THE SPRINGSTON AFFRAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16555, 14 October 1921, Page 8

THE SPRINGSTON AFFRAY.

Sensational Turn In Police Evidence. Going to Have It Out With Main. Efforts to Keep Case Quiet. A dramatic development in the evidence called by the Police n the Springston shooting case took place when the case was ejumed this morning, one witness stating that he heard one of the occupants of the motor-car, replying to a woman’s entreaty to come away, declare: —“ I am going to have it out with this Scotch

CHARGES AGAINST MAIN.

HEARINC CONTINUED. The accused man. John Scott Main* j ranger to the North Canterbury Acclim. j atisation Society, was charged at the j Magistrate’s Court before Mr Wsjrern j Wilson, S.M., that "On September 14, 1522, at Springston, he did attempt to murder j one Anthony Bartholomew M'Evcdy by shooting him with a revolver.’ * ( A similar charge was laid against ! Main relative to the shooting of Ber- , nard Nuttall. Mr M. J. Grosson appeared for accused. Both charges were heard together. Chief-Detective Cameron conducted the case for tlio police. TP-DAY’S PROCEEDINGS. Main, who had been at liberty on bail, was suffering from an attack of influenza when ho appeared in Court this morning. It had been alleged by witnesses at tho previous hearing that near midnight on September 14, at the SpringKton Hotel, Main, who had been flourishing a revolver and uttering ihroats, shot M’Evcdy in the thigli and wrist, and m a subsequent struggle shot Nuttall in the knuckles. MAN WITH SCOTCH ACCENT. Robert Johnston, a traveller for the international Harvester Company, redding in Chrißtehurch, said that on the ;iight of September 14 he stayed at :he Springs ton Hotel. Ho arrived at 3bout 5.46 p.m., and hud tea there. He heard a man with a Scotch accent ialkipg in tho kitchen, joking principally with the girls there. At about L 1.45 p.m. he saw the man, opposite the front -door of the hotel, outside. To recognised him by his accent. It .vas 9 p.m. when witness went to bed. clo was awakened some time after by. a *ar pulling up at the front door. Somebody knocked, and a woman’s voice *alled ‘•Ted’’ or “Ned.” Loud talk vent on underneath his room, which "as almost in; mediately over tho front loor. A DRAMATIC SCENE.,* He heard a man’s footsteps coming from tho back door to the front door, jutsido. It was a gravel patiiwav on vhieh the person was walking/ Almost immediately afterwards another person followed, in tho same direction. Then *n argument started at the front dobr, *>ut he could not distinguish its purport. A woman’s voice asked “Ted” or “Ned” to “gee into the oar and :ome away.” lie refused to do so, sayng he was “ going to have it out with this Scotch Then he heard the Scot asked to come out and fight. He heard a woman call ‘' Look out, ho has got a revolver!” Witness got out of lied and looked out of the window. He saw the man with the Scotch iccent. revolver in hand, putting his cot through a lamp on tho near side M a motor-car standing just under his room. While ho was doing this h'reu Withers approached, and the Scotchman with tho revolver warned them to stand back, or ho would “shoot the whole lot.” While putting on clothes ho heard three shots fired almost as quickly as they could be fired. TTo went downstairs and out of the front door, which was shut, but not locked. “ DON’T LET THE POLICE KNOW.” He saw a man on the ground who had been shot. A woman said to him, ‘For God’s sake don’t let the police know of this. Wo want to keep it quiet.” A little further away, at the left-hand corner of the hotel, there were two or three men holding n man down. Almost immediately after tbe man being held down got "away. This man passed witness - , and he recognised him as the accused. The man got on his motor-bicycle and rode away as fast as he cbuld. A man who had been with the accused on the ground showed his right hand. *hot through tbe fingers. He believed him to he the same man cs he heaVd being c alled “ Ted ” or “ Ned.” The same woman who asked him to keep the police out of it said, ** Come on. Ted, let’s get out of it.’’ •She spoke in a low voice, and he could not say whether it was the same voice as ho liad hoard addressing Ted when witness was in his bedroom. THE WOMEN PRESENT. There were three more women there, the witness added, none of them in the motor-car. There was no one in the car when he looked out of his window. It any occupants had got down into the bottom of the car he could not have 1 H-.'cn them. He heard three shots alto- • -other. They were all fired beforo lie ‘ left his bedroom. The man who had bad the revolver appeared fairly sober in the way lie got on the motor-bicycle uttd went away. "Witness had taken no intoxicating liquor that night. Ho was not in the habit of dflinking it. He did j not see any intoxicated persons outside the hotel. To Mr Gresson: Tbo licensee, Mrs ! Efqrris, the maids in th© hotel were outside. There might have beep more women. He saw only four. The women were all round the wounded man. To tb© Magistrate: The idiots he heard when he was in his bedroom seemed to come from the front of the hotel. “ Thank you. Mr Johnston.” said tho Magistrate. “ f must thank yon for

