ALLEGED MURDER

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 23 June 1923, Page 7

ALLEGED MURDER

CHARGE AGAJNST YOUTH

' THE ASHBI7RTON CASE. B>7 GABLE—PEESS ABBOClA.tit>. #-'COP YB&GKTI I ASHBURTON, ,sane 22, I I Albert Kissel was charged jt.bis morn-'I i ing, before Mr. Mosley, &M. ,vith the I murder of James Mackenzie, 'caretaker j of the Coldstream estate, niiu> {l&ys ■' : ago. j ! liobert Martin, manager of the estate, j ; gave evidence of Kissel's admission that ( lid shot Mackenzie. He identified a. bullet found in an adjoining room, and i ho identified Mackenzie's handwriting ; on a will and letter produced. j The police stated that the will was I uncompleted. It included Kissel as ai beneficiary. j Allan Bobert Gourley, a school j teacher, described a conversation after! the murder with Kissel, who was bit- : torly distressed and complained of' terrible nightmares. j Archibald Little, accused's employer, said Kissel gave notice the day precedl, in S the murder, being irritated because ! Little took a knot out of a rope coupling two horses. He always con- -: sidered Kissel was a bit soft. j George Henry Burch, a gardener, re-! peated a conversation he had with "Kissel, whose memory appeared paraiysed. r i Kissel pleaded not guilty, reserved ' his defence, and was committed for! trial. • i , An inquest on the victim was held concurrently, the verdict being that Mackenzie was killed by a rifle bullet fired by Kissel.