THE GOVERNOR’S BAY SHOOTING CASE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIII, Issue 12159, 24 March 1900, Page 5

THE GOVERNOR’S BAY SHOOTING CASE.

. . - —tfo. a .. POPE COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. James Pope, charged on remand with attempting to murder his wife at Governor s Bay on March 1, was brought up-at the Lyttelton Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Captain Marciel, J.P., and Mr George Lanrenson, J.P. The accused was undefended by counsel, and Sergeant Rutledge conducted the case for the police. Emma Pope, wife of the accused, deposed that her husband went grass-seeding in January. Her son John went grass-seeding a week laler, and before going, fired off the gun (produced) at a bird, and left the gun in a'corner of the kitchen. Her husband came home on Feb. 27. As far a-s witness knew, the gun remained unloaded till,he returned. Her husband had very : little to drink on the day of the shooting. Ho gathered some pears, and after dinner went, up the bay to sell them to some picnickers. Ho came back soon" after 5 p.m. He brought a bottle of beer home .with him, and had had a little drink, but was not drunk. He lay down and went to sleep on a sofa. .Witness then went out to see Mr Agar about some sharps. After giving the order, witness and her granddaughter, Annie, returned to her house. As she •entered, accused said, “Is that you,” and she said “ Yes,” He picked up the gun, and she said “ Go. it,” thinking the gun was not leaded. He fired at her; she saw the (lame coming in her face, but did not at first think she was shot. The charge struck her in the left -shoulder, and she fell. The charge was shot. She got up - and went out to go to her son’s house, a few chains distant. On the way the children started to scream, so she turned hack and met her husband and her daughter-in-law on the road. Just before she got to her son’s house, the blood gushed out of her -shoulder. When her husband met her, he asked jier to come home, and said he did not think he had done any harm. She walked to her son’s house with her daughter-in-law. Her husband did not accompany her, but .wept afterwards, and said something, but she did nob remember what. She was very weak then, as she had lost a lot of blood. Dr Pairman was sent , for, and arrived that evening and dressed the wound. Her granddaughter Annie stood outside the door when the shot was fired, and then went to tell her mother. Witness had had no quarrel with her -husband that day. She did not know what became of the bottle of beer her husband brought. She did not drink any of it. Annie Pope, granddaughter of the preceding witness, a child of eight years old, deposed that about five o’clock on the day when her grandmother was shot, she met her grandmother on the road and. went to her house. Her grandmother went in at the door, and witness stood out-side, and heard her grandfather say “Is that you.” Her grandmother said “Go it.” The gun then went off, and her grandmother fell down; but gob up, went to witness’s father’s house,’ and lay on the sofa. Witness had run and told her mother. Her grandfather afterwards came to her mother’s house and said he did not intend to kill her grandmother : he wanted to kis-s her,

Jane Pope, wife of James Pope,' jun., and mother of the last witness, gave corroborative evidence, and stated that when accused came to her house after he had shot his wife, she refused to let him in, and said, “You have done enough already.” He replied that he had not done yet, but that he had not intended to hurt the old woman, hub meant to hit two or three feet above her head. He was excited, but had not had much drink.

Dr Pairman deposed that he found Mrs Pope in a very collapsed condition, as she had lost a deal of blood from a wound in her shoulder and neck. He removed from the wounds some clothing, wads, and small pellets (produced). Mrs Pope was brciight to4he Casual Ward on March 3.' V[id had ’since been under witness’s care, and was doing well. The wound was a serious one, and had endangered her life, but she was now out of danger. Witness had recommended Sergeant Rutledge to have her depositions taken at once, as he thought she was not likely to recover. George Bowes, licensee of the Ocean View Hotel, at Governor’s Bay, deposed that the child Annie Pope had come to his place about 6 p.m., on March 1, and asked him to go to her grandmother’s house, as her grandmother had been shot Witness and James Smith went at once to accused’s bouse, and went into the kitchen. The gun (produced) was standing by the fireplace, with a piece of rope tied to- the trigger. Accused was in the front part of the house, and came into the kitchen, and said, “ I’ve shot the old woman, and I’m very sorry for it. I aimed a foot above her, but there was something wrong with the gun.” He sat down, and cried a little. He hud had a little to drink, but was not drunk. He asked Mr Smith andi witness to have some wine, hut they declined. He had a cupful himself. There was an empty catridge case (produced) in the gun, and Mr Smith took it out.' Accused had had two pints of beer at witness’s hotel during the day, and on© of a picnic party gave him another pint, -which he took home in a bottle.

James Smith gave corroborative evidence, and stated that he found a second empty cartridge case on the kitchen table in Pope's house. '■ Pope, witness stated, said, “I tried to shoot myself. I put the string on the trigger, and meant to do it, but the gun went off two soon.” Witness saw the mark of the shot in the ceiling. Pope was quite sober. John Pope, son of the accused, deposed that he discharged the gun before he went grass-seeding, on Jan. 17. His father and mother had ‘a few quarrels while he was there. He thought: it was drink on 1 his father’s part that caused it. When under the influence of drink his father was in the habit of taking up the gun and threatening his mother with it. Joseph Henry Manson deposed that on March 1 he went to Lyttelton and hi: formed the police of the shooting. ■ Constable Moore deposed that, in company with Constable Connell, he arrested the accused in the kitchen of his house on the night of March 1. Accused said, “ Yes, I’ve shot the old woman; and it’s'a pity the other shot did not go through me instead of going through the ceiling.” There was a shot hole in the kitchen wall, about 4ft from -the floor, and another one in the kitchen ceiling. Witness found in the kitchen three full cartridges with cases similar to those of the empty ones. Pope was excited, and was slightly under the influence of drink.

Constable Connell gave corroborative evidence, and stated that when Pope was being brought to Lyttelton, he said that if his wife was not -a dead one now, she would be when he got his liberty. He was under the influence of drink then.

The accused, who had nothing to say, was committed for trial at the next criminal sittings of the Supreme Court.