Death of R. Hislop.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 15, Issue 793, 4 November 1905, Page 2

Death of R. Hislop.

THE INQUEST. The adjourned inquest into the circumstances attending the dealh of Robert Hislop was commenced yesterday before T. E. Crowhurst, Esq., J. P., and a jury composed as follows : Messrs. W. Seeley, J. Bayliss, J. -Monro, R. I'liair, A. Duncan, R. H Hayden. Mr. A. Duncan was elected foreman of the jury. Isaac Williamson stated :—He had been boarding in Edinburgh House, of which Mr. Campbell had been the proprietor ; remembered the night of the 26111 October; was at Edinburgh House that night, from about 5.30 ; about 6.35 that night, saw Robert Hislop standing beside the front door, leaning against the door post; as he went inside he heard a loud knocking at the door ; there were two series of knocks, as if the person was very impatient and wanted immediate attention ; went into the sitting room, about 30 feet from the front door; heard footsteps going towards the door; did not see who it was; heard an inquiry and an answer given, but did not hear what was said ; heard the word " minyte" being used ; believed the voices were those of Hislop and Campbell, and was still of that impression ; heard footsteps, as of someone going into the house; heard return footsteps in a few minutes, as of someone returning to the verandah ; heard Campbell say, " If you don't get out, I'll put this through you ;" heard Hislop reply, "You can damned well put it through me ;" then heard, immediately after, the report of a pearills ; then went on to the verandah ; saw Hislop lying partly 011 the footpath, as if he had fallen while going through the gate leading from Edinburgh House; saw Campbell re-enter-ing the house as be (witness) went on to the verandah ; this was immediately after the shot was fired ; the deceased was lying 011 his back, the feet and lower part of the limbs inside the fence, the head outside the gate 011 the footpath ; Campbell returned on to the verandah while he (witness) was down looking at the body ; Campbell passed out 011 to the street, and went in the direction of the police .station ; Campbell bad to pass the body of deceased ; did not see him look at the body; J. Hayden was then 011 the footpath, outside the gate; Hayden said, " Send for a doctor, Andy," meaning Andrew Campbell ; Campbell replied, " 1 am going to the police station ; they will send for a doctor ;" Campbell then ran towards the police station; shortly after this, Messrs. Robertson, Hayden, and others carried deceased towards Mr. Bastable's shop, where lie had been employed ; had seen Hislop on the premises of the Edinburgh boarding-house within the past twelve months ; the last he saw him on the premises was about the 3pth July; that is the last time 1 previous to the night of the 26th October; he came 011 the premises 011 the 26th July to fight witness, to cause unpleasantness; the quarrel arose because witness told him he had no wish to speak to him ; there was an ill-feeling between Hislop and Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, more particularly 011 deceased's side ; he seemed to wish to do them an injury, and tried his utmost to annoy them by words and actions; the language of deceased was very offensive and insulting to Mr. and Mrs. Campbell ; at times the actions of deceased were threatening, and sufficient to cause alarm ; heard no threats 011 the night deceased was fatally shot; it would be about two months to the night of the 26th October since he had heard deceased make use of threatening language; the language and threats were made by the accused on private property and from the street in front of Campbell's house; told Mr. Campbell what be heard deceased say; never heard Campbell use a threat to the deceased ; was aware that Campbell had a pearifle, hut could not say whether it was in the house; found a pea-rifle in the house 011 the night deceased was shot; found it hanging 011 a nail behind the kitchen door; gave it to Sergeant l'hair; Campbell once said that if the police did not stop Hislop annoying him, he (Campbell) would have to; this was said to his solicitor (Mr. Urquhart) ; looked upon deceased as a dangerous man as regards Campbell; considered) he intended to do Campbell harm ; there was no unpleasantness between deceased and witness. By the Coroner; Took 110 action 011 the night of the 26th October when Hislop was shot. By the Foreman of the Jury; Hislop seemed to have 110 other motive than to annoy Campbell; deceased was not particularly quarrelsome, but he seemed to be very persistent in annoying and irritating Campbell. By Sergeant Phair: The pea-rifle produced is the one lie handed to Sergeant Phair. • Oeorge Wells had been residing at Edinburgh House ; 'remembered the night of the 26th October; saw a man come to the door about a quarter to seven; he knocked twice, loudly ; did not know who he was ; after the man knocked, be (witness) went into the sitting ryom ; Mr. Campbell answered the knock at the door; Mr. Campbell said "Wait 11 minute;" Campbell then walked down the passage ; did not see him; while Campbell was away from the door, the man who was at the door lit a cigarette and walked about the verandah ; the man walked off the verandah towards the gate leading 011 to the street; heard foot steps coming along the passage towards the verandah ; before he heard the shot he heard someone say, " Do you see this;" took the voice to be that of Mr. Campbell; heard a slip

