RUNANGA TRAGEDY.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14635, 13 February 1918, Page 11

RUNANGA TRAGEDY.

SUPREME COURT TRIAL..

THE COULTHARD CASE.

[United Pbess Association.] '

Christohureh, Feb. 12. .. ihe trial of Frederick William Eggers. m connection with the murder of JohnCoulthard near Grevmouth, was continued to-day. *

Dr. William .McKay said he-extracted-the bullet from James's leg. The carti ndgp was of low grade or James waa nit trom a distance. Peter Manderson, deputy at the State coalmine, who witnessed the tragedy described the stickiug-up. The maa wore a mask and something tight across the skull. He had a revolver in each hand, and fired a succession of shots. Later witness saw a man on the railway line with a bag in his left hand . Loulthard vras lying on the roadside, dying, and Hall was on the back seat, of the car.

William Leonard Manderson son of the previous witness, gave corroborative evidence.

Hugh Steele, miner, said he was goinc: to Greymouth in a cart. He and hS brother were stopped by Manderson near the scene of the tragedy. Couithard was then alive, but died in a few minutes. Hall was in the car, groaning. One of Coulthard's pockets was oa bre: --3 Wltness saw an empty cartridge case on the road in a clot of blood near Coulthard's head. On a rise nearby he found a bilifiook. Adolphus Anderson Shannon identined the cartridge case as one of 32 calibre.

Charles Parfitt, clerk; of the State mine, deposed to the finding of a revolver m the car of 38 calibre, and also four empty shells and one live cartridge. The revolver had been fired recently, and there were two Sis 5 me car.

• Detective-Sergeant Ward described the scene of the tragedy. He found t^V* the bu? hes *We soraoone had crouched recently. He also saw an" otner place or concealment from whicix a person could- obtain a good view ofi the cutting I)oo.yards awfy fife^described the. identification of the accused when the latter was. taken to Grey. SS * V ■? ma?isteriai inquiry the accused said that from a point on the railway embankment from which James %& k6 ad s? e", the car and th 3 shots tired by a masked man the car could not be seen. F^gers had jumped out at the spot from which the car could Ween 5 e Was more correct tnan James as the car could not be seen from the spot mentioned by James Inspector Cruickshank, of Greymouth fet . f°ur c&rtridge'shells and two bullets handed to him by James and tt^e^ WOrk" °f th' 68 s,utfere d by Coulthard and Hall were described by Dr. Usher medical superintendent of the Grevniouth Hospital, who said it would have been possible for Coulthard, after being shot to get out of the ear and walk a few steps. After Hall was shot n the forearm he might have been able to#, but not with accuracy falter Brook Taylor, traveller of Wellington, said he had seen the accuS % «tes:st *• °- 'hnS" "' groom. BmoiK, detailed a conversation which he had had other meaS SMI **"">* loSt «« «* oiS'&boSierfianr S eyiden<» *"» to the accused's oJS?r*S a c°tat £c in t^e vicinity of th© nanfS' «, Garvey identified the occu! ?ouki a not 6 aCCUS6d ' thoUgh AJcock

limothy Saunders, labourer Greymouth, who had known the accused for fifteen months under the-name of McMahon, said he had seen him c, 0 mr across the_Cobden bridge on Kovembef Bth with his bicycle, and had drawn the attention of one McGuire to the accused s presence m the district i-he Court adjourned till to-morrow.