CHARGE OF MURDER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2975, 22 March 1911, Page 27

CHARGE OF MURDER.

SYDNEY, Marcn 17. Wellman has been acquitted on a charge of. murdering his brother

A shocking family tragedy occurred at the Glebe early on Christmas Day. A quarrel between two brothers, Dennis James and William Arthur Wellman, culminated in the latter, in tlhe heat of passion, shooting hie brother dead. The two brothers resided with their mother. Both the brothers were working men, and since their mother sold out a small shop which she conducted in the Broadway they had been supporting her. For some months the younger one, Dennis James Welbnan, who is only 22 years of age, had been out of work, and, according to his mother's statement, had been drinking fairly heavily. The other brother is 28 years old. He has been at work continually, and it was his wages, in addition to money that his mother had saved, that has been keeping the household going. Up to the time of the quarrel which had such a terrible result the brothers lived on the best of terms, and beyond a few natural family tiffs had never fallen out. O'n Christmas Eve they both went out together to attend a party. As .far as can be gathered liquor was supplied at the party, and the younger brother appears to' hare allowed his failing for strong drink to get the better of him. The party broke up at a late hour, and William Wellman, the elder brother, made his Avay home. He had been abstemious, for, acting under medical advice, he had not taken strong drink for some months owing to ill-health. He took a friend home wiith him and made a bed for him on a couch in the dining-room, afterwards retiring to bed himself in his own room. About an hour after Dennis got home, and was evidently in an excited state through drink. He had been bad friends with the young man whom his brother had brought home, and. immediately on seeing him began to make trouble. He first ordered the man out of the house, and then went in to William's room and angrily demanded to know why he had brought the friend home with him. This commenced the quarrel, which soon became very heated. The noise aroused their mother, and she went into the room to try to make peace. Dennis time had become very violent, and made a rush at his brother to strike him. His mother, however, ran between them, imploring them not to fight. Dennis, wild with rage, roughly pushed her aside, but as she still clung to him he struck her violently in the face, knocking her down. Mis Wellman hardly, knew what happened next. All she remembered was that as she recovered herself and went to rush ois of the house to • call in a neighbour's'assistance she heard a. shot fired, and, looking back, saw the younger brother fall. William was standing in the room with a revolver in his hand, and immediately he saw what he had done he ran to assist his brother to rise. The unfortunate young man, however, had been shot in tlhe head, and death must have been instantaneous. Senior Constable Walker then arrived, and arrested William Wellman, and subsequently charged him with murder.