A FATHER KILLED BY HIS SON.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1690, 26 January 1888, Page 2

A FATHER KILLED BY HIS SON.

Melioubme, January 17. A very painful case of parricide on t&» part of an eldest ion occurred at Kerang, a farming district beyond Sandhurst, on Wednesday evening last, in a family named Clancy, who live on a selection in Kerang east. Mr Clancy, who wasaman of violent temper, was beating one of his children, a boy twelve years of age, with the buckle end of a strap when one of hi# daughters remonstrated with him. Clancy turned round and threatened to ki'l her, where* upon she immediately ran for protection towards her eldest brother James, aged twenty-five years. The brother, seeing the state of affairs, took up a loaded double-barrelled gun and fired at hia father. Olanoy staggered. As«oo,!idihoft

was fired by the son at bis father who dropped. The son came immediately to Kereng and obtained medical aid, and informed the police of what had occurred. Senior-Constable Doyle and Dr Gregory proceeded to the spot and found the elder Clancy dead. The son was brought into Korang and locked up on a charge ot murder. An inquest was held next day, at which the only evidence regarding the deceased was given by Miss Clancy, whose story was a most effecting one. Her name it Joiophinc Mafia i and she is twenty-two years old. She kept house for her father and two brothers. The following is her evidence James Clancy now present is my brother. I remember yesterday about two o*clock. My father was on the verandah—[A.t this stage the witness fainted, and after some trouble was brought to.] She resumed—He got into a very violent temper. , He had a suspicion that I hed told my brother, Patrick Joseph, who is thirteen years of age, to tell him an untruth. On the 26th December my brother James was in the shed feeding horses. The shed is about four chains from the house. About five or ten minutes after he became cross, and he beat me with a strap. After he had hit me about three or four times I laid his dinner on the table and he put away the strap. 1 wefct round to the back of the house to keep out of his way. My brothers then came from the shed. James came first and Patrick afterwards. Ha didn’t iaay anything to James when he came. Whan Patrick came he called him to the table and said he would make him tell the truth about Christmas Day. The boy said "It is not a lie, I have told the truth." He replied, “It is not the truth, and 1 will make you tell it.” Rising up from the table, betook the boy by the shoulder. He had not commenced his dinner, and he crossed the verandah and took .the strap from the roof, and said, “1 will make yeu tell.” I went to plead for my brother, and so did my eldeat brother and aiater, but he fell upon him the worse. He ordered my sister into ■ the . kitchen. He took my brother Pat about 100 yards from the house te the stock yard. He took off his shirt, and beat him there for about five minutes with the strap, and then dragged him half as far again into the bush and took every stitch of clothes off him except his boots. He beat him most severely. Every time the bey told the truth he beat him more and more. Jamas was>near his father when he was beating the boy. He used to come away and go back again pleading with his father not to beat the boy. The beating lasted about half an hour. James came back and said that the boy bad made a fatal admission. X heard my.father coming to the honae, and heard him say Iwi 1 hate her life.” I understood him to mean that be would have my_ life. James was present. We were all in the kitchen, and he eaid—“ you are not safe here if Patrick has made a false admission.” We all came out, and my father; came up to the house. We ran out of the house sod round to the back. 1 saw nothing more until I heard (he shots. I went into the kitchen and saw my father lying on the floor io the same position ae when the police found him. I went and spoke to him, but he made no answer. No one waa there but tho members of the family. When they ran out of the kitchen I saw my brother, and tsked him 41 James, what shall I do i” He aaid, “Heshall never do that to you while I hay# breath in my body. When I came back to the kitchen I saw my brother standing in the doorway with the gun. The gun produced is the one. 1 saw him load the gnu in the morning a» he was going to a neighbor’s, as he might see some game. My brother James Oh, my God, I have shot him through the head.” He sat down for about fivi\ minutes quite overcome, and said, '/X go for the doctor.’ To the jqryWSb'e mark on my face was caused by my father beating me. He vied the strap with the buckle end, Mr Gregory, a duly qualified medical practitioner, described the wound, and said that both charges bad struck the deceased in the head, one completely •mashing the skull. The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter. and the accusad waa committed for trial, bail being allowed in £2OO and two aureties of £IOO each. The case has created a painful feeling, and sympathy ia expressed for the son. The father was a, powerful and violent man. He was tried at the Sandhurst Assies Court in 1865 for the manslaughter of a man named Cooper, who had been drinking at Clancy’s hotel, the Black Swan. The trial made » sensation at the lime, Clancy getting off on a legal technicality.