the clearness with which you have given < your evidence.” ! Tbe case was then adjourned until i noon, in order that other Court busi- : ness might be dealt with. A FIREARMS EXPERT. Montague Harry Tisdall gave evii deuce as a firearms expert wher* tho j case resumed. He said that thy bui- ■ lets extracted from M’Evcdy were of i 5.38 calibre, and could have been fired j from the revolver described as Main’s. j THE LICENSEE S EVIDENCE. Lucy Emma Harris, licensee of tho j Springs ton Hotel, said that on Septemj her 14 last, she saw accused in the bar of the hotel, between .3 and 4 p.m. Ilia j condition was that in which ho usually ; was when ho came to Springston—quite ■ all right. He had two or three medium beers, a plate of meat sandwiches and a cup of tea. He had the sandwiches at about 4 p.m. Accused had tea with her and ber son. and remained in the silting room until about 8.30 or 9 p.m. Chief-Detective Carneron : Why did he stay so long at the hotel?—He said he had had a little family trouble. When it on mo to 9 p.m. I asked him if ho would st.iy the night. So you gave him tho candle and he went to bed?- Yes. M bat was bis condition when lie went to bed?—He appeared to be normal. After tlio scene in the sitting room, all the visitors went outside the hotel, and the door was shut, continued witness. About a quarter of an hour later someone knocked at the door and said: “ There’s a man here flourishing firearms." She and her son went out, and she. saw Alain put his hoot through the la nip. She heard someone ask him in the revolver away. She tried to speak to Alain, but ner eon ordered her away. Tho girls were in the car, also the driver of the car. She ran back under the verandah, and heard some shots fired. It was after Main had gone away on his motor-bicycle that she saw AFEyedy lying wounded. Accused seemed quite all right when he went outside tho hotel. YOUNG WOAfAN’ S EVIDENCE. May Dane. a. young woman employed as a clerk in Christchurch, said that on the evening of September 44 last she was a member of Nqttall’s party at the Springston Hotel. She described the arrival at tho hotel, and said that when Alain came into the sitting room and used abusive language to them Nuttall wanted to take to him, but was prevailed upon to desist. The women in the party then went out into tho car. Outside she saw Alain, revolver in hand. Walking about threatening to shoot. She saw Alain push his revolver in Gibbs's chest, call him some ugly names, and threaten to shoot. Gibbs said nothing. Alain next paid attentions to Nuttall of a similar nature, and Nuttall challenged him to put the revolver away and come cut and meet him as a, man. Still swearing. Alain then kicked one of the headlights in. Later, when fronted by the men. Alain, walking backward toward the wall of the hotel, said 11 I ! ll shoot the whole lot of you.” Why did he walk backwards? ** asltod th© Magistrate. “ I don’t know.” said witness. “ One would think the rnan was being pressed.” said tbo Magistrate. Witness continued that when someone asked Alain to put the revolver down he fired. She could not say if anyone had hold of accused when be fired. After that the two other women and she were l 'o frightened that they got down to the bottom of the car, and were, unable to feee what was going on. Chiel-Detective Cameron: You did the ostrich trick. Afterwards she heard three shots or more, continued witness. They stayed m the bottom of the car until they heard someone say they liad the revolver. Getting up, they saw someone being carried into tho hotel. It was half an l\oi*r or more between the time they came out of the hotel first and when the shooting ceased. (Proceeding).