MAN KILLED IN WELLINGTON.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 9290, 16 January 1892, Page 2

MAN KILLED IN WELLINGTON.

FATAL TERMINATION OF DRUNKEN ROW. fPER PKBSS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, January 16. — In a drunken row which occurred in a house off Cubastreet about ono o'clock this morning, a man'^naraod H-irry Crawford, a stevedore, lost his life. Somo pofsons wero walking down Cuba-street A about the. hour ' statodi whon they heard a woman crying "Murder." They followed her- to the house of William George Raines, a stevedoro, when, on a verandah at the back, they found Crawford lying dead, with a largo bruise on his forehead. Tho woman, who was tho unfortunate man's wifo, said he had been murdered. On tho police making enquiries they ascertained that the affnir was the outcome of a drunken row. According to Mrs Crawford's statementshe and her husband were drinking in Rainos' house, when Raines commenced beating his wifo. Crawford interfered, whereupon Raines struck him a severe blo i v, which felled him to tho ground, and after which he never moved. Detective Campbell, after making investigations, arrested Raines shortly before ten o'clock on a charge of wilf nI murder, which will, in all probability, be resolved, into a charge of manslaughter. Raines, who did not appear to havo completely recovered from his drinking bout, was brought up at tho Police Court this morning, and formally remanded. A pb&t mortem will bo hold on Crawford's body to-day, and the inquest will take place to-morrow. Crawford has" been in ill-health for some time past, and was brought tip on a charge of lunacy a short time ngo. Raines states that ho never struck Crawford, und his wifo supports him, but all four were so drunk that Raines admits he remembers little of what took place. It seems Crawford and his wife took Mrs Raines home drunk, and this annoyed Rainos, who bogan to beat hei*, whereupon Crawford interfered, with the fatal results. Raines ia a powerful man, but it would not take much of a blow to injure Crawford in his weak state. Raines' son, a youth of 18, who appears to have been tho only sober porson in tho house, was asleep upstairs, and when he went down, states Crawford was walking about, and his father never struck him. Ho went out to call a policeman, and then saw Crawford lying down, but took no notico, thinking he had inorely fallen down. Tho inquest has been altered to 4 o'clock to-day.