THE AUCKLAND TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1708, 24 December 1919, Page 6

THE AUCKLAND TRAGEDY.

! > a ;.4st,r" hU-fr,- 1 ■' ' COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. (Pub Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Dec. 23. J The hearing of the charge of 'murder r against Harold Percy Stal>loton and Alox- f under ' Coppell arising out ‘of Uw death ”oh Frank; Brasher, licensee of the Clrtrendop, 1 ilotcl.MVas'contimicd to-day. ‘ Constable Johnson stated that while ■‘handing'in, Rutland street on the night of Do- i (■ember ]6 ho heard excicd talk in tiu> Clarendon Hotel. Just after he was joinoa i l>V (.unstable Johnston, and heard a noise , V* of somebody falling to the floor Witness and the’ other constable walked to■wards the Grey statue and ju?t-then the two accused came out of the hotel door and, ■'jinproaphod witness. Accused Coppell said. “t ohie up here; I have knocked a man out, ■ ’Stapleton said that deceased had tried to assault him. ‘Stapleton was yerjr much excited. Witness and others went upstairs arid found deceased lying m u doorway ol-

l room. Hi? head was partly in the door,vay; Deceased was bleeding from the mouth, nose, cars, and back of the Juan Stapleton kept asking witness if he thought ((''ceased would comb round. Ho said • “Constable, 1 hope you won’t make a case uf this.” Deceased was, subsequently removed to the hospital. There was a smell of liquor from deceased. Mr Wilson, S.M., who also attended the hearing in his capacity as Coroner, then reternod a verdict that the (lentil of ,Frank Brasier had boon caused by cerebral hemorrhage following fracture o his skull, the result of injuries inflicted by Huron! Pcrcv Stapleton and Alexander Coppell. He added that it was finite obvious that the whole, of the facts had not been -disclosed. bn thgi'o was sufficient evidence tor the purpose bl”if Coroner’s finding. Accused were committed for trial in the Supremo Court bn a. charge of murder. •-« Mr Kingcr applied for bail for botn qconsed, and this, was granted in one surety for each of .<3300, a proviso being made tnnt accused should both report each day to .the police.