Serious Charge Follows Quarrel

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 231, 30 September 1936, Page 4

Serious Charge Follows Quarrel

Manslaughter Alleged Against liner ARGUMENT ABOUT SINN FEINERS Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, Last Night. The Police Court proceedings were oonclu'ded to-day on the manslaughter charge against Richard Corrigan, aged 49, a miner, who was alleged to have been implicated in the death at Palmerston on August 20, of an elderly fisherman, Stuart Neish. Mr. 11. W. Bundle, S.M., was on the Bench and Chief-Detective Young conducted the proceedings for tho prosecution, Mr. J. G. Warrington appearing for accused. Dr. Ilawden said that at about 1.45 a.m. on August 20, he saw the body of deceased lying at tho door of his hut, situated off Auskery street. Neish had been dead for about two hours. Deceased had a contused wound over the left eye and a wound on his scalp.

Alexander Erholtn, a fisherman, residing at Moeraki, said he Sometimes stayed the week-end with deceased. He came to Palmerston on Friday, August 21. On August 20 Neish and he got two gallons of beer and a bottle of gin from Macrae’s. Neish wanted to go and see Corrigan. They took the bottle of gin, from which only one drink had been taken. Witness bad seen Corrigan a few times before, but he was not a friend. On arriving at Corrigan's house, witness placed the gin bottle on the kitchen table, and they had drinks out of small glasses, provided by Mrs. Corrigan, who did not have a drink.

An argument started between deceased and accused about Sinn Fciners, witness proceeded, and they started pushing each other. The two then went outside, Corrigan returning about ten minutes later. When Neish did not come in, witness went to look for him. When he opened the kitchen door, Corrigan walked in front of him and went a distance away from the house across the section. Corrigan went to his motor-car by tho hedge, and witness saw Neish lying between tbe car and the fence. Witness said to accused, “he must have gone out very sudden.” He thought Neish, who was lying on his back, was drunk. Corrigan admitted that the car was his, and witness told him it was no good letting the poor man lie there all night, and asked him to give him a hand to take Neish to his hut. They put Neish in back seat. Witness joined Corrigan in the driver’s seat. He noticed no blood or injury at that time. Deceased •was placed outside the door of the hut. When he found sometime later that Neish was dead, lie informed the police. After further evidence, Corrigan pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence and was committed for trial at Dunedin. Bail was granted in accused’s own recognisance of £2OO and one surety of £2OO, a condition being that he reports twice daily to the police at Palmerston.

The inquest proceedings were ad journed sine die.