NEW YEAR'S EYE LARRIKINISM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8398, 23 January 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

NEW YEAR'S EYE LARRIKINISM.

The horse-play which is usually indulged in on Now Year's Evo resulted at Tapanui in the wounding in the leg of a young man named Alexauder Mason. From an extra issued by the Tapanui Cojrier we learn that Locke Darling, of the National Bank, was brought before Mr Kevell on Wednesday charged with unlawfully and feloniously wounding Alex. Mason with a pistol. Mason stated that on the morning of January 1, between 2 and 3 o'clock, while he was running alongside hii express, Ins heard a shot lired and felt ii pain in his leg. He heard someone say Darling had fired a shot, and on lookiug saw him standing at the door of his house. Witness was taken to the chemist's shop, and attended to by DrDu Lautour. It was found that he had been shot iv the leg, and too doctor extracted the bullet. George Kuiulle gave evidence to the effect that on New Year's Day morning the usual fun was going on. He heard a shot fired and saw the flash, and afterwards saw Darling. He afterwards came down to where witness was standing and said, " If those fellows come back annoying me you might tell them I have a revolver that will kill at 40yds," and (.hat he should, or intended to, uso it. Thomas Author.y htated that ho saw Darling at the side door of the bank. He saw him fire a shot and afterwards enter the front gate of the bank. He came out again and .said to witness, " You tell those fellows when they come back not to ring the bell, for every time the bell gets broken it costs inn .'iOs. If they come back and annoy me any more I liavo got a revolver that will kill at, •)() yards, and I intend to use it." 'l'hn:nas King, constable, he wns informed a man had lieen shot, and on going to the chemist's shop found it was Alexauder Mason, jun. On asking th«: cause of the injury, Mason said Darling had shot him. On seeing Darling in the morning he (Darling) complained of larrikins ringing at his bell ami otherwise annoying him. Mo stated (hat they rang tins bell twice, and the second lim<! he canus out and (ired a shot in the air to lrightun them. On being asked if he was aware he hud shot someone he said he had not as Le had fired iv the; air. Witness then (vld him he hud shot, young Mason, to which he re plied, No, hu had tired iv the air. Ho funlier said tln.y had no business to annoy him, and that he bad to protect the bank property. Two days "ii"-' "<■ ■■■''■> He fifvid i;i ihi! .-.ii.'ijid ii'w lii:.t j ij-.ii.iii!;i ; mi-i.i-i: I'n-c, ;.;„; ia 1..;/.-;.:; U .Uiv.-ii (!„; I should wi-nt cilf. Iv K!|.iiy to Mr Sinclair, who apPLMri.d !i:dutuiid. wifness t.iid, that judging from '

the appearance of the bullet, it had struck some '. hard substance and had not gone straight into the leg. Dr De Lautour gave evidence as to the position of the bullet and of its extraction. He thought it must have struck the ground or some hard substance from an acute angle before entering the leg. That would give it a tendency to go upwards. The wound was simply a ilesh cue. Mason was progressing very favourably. Other witnesses gave evidence of a less important nature. The accused stated the affair was purely an accident. He intended to fire in the air, but in dropping the revolver it want off by some means. He was astonished when he heard someone had been hit. On finding that he had wounded the boy he expressed regret, aud had made every atonement.' He had paid compensation, doctor's fees, and had made the youth an allowance until he was able to go to work again.—The Bench said that the evidence was weak and did not show that accused had fired at the crowd. Taking the. evidence altogether there was not sufficient proof to send the case to a jury. There was no evidence to show that accuse! had fired direct at Mason, and the bullet seemed to have struck the ground first. The information would be dismissed.