THE RIPA ISLAND MURDER. Christchurch, April 3.

Otago Witness, Issue 1950, 4 April 1889, Page 22

THE RIPA ISLAND MURDER. Christchurch, April 3.

At the criminal sessions to-day John M'Manus was charged with the murder of a fellowprisoner named William Cody, at the defence works, Fort Jervois, Ripa Island, on January 26. Accused, who pleaded not guilty, is a man of doubtful sanity, extremely reserved, taciturn, and sullen in prison. At times he has made irrational rambling statements to the gaoler concerning priests and women, whom he declared were in his cell, together with other extraordinary stories. iVhen at workother prisoners made a butt of him, with fatal consequences to his principal tormentor, Cody. The defence set up by Mr Russell is that M'Manus is of unsound mind. The evidence of gaolers, also of farm labourers, with whom he had worked some years ago, showed M'Manus to have been constantly doing and saying ourious things. The evidence of Dr Overton was that he considered the man liable at any moment to a paroxysm of homicidal mania. His hallucination appeared to be that anyone throwing stones at him ought to be murdered. This is exactly what Cody did in fun. The case lasted till five minutes past 8, when M'Manus was acquitted on the ground of insanity. He was ordered to be confined during the pleasure of the Colonial Secretary.