The Te Aroha Shooting Case.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume VII, Issue 275, 26 September 1896, Page 7

The Te Aroha Shooting Case.

A COMPLICATION.

Ws stated that Archibald McKee had been brought up at the Police Court before Mr Northcroft, S.M., on Monday afternoOfc last and remanded to the 28th inst., on a^charge that on July 22nd, at Te f&roha, he did attempt to shoot one Thos. Clough. Mr Northcroft said that with refard to the case he never remembered earing of such a complication. The accused was brought down to Avondale on the certificate of one doctor instead of two, as required by law." The authorities wanted to know where the other certificate was, and the next dayifiis Worship had to go out to the Asylum, and McKee was then properly committed; subsequently, being allowed outoorn r probation. When His Worship saw by the daily papers that the man had been arrested at the Thames, and remanded to Auckland, he was very much surprised because he (Mr Northcroft) was the only person who could sign the discharge of McKee. If McKee was not discharged then he was-still under the control of the Asylum authorities, even though out on probation. It seemed to him that nobody had any right to seize the man under those circumstances. McKee must first be discharged before the other case coidd be proceeded with. No lunatic could plead, and according to the law McKee was still in the custody of the Avondale people. His Worship said he rang the latter up by telephone, and they could not understand why he had been interfered with. Mr Cotter, who appeared on behalf of McKee's friends, said if the Crown would have a man committed to the asylum because he was insane,, and then virtually taken out of the asylum —because he was still in the custody of the authorities—and have him before justices whp commit him to goal, and he is kept there after he had been declared a lunatic—if the Crown, he said, liked to take up that position, then counsel would have no more to say on the matter. Mr McAlistor, who appeared for the Crown, instructed by the Crown Solicitor, pointed out that a warrant had been issued by two of Her Majesty's Justices of Peace, committing McKee until brought up at the Auckland Court, and it was in the power of the Supreme Court alone to •cancel that warrant. He must say it was a queer complication, the like of which he had not read of.

McKee was liberated to appear on 28th inst., Messrs Comes and Cook, of the Thames, signing th? bonds.