THE DROMORE TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 61, 11 February 1925, Page 4

THE DROMORE TRAGEDY.

FATHER ACQUITTED OF MURDER. ON GROUNDS CF INSANITY. Per Press Atsociatioc. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 10. The trial took place this afternoon before Mr Justice Adams of Robert Tyson Hodgson who was charged with having murdered his son Frederick Tyson Hodgson at Dromore on the night on January 1. Mr A. T. Donnelly appeared for the Crown and the prisoner was represented by Mr W. J. Hunter. The evidenco for_ the Crown was the same as that given in tho Dower Court.. Mr Hunter eaid the prisoner had an unfortunate family history. His father was admitted at Sunnyside Asylum in 1885 and died there in 1908. There wero other cases of mental disability in tho fatiiily, but little reference would bo made to them for the sake of tho relatives. Dfll. McKillop and Gray, alienist*, giving evidence for the defence, said they had come to tho conclusion that at the. time of the murder tho prisoner was suffering from an attack of acute excitement which was practically epileptic in character and that he was incapable of understanding the nature and quality of the act of killing his son and knowing that such on act was wrong. ' His Honour said the Crown Prosecutor frankly admitted that the evidence of the medical experts for the defence would be accepted bv the Crown. He suggested that provided trie jury found the prisoner was insane at tho time the crime was committed their verdict should be couched in tho following terms: —"We find accused not guilty. We further find that accused was insane at the time of the commission of the offence and declare him acquitted on the grounds of insanity." Tho effect of such a verdict, said his Honour, would be that accused would bo detained because of his insanity and because he murdered his son. Without leaving the box the jury returned a verdict on the terms suggested, his Honour stating that accused would be ordered to bo kept in Pararua prison until the pleasure of the Minister of Justice was known.