THE LORA GORGE TRAGEDY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2008, 18 August 1892, Page 20

THE LORA GORGE TRAGEDY.

AN OPEN VERDICT.

Invercakoill, August 11,

The inquest on the body of Richard Bell, farmer, of Lora Gorge, who was shot on the night of the 25th ult., was resumed at Winton to-day and concluded, the jury returning a verdict " That Richard Bell was murdered by some person or persons unknown." M'Rae was kept ia custody, and was remanded till the 18th inst. Mrs Bell, recalled to-day, was le«s certain that her husband said John M'Rae 6hot him. It might have been " Donald." (The locality is full of M'Raes and M'Leods.) Bell's daughter (Jeannie) deposed that accused had told her he would put a ball through the head of Bell's cow if it trespassed. She also admitted that she had cried to her mother, while running to the place where her father was found, that her father was shot by John M'Rae. This was before she had seen her father or heard him make any statement.

Sergeant Macdonell gave evidence that M'Rae sent for him in gaol and made a statement to the effect that on the 18th May 1891 he saw the gun found where Bell was murdered in the hands of Pat Walsh, who was out shooting duck?. Ho (M'Rae) took hold cf it, had a look at it, and asked if it was not Taylor's (Walsh's emjjloyer) gun, and he said no ; it was his own. He (Bl'Rae) would ewcar that the ramrod (a manuka stick) -that he saw iv the constable's hands after the murder was the same as Walsh had in the gun last year. He remarked to Walsh that the ramrod was little good, and he replied that he used Taylor's ramrod to load with. M'Rae, continuing, sakl : " I passed on and have not forgotten the look on his face, and never shall. If ever Dagon was on earth, he was about there that night. I told tho housekeeper to bolt the doors well that night for fear he might come about." This' statement was corroborated by the housekeeper, who said she kept tho practice up for some time.

Walsh was next called, and denied that he was out of his master's house on the night of the murder. He met accused next day, and asked him if he had heard of the murder. He replied : "My man, that is bad news ; it can't be helped." The gun produced ho had never seen before, and he had never owned a gun ; he used Taylor's. He did not remember meeting M'Rae on the ISth May 1891; but this year, about March or April, he met him when out shooting with Taylor's gun. He had been eight years iv Taylor's house, and he should know if he (witness) had a gun of his own. Had a slight quarrel with Bell five yrars ago, but had been on good terms with him siuco. " Bell never showed an angry face to me."

The other evidence threw no light on the affair, although there was confusion of times and dates as between M'Rae's statement to the police and his housekeeper's evidence. The ownership of the gun is still a mystery, and no one can be found who will say that he has seen it before. '