SHOOTING AFFRAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18017, 16 February 1922, Page 9

SHOOTING AFFRAY.

RECENT MILTON CASE.

A MARRIAGE RESENTED.

TEX YEARS IN GAOL. [BY TELEGRAPH -OWN CORRESPONDENT.] DUXEDIN'. Wednesday. At the Supremo Court yesterday, .Arthur Joseph Milligan was charged with attempting l' l murder, at Milton, two persons, named IVrrv, father and son. Thrie »ere two charges against tho aiviisfd.

The att'MMjit tock place on November 50 l ift- t'" ''' 8 'lav previous young Perry had Keen mar:ted to Gladys Milligan, the E.ster ui t! i- mcir-ed. and apparently tile B,i !i.-ed did <•: appr. ve of the marriage. Ai;.'id:!:.- . the depositions in the lower Coint ii > .tci;;M'd, < n tho night of tho irarriai!'* threatened to idioot the whole o; the l'l-ny '.aintiy. lie, was "going to wipe the whole six l'errys off the face of the earth " Then on the following day, t ,, wit:ie#»'.* said. Milligan rode up to the house on a bi.ycie, and from a l'itle tirod Ihree toward the I'enys. Tho father and son were hit. When anested tolii the conslabie that he had frcd. but diil ii. t kn> * whether he had hit auyi'P. When the case was called MiH'ca'- pleaded guilty to attempting to riurder John Frederick Perry and James Inward A>hiiv Perry, the son. Mr. Hanlon. on behalf of the accused, taid the iT.me was admittedly a very serious oie. and he had taken the precaution t.> explain fuliy to accused the possible consequences. Accused's feeling lit the present time was that he really did not know what,he was doing at the time he tired the gun. and it shoiked him very jnuch to think that he was really indicted for attempting to murder these people. In view of the depositions taken in the lower Court counsel was quite satisfied of the absolute futility of trying to convince b jury that accused bad not formed an intention, as set oul in the indictment. He had explained that to the accused, and he had elected to plead guilty. Couusel said he did not know much regarding accused's mentality, but he did know "that his physical condition was exceedingly bad. He had been much opset by' the marriage of his sister, and was' apparently goaded into the act bv this and by Perry calling him a foul name. The accused's age was 20 years, and he had been born at Out ram. At various times he had been placed in sanatoria, and lately bad been living in a tent. As to his character nothing had been known azainst him. THe Mayor of Milton had come to see counsel, and expressed surprise at the position which accused had got into. He had always known him as a delicate and harmless young man. The accused, added counsel, seemed to have last his head entirely, and got his gun and did not appear to care very much whom he hit at the time, Counsel asked for such clemency as the Court could extend. The Crown Prosecutor said there was just one matter he would kke to draw attention to. The accused, according to the depositions, on the night when he expressed his determination to wipe the Perrrs off the face of the earth, seemed to have met Perry, sen., and they appeared to have decided to part friends. Then when he met the constable on the Eight of the shooting he said that had the r.fle not jammed he would have "done for eld Perry." Once the rifle jammed be was peaceable enough. 4 His Honor said the crime to which the prisoner had pleaded guilty was a very tericus one, for which je "as liable to a substantial term of imprisonment I might bo that accused, as Dr. Lyth had reported, required hospital or sanatorium treatment, but of course that had nothing to do with him in imposing punishment. The proper authorities could deal with that The sentence of the Court would be imprisonment fur a term of 10 years, with hard labour.