ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO MURDER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 11 December 1940, Page 3

ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO MURDER

OAMARU LOWER COURT HEARING ! ACCUSED TO BE COMMITTED FOR TRIAL i EVIDENCE OF SHOT FIRED [United Press Association J OAMARU, 10th December. . i William Meehan, aged 42, an employee of the Waitaki Electric Power Board, j appeared in custody before Mr Bundle, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court to-day, I charged with attempting to murder j Frederick Henry McCauley in Oamaru *on 13th October. Mr F. B. Adams. { Crown Prosecutor. Dunedin, conducted j the prosecution, and Mr J. E. Farreil i appeared for accused. Evidence was given by Dr. E. E. But- | ler that at 7.45 p.m. on 13th October he J received a call and went to the Odd- ‘ j lellows’ Hall, Coquet street, Oamaru. \ i where he found McAuley lying on the ' i floor with a wound in the right thigh. .I He was pale, shocked and bleeding. - Witness applied an improvised tourni- . jquet and took McAuley to the Oamaru • Public Hospital. ) He described the nature of the • wound and the operation performed. A ■ J great deal of damage had been caused ito the structure of the thigh and Mc'JAuley was given intravenous fluids and *\ a blood transfusion. On leaving the ’(theatre his condition was poor and his j life was in danger. McAuley subsequently received blood transfusions and .'other appropriate treatment, but on 19th .! October the whole leg had become gan- ■ ! grenous and it was necessary to perform ! a disarticulation of the leg through the - j hip joint to save McAuley’s life. Fur;j ther blood transfusions were given and ’ his condition improved. The wounds . | were consistent with a .303 rifle shot. ISSUE OF RIFLE !! Sergeant-Major H. M. S. Bradbury I j deposed that accused was a member ■' of the Oamaru National Reserve. The | rifle and bayonet produced bore the ' : same numbers as those issued by wit- ’ ness to accused on 2nd August, 1940. ’■No ammunition had been issued. ’ | Frederick Henry McAuley said he was a returned soldier and a preacher !of the Gospel residing at 98 Otipua .'road. Timaru. On 13th October he at- .! tended a meeting of Jehovah’s WitI I nesses in the Oddfellows’ Hall. He was i acting as usher. The meeting had been Jin progress half an hour when he r I heard a shuffling in the lobby of the \ hall. He had just opened the inner door when a shot was. fired. He sow i the flash of a rifle, staggered back and . lay on the floor. He received a wound . in the right thigh t but did not see who . shot him. He was in the Oamaru Pub / lie Hospital for eight weeks, and as a • result of the wound his right leg was - amputated. George Robert Edwards, who also ■ described himself as a preacher of the Gospel and one of Jehovah's Witnesses. residing at 98 Otipua road. Timaru, j stated that he attended the meeting in | question with McAuley and Ridling. They were ushers. He saw accused iat the door about 7.15. About 7.15 p.m. Ridling invited accused in but he refused and said he would go and get a "couple of cobbers” who. he thought, i would like to hear the lecture. He saw accused coming down the street a second time and accused appeared at the ■ hall door with a rifle and bayonet and jsaid. “I've got the wood on you B—; now put up your hands.” DESCRIPTION OF SCUFFLE j Accused said he would shoot them if they disobeyed. He also commanded j witness to open the door. Witness did ;so and cried out, “Harry.” Accused came at him with the bayonet. He warded the blow off with his hand, receiving a wound on the back of the hand. He got the end of the barrel ot I he rifle and tried to wrest it from him. Accused pulled him toward the outer door, then shoved him toward ihe inner door, which opened, and the rifle went off. Witness was still holding the barrel of the rifle when it went i ofi - When Meehan appeared the second time with the rifle he had it presented as if he meant business. Meehan did not show signs of excitement when he ■ appeared. After that witness was too j busy protecting himself to take notice. ' He did not notice any smell of liquor. ! 1 i Alter the shot Ridling struck Meehan a : ; blow in the face which had the effect of ' ! Meehan releasing the rifle and of stag- [ jgering him. Witness also struck Mee ; ! han and he fell out on the footpath. ; Witness fell on top of him and secured j his hand and put his knee on his throat. | Hallett Ridling, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses residing at 18 Foyle street, | Oamaru, corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. He said accused j ordered Edwards to open the inner door or he would blow his brains out. ALLEGED STATEMENTS j Corroborative evidence was given by • William Lang Brown, carpenter em- : {l jl °y ed by the Railways Department, ! ! Oamaru. Witness went with a con | ! stable to get accused, who said, “It . 1 was some of these b—— left-wingers, j and I did not fight in the war for that 1 | sort of thing. j George Herbert Christianson, prea- j I cher of the Gospel, residing at 18 Foyle I street, Oamaru, gave evidence that he : found lour pieces of metal near whefe < I McAuley was lying and on a curtain l ! lhere were Pieces of raw flesh and a I number of holes. ; David Jackman, retired linesman. I Oamaru, said he gave accused .303 soft '• nosed sporting ammunition about seven* ■ or eight years ago. 1 ‘ Constable A. D. Buchanan, Oamaru. ' who attended the meeting under instructions, described what happened at ' (be hall. Accused was highly excited 1 and he smelt liquor on him. Meehan said he knew what he was doing but be was excited and said he would do lil again. He said, “Fifth column b • That’s the way to get rid of 1 fifth columnists.” At the police station ] accused, said, "I would do it again. | i That is the way France and Belgium i I went down, by fifth columnists.” He j | said he hoped he had hurt no one else ■ | and that the rifle went off by accident I | in the struggle. 1 I j , Evidence was also given by Senior; J Sergeant T. J. McGregor, who assisted i Dr. Butler at the hall. Accused was 1 sober but very excited and agitated i W,tness corroborated the constable’s ! ; evidence and stated that he found a j discharged shell in the breech of the l j rifle. Eight soft-nosed cartridges were } lin the magazine and 78 rounds of am- ( munition in accused’s private cupboard C at the workshop at the power house. ' 1 Accused pleaded not guilty. Mr Far- t rell made application for the case to i be heard in the Supreme Court, Timaru. and also raised the question of bail. It was intimated that accused would be committed for trial, Mr Bundle c formally remanding him till the morn- c ing to enable consideration to be giv- £ en to the applications made by counsel. ]