THE EDINBURGH SHOOTING CASE.

Otago Witness, Volume 14, Issue 2648, 14 December 1904, Page 13

THE EDINBURGH SHOOTING CASE.

EDINBURGH, October 13. Mr Somervell, of Sorn, ex-M.P. for the Ayr burghs, was tried at the High Court of Justiciary, Edinburgh, on September 27, on a charge of attempting to shoot Mr i'rancis Mora, C.A., in his office, under circumstances recounted by me in a recent letter. Mr More gave a detailed account, from his point of View, of what occurred, and said that he believed thoroughly that, v it .had not been for the protection of God Jas would not have been tiiere then. Two of ms clerks corroborated part of his evidence, speaking to the discharge of one of the revolvers, and to seeing Somervell throw out of the window a bottle containing a white powder. The accused gave his version of the story, stating that fie was oh his way to a gunsmith with the two revolvers, while he had bought the powder referred to for the purpose of poisoning rats at Sorn Castle. He alleged -that Mr More took fright, rushed at him,- "and- caught hold of him, thus "the scrimmage.'' So iar as he himself was concerned, the discharge of I3ie pistol ' was \purely accidental. He nerer dr^mecr of Shooting Mt More, but if lie had- desired to do so he had had ample opportunity to shoot kjm six times over. After 40 minutes' deliberation the jury returned a verdict of •" Not guilty.'' It was received with some applause in court, during •which Mr Somervell left the dock.