A TRIPLE MURDER.

North Otago Times, 3 November 1906, Page 4

A TRIPLE MURDER.

The'case against the youth John; Raymond Brown, charged with having ! lnuwltfred Margaret f/Keefo at Qer' I mart Creek on 15th July was conoludpd at (Sydney on October 9. The chaise conoerned. one of tho three yiotiinia of the: mivrdevthei.'details tof wh'icll). have already been published. | • ' Dr. Gaggen, Government medicjd jißcer,stated that ho had examined prisoner at the iiitltancfl of tlio Crawl}.; Prisoner told him that he was, quite sane," ' O'Keefc, he' said,; had ■ been moat'kind to him, but in a great causo great sacrifices mustnbo /made. Wit ncs's asked him what' hifi 1 object wild, and ho replied: 'The object was to bring about-a'white Australia. Iwduld take no prisoners, but kill', all'the coloured people in the' cause- ol liberty; If free, I would do the same to-morrow." Witness asked: "Are you aware that you' wcro Violating tho tow?. 1 ' Priiuner replied, "It was h dtttt'eof war, and in war there is no law: 1 ' Witness asked, "Why did you plunder them' of money?" Prisoner replied, "I wanted a fund to procure rifles and ammunition. I meant to march on Ballina and fortify it, and raako Lismbre Bay my depot. It is a dreadful thing that Port Darwin should be unprotected by a single British ship, while there are 500 Chinese at that spot, It went to my heart to kill the old people, but -personal feelings had to give way." Tho jury returned a verdict of guilty, and pri'foner was sentenced to death, the judge advising him to nttend to the ministrations of a clergy man and seek forgiveness far his awful crime. The prisoner appeared greatly discomposed. FLOODS AND FATALITIES. Heavy floods again prevailed in Vio toria and southern New South Wales during the second week in October. Tlie Murray, with' all its' northern and southern tributaries, brought down a vast My of water. At Oorowa, on its upper reach, the Murray ran fof somo days in an unbroken stream over two miles in width, while lower down, ari tho neighbourhood of Al-. bury and Wotbnga all tho low country was heavily flooded. At Oobranv the water reached a greater height than at any time since 1889, and inundated a wido stretch of country. At Eehuei and Moama both sides of tho Murray wore extensively flooded, many families being driven to the higher lands, where they had for days to live "in tontd, In tho Goulburn and Oampnspo valleys floods were general, and tho rivers of tho southern watershed rosd to high levels. Several drowning fatalities occurred. At (Joomong, on the Ganipboll, a young woman named Harrington; who in company with her parents was crossing adamaged bridge in a buggy, was thrown in tlio vivei and drowned. Tlio horso and buggy tverd washed away, but "Mr and Mrs Harrington reached the bank. At Wangaratta a young man named Monk attempted to swim hid horse over a flooded gully, but was thrown off in deep water aud lost his life. At N.S.W., a girl named Eva Shino tried to cross tho Mandagory Creek by means of a fallen tree, but slipped into tho water and was carried away. Throughout the flooded areas great damago was done to stock, crops, roads, bridges and railway embank llionts.

NEWS IN BRIEF. James Walmsley, saddler, of Bimnan, •near Scone, N.9.W., shot himself dead with a rifle. A boundary rider, named James Claffoy, was drowned while trying to ride across tho M'lntyre River, at Elsmore, near Invorell, N.SiW. Wliilo attempting to board a moving train at Emu Plains, William Barlow, of' St. Mary's, fell between the carriage and the platform. His leg was badly injured, and had to bo amputated at tho knee, hut be died subsequently in tho Penrith Hospital, Of 186,533 persons who nrived in Australia during tho years IGIB to 1903, tho languago test in accordance with tho provisions of the Immigration-. Restriction Aot, was applied to 1023 persons, of whom 973 failed to pass. Messrs. E. F. Mitchell, K.C., and T. a'B. Weigall, have advised tho Victorian Government that Victoria has no claim to the country lying between tho Murray and Murrumbidgeo Elvers, Acting on this advice, tho Victorian Government lias decided to abandon its claim to tho ownership of llivorina. • A. Wliittington, 15, son of Archdeacon Whittington, fell over a cliff at Brown's River, Tasmania, and died from tho effect of tho injuries ho received.

A young man named John M'Qnado ww taken to the Sydney Hospital rr, skull, and dief on October G without egmmng conseiousnes, ft i/S Jm tho man's injuries were sustained doling a quarrel with another man, through deceased falling ' A lad 16 years of age, the son of South j£ iTl- who J ««r Millicent, bouth Australia, was drowned in Lake bonney Qly„ n WB « in a boat with hi! fc-stei, when lio lost an oar and jumped ■nto deep water to recover it. Harm" secured the oar, ho called to liig sister that ho would go ashore and get another boat in which to fetch her, but as ho swam shoreward he noticed the boat drifting further into rough water and turned. tci secure the craft again! When within five yards of the boat in which was his sister he threw up his amo a " d »nk. The girl who is 13 jeaw of age, was panio stricken, and remained in the boat until it drifted ashore, whore, barefooted, sho roamed about the swamps and ranges for several hours,

A man named William Evans, aged 50 years employed as a carpenter at the WaJlsend coUieuv, N.S.W., was caught in tho winding drum on October G and crushed tc) death, He loaves a widow and family.. nI TI » Minister of Defence (Senator llaytord) has announced the intention of the Government to undertake the manufacture of rifle barrels for the defence force. The plant will turn out 100 barrels weekly, and will cost £6,300. The staff will number 88. The Royal Commissioner (Mr Justice M'Millan) appointed to inquire into the sensational charges made in the West Australian Parliament by Mr. H. E, Bolton, M.L.A., regarding the officials in tho Railway department, has reported that tlioro is not tho- slightest foundation for the charges made'against Mr. George. Mr. Short, Mr. Julius, or any other high official in the department.

A man Arthur Harvey, who was shot doad at Yorranderie, N.S.W., on Oct. 4 was a miner on the silver fields. It appears that he was walking from his homo towards his work, when his wifo attempted to shoot a bird with a _ pea rifle. Tho bullet, however, missed ito mark, and striking Harvey in tho back, entered a main artery, causing death. A verdict of accidental death was returned by tho coroner after hearing evidence, Frederick IWeismeyer, 20 years of ago, ironmouldci', who resided at West Adelaide, was out shooting with his brother Albert and other lads at Lockleys on October 7, when tho gun Albert carried accidentally exploded, tho charge shattering Frederick's leg above the knee. He was conveyed 'to ' the Adelaido Hospital, and died in a few hours from shock and loss of blood, ' :

A miner named Matthew Hodge, 60 years, hoarding in Blende-street, was found dead in hod by a room mato vhon the latter awoko at 8 a.m., on Oct, 6, It is stated that deceased had boon drinking hoavily. Hodge was living apart from his wife and family, who reside m.Auckland, New Zealand. John Fleming was found- guilty on Oct. 5 of the manslaughter of James Ronton at Monkey Well, Western Australia on November 23 last. The jury added a. strong recommendation to mercy on account of the provocation which Fleming received. "Mr. Justice Roots passed sentence of seven years' hard labour, remarking that 1 but for the" recommendation of the jury the Bentenoo woujd have boen mucj^moro