MURDER AT GREEN ISLAND.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XVII, Issue 2382, 17 March 1874, Page 2

MURDER AT GREEN ISLAND.

Information was received in Uimecun, shortly after ten o'clock on Saturdayevening, that a deliberate murder had been committed near the Kaikorai Hotel, Green Island- Sub-Inspector Mallard, accompanied by Constable Henderson, immediately proceeded towards the scene of the outrage. On arriving, at the Volunteer Hotel they met Constable Henderson, who had Patrick Long, the licensee of i«he Kaikorai Hotel, in custody on the charge of having murdered one Nicholas M' Donald, a railway I labourer. The people of Green Island were, of course, in a state of great excitemel. It appears that a number of men weie drinking at Long's house on Saturday evening, McDonald being among them. Shorty before 9 p.m. a row 6ccuired in the hotel, which is situated at the corner of the Abbotsroyd Colliery Road. M'Donald, prompted by the wife of a man named M 'Sweeney, endeavored to get him out of the hotel, Mrs M' Sweeney, sitting on the roadside at the time crying, because she was unable

to persuade her hnsband to go home). Subsequently, when outside the hotel, M'Donald was knocked down by one of the men. The man who assaulted him went into the hotel, and McDonald-soon afterwards commenced knocking at the door for admittance. When a few minutes had elapsed a shot was fired so we 'ittle distance in the rear of the hotel, and on a eecnnd report being heard M'Donald fell ;. and when picked up he was lying in a pool of blood about eight or ten yards from the verandah. Long, who is accused of the murder, is about 35 years of age, and a native of Ireland. He has been married about eight years, but has no children. It is also said that he was once in the employ of Messrs Marshall and Copeland. M Donald, who was unmarried, resided near the hotel. He was a native of Ayr, (Scotland, and 25 years of age. Long was arrested by Constable Anderson in the hotel. It is stated that, at first, he strongly refused to be handcuffed, but afterwards submitted. It is also said that he denied having been outside the hotel on Saturday night,, and that he likewise denied having committed the crime for which he has been arrested, but said that he himself heard a shot fired. He was conveyed to the lock-up on Saturday evening by constable Henderson ; and about 6 o'clock last evening he was escorted to the gaol by Sergeant Quin. An. examination of the body showed that the bullet penetrated the head just over the right temple. ' Guardian,' March 2.