fired a second or tsvo after these words were used ; the report sounded like a pea riflo or dart gun ; when he heard the shot fired he came out 0:1 to the verandah; saw Mr. Campbell goinj tuck towards the pissage ; did not see anything in Mr. Campbell's hand as he went past the sitting room door, as he (witness) was coming out of the room ; saw no other person oil the verandah except Mr. Campbell at that time; saw a man lying at the gate; this was after Mr. Campbell passed in ; did not know whether it was the same man that bad been knocking at the door; (witness here described how the body wa» lying, the evidence being similar to that of the previous witness); the man lying in the gateway was groaning: did not hear any angry words; was close enough to have heard them had they been used; the sitting room is very close to the verandah.

By the Foreman of the Jury: Did not hear deceased make any request from the person who answered the door.

By a Juror : Did not notice anyone on the footpath when the man came to the door ; he did riot appear excited, but spoke quietly. John Hayden remembered the night of the 26th October; left home to go to work that night between 6.35 and 6.40 ; passed the Edinburgh boarding-house; saw Hislop leaning against a verandah post: he was standing on the verandah ; spoke to him ; said " Good-night, Bob he replied, " How goes it, Jack ;" Hislop then walked off the verandah as-if he was coming to speak to witness; Campbell shortly afterwards came out of the house, and came towards the gateway ; said to Campbell, " Good'night, Ar.dy .he replied, "Goodnight. Jack;" Hislop then turned round to face Campbell; Hislop was then standing between the gateposts : Campbell said to Hislop, "Are you going to get out of this;" Hislop replied " No, I'm not;" Campbell then presented a rifle and said, " Well then, take this," at the same time discharging the rifle ; the rifle used was similar to that produced; after the shot was fired Campbell said " I'm not going to be annoyed by a man like that;" after the shot .was fired Hislop fell 011 his back, between the posts; after discharging the rifle Carfipbell walked back into the house ; he remained inside less than a minute, and then came out and went towards the police station : saw Williamson 011 the verandah after the shot was fired ; Williamson was the first person he recognised, but others came out ; asked Williamson to gp for a doctor, as he might be able to save his life; this was before Campbell passed out; Campbell said when passing out, "I'll go for a doctor, Jack, or the police;" shortly after assistance arrived, and also Sergeant Thair, and the deceased was taken to the Sanatorium; d+d not hear rfialwjj . say or see him do anything to cause Campbell to shoot him beyond the words " No, I'm not;" these were his last words ; deceased was not in an excited state ; did not consider he was dangerous ; did not hear him use any threats; Campbell did not appear to he excited ; he was quite cool; Campbell did not complain to witness of anything deceased had done, nor did he ask him to take deceased away; think Hislop would have come away with him had he been asked to take him away; there was 110 appearance of drink 011 either Hislop or Campbell.

By a Juror: If other words had been used besides those he had mentioned, he would have heard them; he did not hear Hislop say, " You can damned well put it through me." By a Juror : Hislop was in Camp bell's employ ; he was boarding there* for about five months ; never heard Hislop say why he left Campbell's employ; Hislop seemed to be a bit hasty at times; he seemed to be quite sober 011 the night of the occurrence. The remainder of the evidence will appear in our next issue.