MUEDER ALLEGED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17346, 18 December 1919, Page 9

MUEDER ALLEGED.

DEATH OF F. BRABIER.

TWO YOUNG MEN CHARGED.

ALLEGATIONS BY ACCUSED.

MAGISTRATE REFUSES" BAIL.

A murder charge has followed the fatal affray which occurred in the Clarendon Hotel in the early hours of Tuesday morning, when Frank Brasier, licensee of the hotel, sustained fatal injuries in a fight in the darkness. Two young men, Harold Percy Alfred Stapleton and Alexander Coppell, were charged in the Police Court on Tuesday morning with having assaulted Brasier.' Brasier was then still alive in the hospital, but after his death the police were obliged to lay a charge of murder, and accordingly Stapleton and Coppell. were brought before Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday morning, and jointly charged with having murdered Brasier. As Chief-Detective McMahon then asked for a remand until next .Tuesday, Mr. Singer, counsel for both accused, raised the question of bail. "I do not for a moment think," said Mr. Singer, " that the fact will be contested that Stapleton was being indecently assaulted by the deceased in his room. It seems that Brasier had obtained entry to Stapleton's room, and then removed the lock from the door. In the fight that ensued Stapleton called to his mate Coppell, who was sleeping in the room across the passage, and he came out and tried to smash the bedroom door in. In a moment the door was opened, and the two men, struggling in the darkness, entered the passage. There Brasier tackled them both, and Coppell, hitting out in the dark, struck Brasier on the face, breaking his jaw. The actual cause of death must .have been the injuries he sustained in falling backwards on to the floor. •'I am having a post-mortem examination made," rejoined the magistrate, " so that the exact cause of death may be ascertained. This is only in fairness to the accused." Counsel stated the two young men were very respectable; one was a seaman, the other an upholsterer, living in the city. " No. this is a very serious'charge," replied Mr. Wilson, "and before I grant bail I must have further evidence of some kind." , Mr. Singer suggested that if the chiefdetective were prepared .to admit the I essential facts, and to state that he did not object to bail, the magistrate might see his way clear to release the two [accused. | "I cannot - contradict the statements made by Mr. Singer," said the chief-detec-i tive, " but I can express no opinion 'as regards bail." The magistrate reiterated that he mast refuse bail until the police had more evidence than the feßcprrobo'rated statements of the two After the inquest he might be in<?f position to grant the application. Counsel stated that the statements of the accused men would; be corroborated Iby . another man. There was no doubt I that Brasier had entered Siapleton's room, as, after the affray, his clothes were found there. "It is exceedingly hard on ! these young men," he concluded, '" for they could have no difficulty in finding ! bonds. They took what seemed to be the j only possible human course, and this is the result."

The Court then adjourned, and the magistrate procl&ded to the morgue to open the inquest. " Formal evidence of identification only was taken, however, and the inquest was adjourned until next Tuesday.