JURY AND VERDICT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14151, 10 March 1910, Page 6

JURY AND VERDICT.

CORONER DISSATISFIED. 4 At the inquest into the death; of Christopher Smith the Wellington bailiff; who was shot by a man named Corkill the latter repeatedly said that he fired at random, after being struck, and did not intend to kill Smith. When charged at the police station with wilful murder he said, "Oh, not wilful, I didn't intend to kill him." The revolver was produced, and seen to lie one brightly plated, and very toyish in appearance. ■ "You: might fire twenty times and try to:kill anyone, and' not succeed," Commented < the coroner. , '"That's an argument in favour of its being an accident," added Mr Wilford. ..'The coroner suggested to the jury that nothing had been laid before them

to lesson the offenoo of which some person- was undoubtedly guilty. "In plain English, lie added, ''on the evidence there is no verdict but to find that the deceased was murdered by the accused." After .a brief retirement the jury returned and handed the coroner a written verdict. "What do you mean by this?" remarked Mr Haselden. "I gave you a direction and you won't follow it. You say 'That deceased met his death from a 'bullet wound inflicted by Robert Corkill.'.. it may have been inflicted quite • innocently." The foreman. Must we bring in a Verdict in accordance with the directions from you ? 'The coroner: I don't think there I any getting away from it. | The "foreman: We are not agreed that there is any evidence of murder, day of March, 1910, from a bullet The coroner explained that although it was obvious at that stage that it was murder, the charge would be subsequently reduced, and in any case the verdict would not have the effect of an indictment. He would write the verdict thus : v "That .the deceased, Christopher Dennis Smith, died on the 4th day of nMrch, 1910, from a bullet wound inflicted by Robert Corkill, and that the said Robert Corkill did murder the said Christopher D. Smith." "We object to the word "murder," said,a juryman. "We think ho shot the deceased in self-defence." "No, .we don't think it was in selfdefence," corrected a colleague. "You are responsible men, called upon to perform a solemn duty," said tho coroner. "The ultimate responsibility does not rest with you, but even supposing it did, you have to deal with it like men and not trv to halve things; .. The discussion ended in the jui*y signing the verdict which the coroner r<?! ou ?' an d written at the end or the depositions. REMANDED. . WELLINGTON, March 9. Robert Corkill, charged with the murder of Christopher Smith last Friday, was.further remanded to-dav till the 16th March.