MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19133, 30 September 1936, Page 8

MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE

PATE OF FISHERMAN TRAGIC! QUARREL RETOLD PAIR C!0 OUTSIDE (Per Press Association.) DUNE DIN, last, night. Iho Police Court proceedings concluded to-day on a manslaughter charge against Richard Comgan, aged' 49. a. miner, who was alleged to have been implicated in the death at. Paimerston on August, 26 of an elderly fisherman, Stuart Neish. Mr. H. W. Bundle. S.M.. was on the bench and Chief Detective. Young conducted the proceedings for the prosecution. Mr. J. G. Warrington appeared for the accused. Dr. Uadwen said that, at about 1.45 n.m. on August 25, he saw tho body of the deceased lying a!, the door of his hut, situated off Auskery street. Neish had been dead for about two hours. The deceased had a confused' wound over the left eye and a wound on his scalj). Alexander Erliolm, fisherman, residing at Moeraki, said (hat be sometimes stayqd tho week-end with the deceased. Ho came to Paimerston on. Friday, August. 21. r,a August- 26, Neish and he got two gallons of beer and a bottle of gin from MeCrea's. Neish wanted to go nnd see Comgan. They took the bottle of gin, from which only one drink had been taken. Tho witness had seen Corri:an a few times before, but he was not •i friend. On arriving at Corrigan's house, tho witness placed the gin bottle on the kitchen table and they had drinks out of small glasses provided by Mrs. Corrigan, who did not have a' drink. START OF ARGUMENT An argument started between tho deceased and the accused about Sinn Feiiters and they started pushing each other. The two then went outside, Corrigan returning about 10 minutes later. When Neish did not come in. the wit uoss went to look for him. When he • pened the kitchen door. Oorrigati walked in front of him and went some distance away from the house across the . ectjou.

Corrignn went to his motor car by the hedge and the witness saw Xeish lying between tho car and the, fence. The witness said to the .accused: "He must. have gone out very sudden." He thought Neish, who was lying on his back, was drunk.

Comgan had admitted that the ca

vas his and the witness told him it was no good letting the poor man lie the - all night and asked him to give hi in a hand to take Neish to his hut. They put Neish in the back seat. Tho witness joined Comgan in the driver's scat. He noticed no blood or injury at that time. The deceased was placed outside the door of the hut. When ho found sometime later that Neish was dead, he informed the police. After further evidence, Comgan pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence and was committed for trial at Dtmedin. fail was granted in the accused's own i'i.>oogm>anee of £230 and one surety of OTA a condition being that he reports vice daily to tho police at Paimerston. The inquest proceedings were adjourned sine die.