A Girl Shoots two Men.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 6779, 23 August 1900, Page 4

A Girl Shoots two Men.

JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE

W. Manson and Peter Thompson were admitted to ohe hospitul at Launeeston on July 27ih suffering from gunshot wounds, Munson has a great number of shot in the abdomen, and as there was no hope of his recoysry his depositions were . taken by a . police rnagi-trafe. Thompson, who is shot in the groin and thigh, was pronounced out of danger. According to their statements, they were on a previous Wednesday afternoon passing a house at Garibaldi Mining Camp, occupied by Mrs Kip Yen and family. The husband is absent from iho colony. The men stppad and joked with Ada Kip Ton, a half-caste Chinese, nged fifteen. The girl in reply to o;:s of their jokes, said sho would shoot them. They paid no heed to the threat, and continued chatting the girl, who produced a loaded doubic-barvolled gun, which ehe discharged, and fellci both men. Mcnson remained where ho was shot in a pool of blood for about three hours before assistance came. Manson died nest afternooo. Ha was 22 years of age, was single, and a native of Germany. For sorno time he had been residing with his parents at Port land, on the East Coast, and he had been at the Pioneer Camp for only a few weeks, An inquest was held on July 31st touching the death of William Mauson. Mr M. J. Clarke appeared for Ada Wood, or Kip Tenj who was charged with murder. Dr. Ramsay, tupsiintendent of ihe hospital, whore the man died, detailed the effecs of Manson's wounds. Mansou suffered from general periconid3, due to a perforating wound of the bowels. Deceased had stated on admission to the hospital that he had besn shot whiie staudin? with Peter Thompson about ten yards from a house at Garibaldi, the gun being discharged through an open window. He had addad that he did not see who fired the shot.

Ada Wood, or Kip Yen, said she was fourteen years of age. It might have been three o'clock last Wednesday when ihe affair happened. She and her two little eis'.ers and brothei'3 wers at home together, her mother being away. She heard a noise at the back gate, and looked out of the window to see what it was. Bhe saw two men at the gate, und tha biggar ode (Thompson) was undoing is. Both of ihetn came to the back door, and Thompson tod her to open the door or ho would burst it in. Her mother had looked the door before going away, and taken the key with her. Thompson then said:. "I know your mother has gone to the Pionesr. Opsn the door you half-casto " She an.wered : " If I am a half-caste this is no place for you, and if you don't gee out of this I'll fire a gun at you. My mother ia not hone." Her sisters and brothers then started crying, for they were much •ifraid. The small or miin (Hanson) went out to the see saw just outside the gate, and Thompson followed. They both got to the see-saw, and Thompson had a drink from a bottle, and* let the other fall off. He lay down for a little wliil", a, n d then got up, but fell diwn agsiu. Nest time he got up Thompson took him by ihe arm and pulled him inside the gate, s&yiog to witness : " I'll see if you won't open the donr or not. If you don'D open the door I'll burst it in." She answered : " If you come to burst that door in I'll fire the gun at you." She had the weapon in her hand, and «as siandina a tha wiadow watching them. The big man said: " Let us have it; fire away," and as they advanced towards the door she did so. She had no intenion of hitting them, but only i;eant to give them a fright. They were inside the g£tt9 when she tired. On a previous occasion, a good while Bgo, when her mother was out, a big man came to the front door. Manson waa a total stranger to h?r. When she ficed ihe men were side by side, and Thompson was leading Manson towards the house. Sha had only iired out of a gun onea before as ft bottle. The weapon wr.s always loaded in both barrels, but she had only iircd one. Is was kept in her mother's bedroom, and it was the second time the men came in the gato that she went out and got it. Her married sister lived next door, bur she was away with her another. The reason she was afnid was that she thought if the men got into the house they would ham her. She believed th men were drunk-

Peter Thomson, Ihe other man who was shot, was carried iv, and was identified by the girl as being one of tho men. He said b.B was a miner rc-iding at South Garibaldi, rt'idbau resided there fur about three rnon hs. On Wednesday !a?t he was in company with William Manson, aad went from Ga:i'>alcli to the Chinese camp. Coming from t'.ie latter phce they called at tho Wood's eottago oa their way to tli3 Pioneer to ask the track. Hi saw someone through a window, but could not sea who, or whether it was the girl Wood. Someone said: " Cloar out of this, or I'll shoot." He opened the gate, and they went inside the yard, and got shot. The shot came frntn the window, but he could not see distinctly who was there. Neither of ihom went up to the door, nor did they threaten to to break it in or use the words attributed to them by ihe girl Wood. All the girl had said to (hem was to clear out. They nevi-r entered the gate until after they had been en the see-saw, and > c would swear that they never approached the h use until thetime they were shot. If tho girl snid they did she was not teliii g the truth They had had four or five drinks. Manson was no' drunk, but could not walk steadily. They al«o had a bottle of pore wine, and if the girl said they had had a driuk while on the see-saw he would not deny it. Ir was true that 5Lx.-,EOa fell off the sif-saw, He was positive that they never approached ths cottage before leaving the sco-saw, but he was not so clear as to how they went tbero. He did not think hi- led Manson. He had never been at tb> house before, or watched it, as the ifirl Wood had said. Both fell at ihe shot, and a3 Manson could nnt move he went away by himself. He knew who lived at the house, though he h.'id never been there before. To Mr Clarke : He was positive he never '..vied the- iioor cf the hnuse. Ele had no intention of entering it. He could not remember all thai hud occurred, on account of the drinks he had had. To the Coroner: He belieied ho chaffed the person at the window, and told her to tire.

Thomas Harper gave evidence as to Thompson reporting the affair at tho Chinese camp, and going to M-mon's assistance. He saw Thompson before the occutrence, and ho was then the worse for drink, but Manson seemed pretty sober. Trooper Fitzpatrick deposed to Thompson making the statement to him on Wednesday night similar fco that «iven in the evidence. Tfae girl Wood made a statement very willingly, following the line 3of her evidence, She covei1 coatriuicteu herself once, and lie was fully convinced that she was Kpealcinp the truth. Elizabeth "Wood, mcther of the girl, -tated that on retu>ning to fhe house sha found Manson lying wounded near the wash-houso chimney, and took him ami did all she could for him. The depositions of Manson wero read. In them doceased said he was Bhot from the hut. He wai passing ten or twelve yards away. He did not know who fired (ho shot, nor was ho spoken to 01 threatened by anybody. He did not know the reason why anybody nhuuld fire upon him, andhebas no bad frieuda that he knew of; in fact, he had only been at fhe camp a few weeks. He ndmitted ha had .been drinking. Ho had been fourteen years ia the eo'ony, but he had never been in the house from which he was fired at. ■ Mr Clarke argued- that tho girl's act in shooting was justifiable.

The Coroner sumraod up, and the jury, after a minute's con-sHeration, reMimed a verdict of justifiable homicide. The girl was discharged.