TARADALE SHOOTING CASE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 34, 23 January 1911, Page 8

TARADALE SHOOTING CASE

ACCUSED BEFORE THE COURT. Alexander Stiaehan. the assailant in the Taradale shooting rase, was brought before the Napier G< art this intoning on remand. inspector Dwyer appeared for the Police, and Mr. Dolan for the accused.

In outlining the case. InsjoCor Dwyer said that some time ■. ;•

cosed was separated from his vile for using excessive cruelty. He had gone away into the country to work, and a few days ago had gon-j back to Taradale and hung about drinking. He had gone : nto pier and purchased a revoher and 45 rounds of ammunition. ).i returning to Taradale he wen* to his wife’s house. The dangutc’-, a-ted )6. saw him ri ming, and she i nd her mother fled to a neighboi*. place. Accused went r »un I the hack and came through il. ■ i.m.sron to the street, where h;* m» t Bradley nnd Howard. Aft-, r u -1112 an obscene remark, accused tired at Bradley, who then ducked and grappled with him. and he and Howard took away the revolver. The two men had had a disagrment some time ago. H. C. How arch manager of the Motor Co.’s stable, had known accused for more than 2'» years. Speaking to witness, aectiM d said, regarding his wire. that there would be th.- biggest trag.dy m Taradale ever heard of. and he 1 . «. been into Napier to buy a re. itr.e. o .a' lieth “V» bat rot. ’ J.c-

cused r.i’d be had v.a’k d do.-.: from Rukiiitiri on Sunday and gone to the house for a dri ik of tea. but as his wife was there :.e could rot get any. If the children had been there by themselves i 0 could have got some. Accused declared he loved his children -i.n! talked of shooting his wife an t committing suicide. Asked where his love for the children came m. he replied “he’d fix things up. ’ Accused appeared flurried, ami Lad evidently had something to tri.i < On the Tuesday he again sa v ae eused who asked ‘.hen the lus left for Napier, as he was into town to settle nis wife'; vise

with Mr Dolan. On V/ednesoa afternoon ab «t ten oi fifteen mm utes past five, witness saw accused go towards his wife’s house, which is situated on the Redcliff Road, not far from the stables. Shortly afterwards he heard a shot, and saw a scuffle in front of accused's house between Bradlev. Howa-.i and accused. He went down t-> li.e men. and called aecit n-d a s : hy fool for getting into cm h a m«-s;. Accused tan across the -.ti--et. ir.d jumped into the ditch. Constable O’Halbnan then arrived aid rested Strachan. On Tuesday and Wednesday there was no sign of liquor on accused. To Mr. Dolan : Accused was one of the hardest working men he had ever come across. He Hd nt ver found accused quarrelsome. Strachan talked of suicide on Monday. He did not say out straight that he was going to shoot his wife, but did tell witness he intended to commit suicide. • Accused said ’‘there would oe the biggest tragedy in Taradale that had ever been there. He would fix things before he finished. He did not think the tragedy would wvrr. So far as he could judge Strachan had no drink on Wednesday. He did not see all the scuffle, -but Howard showed him the ret ch er afterwards wiih three chambers full and two dis barged. Witness remarked that he only heard one shot. Edward <». Daniel, traveller for Henry Williams and Son, had seen the accused in his employers’ shop on Tuesday. )7th. when he had purchased a revolver and 30 cartridges, saying he wanted the weapon fcopig shooting. To Mr. Dolan : Accused had mentioned rats being in his shed. fh«> revolver sold is of a class used for pig shooting. Strachan appeared perfectly sober on morn «n*-

Emma Smith. wife «>f Her-.r, Smith. Taradaie. said she knew Strachan, he l.avim mcrtirU H • sister. She h« :• -.birr. On Tuesday evenij»mt sir- vent :<• Mrs. Iv -tHi. i! ' ■’!!<» mt s M--<. Strachan there. T: •-■ Mt Mrs. Williams’ house about s. 15 for Mrs. Strachan’s house. Thev heard foot steps following them nml at Alex ander’s shoo Strachan came ip. Witness talked to him for about three quarters of an hour and asked him to come to her house for tea. hut he declined to go and only walked as far as the turn to her house. Accused seemed verv much

upset and talked of Bradlev wanting to fight him. and said something about doing for him.’’ He went anai to sleep on the river tank and «he did not see him again. Strachan had signs of li quor on him. To Mr. Doi an : She saw a large flask of whiskv in accused’s pocket. L'e would mill have sunken the

wav he did had he not been in > drink, but appeared fairly sober * w hen he left her. He was all right I when sober : ”it was the d’ink that : did it. ” x , Mari Strachan, aged 16 years. . daughter of accused. sa ; d she returned home from a holiday last i Tuesday. She was at home on , Wednesday afternoon about 5 p.m., ! when her father came to the house. , She saw him on the road and heard : him walk round the side quickly. ■ Her mother was afraid, and rai : out of the front door and into the neighbour's. Her father came i through the house and out again on to the footpath. When he 'reached the footpath she saw that he had a iviolver in his hand. She then van awav to the hack to the j br'dren. h i: *ht was "ot afra’d for • ber.-clf. Si r -aw Bradley and Lord 1 coming along the road and heard a I report. Previously in ti e day her ; fat iter walked i>:i«kw;;ro- ami for [ '.l aids past the house. i To Mr. I)<>l;tn: She first saw her i fatjier about 2 p.m. u;i Wednesday im* spoke to him. \\ hen not drinkj ing Iter father was a hard-working • good-natured man. and good to the * -hildren. She <<iidd not tell on I Wednesday that arcus 'd had been

irr-king. She had never seen him banish a revolver when sober. She ad not known Bradley very long, ir.d hail heard that there had been *. quarrel between them. The Court then adjourned to 2.15 p.m. XXTANTED General Help. Ap VV p\ Mrs. Joe Giiffith. Ra ally Hot« I. Hastings.