JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1726, 19 April 1888, Page 4

JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE.

Sydney. April 17. Charles O’Sullivan, who shot dead a man named McCann, who was in the act of committing burglary, was charged with manslaughter, and acquitted.

The following particulars with reference to the case will doubtless be interesting : February last a man named Murdoch McLean called at a house occupied by a farmer named O’Sullivan at Corowa, New South Wales, and endeavored to force his way in, first of all walking round the house with his boots on and afterwards with them off. Charles O’Sullivan, aged eighteen, his mother, and a little girl were the only inmates of the cottage. When McLean knocked at the door young O’Sullivan called out, “ Who are you ? Don’t come into the house or I’ll fire.” He received no reply, but the knocks for admission joutinued. Mrs O’Sullivan then hastily dressed, opened the door, and held a candle to see who was there, McLean shoved the door open, and Mrs O’Sullivan, fearing violence, retreated into the house and screamed, while young O’Sullivan, standing a tow feet off with a loaded gun, fired at the intruder. The shot struck McLean on the collar bone, shattering it fearfully, 1 and toe wounded man, falling on his face, died almost immediately. O’Sutdvau immediately gave himself up to the police. A coroner’s jury returned a verdict equivalent to manslaughter, and O’Sullivan was committed tor trial. McLean was said to have left a wife and family in Auckland. r.iT.y.mpy. j