SHOOTING CASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25202, 15 May 1945, Page 6

SHOOTING CASE

CEOWN'S ALLEGATIONS FATAL RIFLE WOUND (P.A.) WANGANUI, Monday The trial was begun at the Supreme Court today of Jack Burman Barns, aged 37, labourer, on a charge of murder. The Crown alleges that the accused fired a rifle and killed John Severin Berentsen, aged 46, a traveller, on April 3 last, the bullet entering the abdomen. Mr N. It. Bain, Crown Prosecutor in Wanganui, is appearing for the Crown and Mr It. S. Withers for the defence. The trial will last another day at least. Mr Bain said it was alleged that the accused and a man named Charles Edward Pram went to the Masonic Hotel about 11 o'clock on the morning of April 3, and while there Berentsen entered the bar, eventually joining the accused and Pram. Sound of a Shot Heard "Apparently Berentsen made a refer-ence-to 'Evans of the Broke,' " said Mr Bain, and said he knew his sister. Berentsen also referred to China. Apparently the accused did not believe iiis statements and Berentsen apparently told the accused he was ignorant. The evidence would show that when they went away in the accused's car later in the day they appeared to be on friendly terms. The Crown alleged that on the arrival at a house in Hardy Street, where the accused lived, the accused got out of the car, went inside and got a rifle. Evidence would be called to show there was the sound of a shot and Berentsen subsequently had been found with a wound in the abdomen from which he died. Evidence was called and followed the lines of that in the lower Court. Kept Kifle Under Bed Ruth Adeline Pram, who lived in the same house as the accused, said she knew the accused kept a rifle under the bed and when he came home that day she dragged the rifle out for him. He walked to the front door. He was calm but had been drinking. "I heard John say to Berentsen 'Where will you have it'?" said witness. "Berentsen put his hands to his heart and said, 'I will have it here. Go on, I am not afraid to take it. I am a river man.' " Witness told of hearing a shot and finding Berentsen on the footpath, of' getting help, and remaining with him until an ambulance arrived. Cross-examined by Mr Withers, witness said that a house next door had been broken into and that was why the accused kept a rifle under the bed. Mr Withers: Did you hear anything when you dragged the rifle out from under the bed. Witness: I heard a click. Mr Withers: Did the accused at any time point the rifle at Berentsen? Witness: No, he did not. He held the rifle across his arm. Witness added that she did not hear the safety catch click while Barns bad the rifle in his hands Arms Expert's Evidence Charles Murray, warrant officer in the Army Department, an armourer attached to Area 6, said he did not think the rifle Could be fired without pressure on the trigger. The safety catch was hard to applv. Direct pressure was required on ttie lever to remove it. He had dragged the rifle by the barrel over sharp edges but this had no effect on the safety catch. The hearing will be continued tomor- j row.

SAVING ELECTRICITY REDUCTION IN VOLTAGE FIGURES QUOTED TO BOARD Details of the possible saving of electricity by a reduction of voltage were given by the district, electrical engineer, Mr A. E. Davenport, to a meeting oi' the Auckland Electric-Power Board yesterday. Mr Davenport said he understood the board had 36,000 kilowatt installed capacity of automatic regulating plant, representing an opportunity of considerable saving. The necessity for conserving power was very real, and any efforts the board was able to make would be greatly appreciated. "During daytime hours a 5 per cent reduction in voltage results in an overall reduction of 3 to 4 per cent in the kilowatt demand, depending on whether or not steps have been taken to place certain automatic apparatus on hand control," the letter stated. If those steps were taken, the higher figure applied, the reduction totalling from 9000 to 12,000 kilowatts for the North Island. During night hours, the same voltage reduction would mean a kilowatt reduction of up to 8 per cent, representing about 10,000 kilowatts. The difference was due to the differing effect on various types of load. On heating and cooking, the drop would be 10 per cent, provided no change was made in the connected load. On lighting, the drop would be 7} per cent. Motor load was independent of voltage within the limits under discus-, sion. Mr A. O. Glasse. engineer, said that similar tests in New Zealand had shown rather more saving than in the figures quoted, which were based on English surveys. The saving did not occur when big reductions were made in the load. The letter was received.

TWO MEN ON PROBATION SPECIAL TERMS IMPOSED Two young men who had admitted robbing another young man of 30s with violence, Desmond Trevor Jury, aged 22 (.Mr Aekins), and William Laurence Moffitt. aged 22 (Mr Benton), appeared on remand for sentence before Mr Justice Callan yesterday. Mr Cleal represented the Crown. His Honor said that, after considering further reports, he would release the accused on probation, but he would impose conditions to keep them away from drink and to try to get them to form the habit of thrift. Each would be placed on probation for 12 months, required to take out and maintain prohibition orders, and to abstain totally from alcoholic liquor, and to pay 15*s weekly into a Savings Bank account on which the first claim would be £5 each to the man assaulted, and the next £2 10s each toward the costs of prosecution.