WANGANUI TRAGEDY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10961, 25 July 1921, Page 4

WANGANUI TRAGEDY

A GRUESOME STORY VICTIM’S HEAD ALMOST oJEV. ERED FROM BODY. ACCUSED BEFORE COURT. m FRSBS A SSOCT ATXOIt. WANGANUI, July 23. Kinsella was charged at the court this morning with murdering George Gordon, whose age is given at sixty. The tragedy occurred in a wiiare, at Which place Kinsella arrived, on Thursday, bringing two and a half bottles of whisky. Yesterday morning* according to Kinsella, Gordon produced a curved butcher’s knife, and requested Kinsella to cut his throat. The latter states that he took the back of the \nife and drew it across Gordon's throat. Gordon felt his throat with hia hand, and said: “Well, you have made a • bad job of it.”

Later in the day Kinsella went' te the Mangamahu Hotel and procured two more bottles of whisky. Ho invited a mailman named Gibson to join in drinking the liquor at the whare. In the evening Gibson was attending to the fire, and Gordon, in a determined manner, stretched himself down on tlie door, unbuttoned his singlet, folded his arms on his chest, and asked Kinsella to cut liis head off. Kinsella. went out to the wood-heap, procured a heavy axe, and practically severed Gordon’s head from the body. Gibson, wnile the tragedy was being enacted, was attendng to the fire only a few feet away, and looked round when he heard the jlow. Beyond this he condd give no .nformation, except that the two men vere mates and perfectly friendly, and had no qnarrel of any description. On the way to Wanganui the- accused remarked to the police: “Poor George. We were mates together, and l won’t be able to go to bus funeral.” Kinsella had evidently been drinking freely of late. His relatives live in Wellington. Deceased was well known in Wanganui, and was a labourer. The accused, when before the coart this morning, appeared unconcerned, and apparently did not realise the enormity of his offence. He was remanded lor a week.