April R Buchanan was about 25 years of age, and had a wife and a child 10 years old. O’Connor has a wife and child a few months old.

Mr William Buchanan, of Stillwater, an underviewer in the Walls-end mine, at present in Christchurch undergoing treatment for a broken leg sustained in the Wallsend mine some time ago l , is her of Findlay Douglas Buchan-

an. the victim of the shooting fatality at Tomahawk, Dunedin, early yesterday morning. There arc also two brothers of the unfortunate man employed in the Wallsend mine.