SHOOTING AFFRAY

Otago Witness, Issue 3523, 20 September 1921, Page 41

SHOOTING AFFRAY

AN A RLE NT MADE. ■CHRISTCHURCH. September IS. A shooting affray which occurred last , night in the Snringston Hotel. when : Bartholomew M'E’vedy, a Southbridge far- ; mer, was wounded in the left wrist and thigh, resulted in the arrest, of James Scott : Main, a ranger employed by the Ganterburv Acclimatisation Society. It is stated that the shooting occurred during an attempt to wrest a revolver from Alain’s j possess) on. Three shots were fired, two hitting M'Evedy, and the third wounding an- : other man in the hand. The latter is not i yet discovered by the police. Accused appeared before the court this morning on a charge of attempted murder, and was remanded for live days. ‘ I ACCUSED VICTIM OF PREVIOUS I ASSAULT. CHRIS'! CiiL KCH, September 15. ; Tho chief ranger for the Acclimatization Mr M.auj, v. so was imirged to-day with uttempted mui lor, in connection with the SpXugsteii si. uiinig tiliair, ha.- been on two occa.-iiojss at .oast, a victim of serious a —atilt by poachers. At Lake Ellesmere, early in 1913, he came upon a trio oi min illegally shooting. While endeavouring to identify them in the fading light he was struck a tremendous blow on the back of the head jus): behind the left ear, with the butt of a gun. lie was rendered unconscious, and received a bad cur oil the head. He also suffered from deafness lor some time alter tlio assault. His assailants were never brought to justice, although the society offered a reward of +125 for the at rest and conviction. Tis second ussault v. as of a more serious nature, and took place on the night of . .Sunday, July 23, 1916. Main, who was out round the lake on duty had his suspicions aroused by hearing various shots tired, and wont to see who was shooting. Eventually he sighted u poacher v.ho pulled his hat down over his eyes, and .started to ' get away as fast as he could. A chase on- i sued, Main keeping to the waters edge . while the poacher lumbered along iri deeper water. The poacher at length gained the shelter of a small patch of i scrub. There he stopped, and in an ap- . patently disguised voice shouted out some- : thing which sounded like a threat to the ranger, who was about 80yds away at the j time. Main, who was unarmed, advanced . on the man, who then raised his gun and deliberately fired. A charge of shot miili-d miliu! the ranger’s legs, one pellet penetrating his clothes into his right thigh. : Another pullet hit him just above the right eye, entering the flesh raiher deeply. ; Main then perforce gave up the chase. After the second assault the Acclimatisation Society voted Main a sum of £5 in : recognition of his pluck. As a ranger he was vested with all the powers of a con- > stable within his district, and was entiled to carry firearms for self-pi otection.