THE RUNANGA MURDER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17212, 13 February 1918, Page 5

THE RUNANGA MURDER.

SECOND DAY'S EVIDENCE'

CHRISTCHURCH, February 12

The trial of Eggers in connection with the West Coast murder was continued to-day.

William McKay, medical practitioner, of Greymouth, gave evidence that he extracted a bullet from James' leg. The cartridge was of a low grade or else James was hit from a distance.

Peter Manderson, a deputy at the

-usto mine, said he witnessed the tragedy. He described the sticking up by a man who wore a. mask and something tight across the slnill. The man had a revolver in each hand, and fired a. succession of shots. Later, he saw a man on the railway line with a bng in his left hand. Coiilthard was lying on the roadside dying, and Hall in the back seat of the car.

William Leonard Manderson, a son of the previous witness, corroborated. Hugh Steelo, a miner, gave evidence that when going to Greymouth in a cart he and his brother were stopped by Manderson near the scene of the tragedy Coullhard was then alive, but died in a few minutes. Hall was in the car groaning. One of Coulthard's pockets was on iire, also a sweater lying across his chest. Witness saw an empty cartridge case on the road in a clot of blood near Coulthard's head, and on a rise nearby he found a billhook.

Adolphus Anderson Shannon identified a cartridge case, as 32 calibre

Charles Parfitt, clerk at the State Mine, gave evidence as to finding1 a revolver in the car of 38 calibre, also four empty snells and one live cartridge. The revolver had b«?n fired recently, and there were two holes in the car.

Detective-Sergeant Ward described the scene of the tragedy. He found a place in, the bushes where there was evidence that someone had crouched recently. Ho also saw another place of concealment from which a person could obtain a good view of ihc cutting 90G yards away. He described the identification of the accused w'nen taken to Greyruotith". At the Magisterial inquiry accused said that from the point on the railway embankment from which James said he had seen the car and the shots by a masked «nan, the car could not be seen. Eggers had also pointed out a spot from which the car could be seen. He was more correct t&aft James, as the car could not be seen from tne spot mentioned by Jaracs. Inspector Cruickshank, Grevmouth, identified four cartridge shells and two bullets handed to him by James, and Retailed the work of the police after the tragedy.

The injuries suffered by Coulthard and Hall were described by Dr. Usher, medical superintendent at Greymouth hospital, who said it would have been possible for Coulthard, after being shot, to get out of the car and walk a few steps. After Hall was shot in the forearm he might have been able to shoot, but no"t with accuracy. Accused was in Greymouth three times between October 23rd. an-t November 9th. Accused's luggage, when he saw him on the Christchurch railway station 01 the first-mentioned date, consisted of a bicycle, a small bag and a big bag.

John Pender, groom at Dunollie, detailed a conversation he had had with accused about lost papers and other matters.

Joseph Garvey, miner, Dunollie, and Osmond Alcock. bootmaker, Runanga, gave evidence as to accused's occupancy of a cottage in the vicinity of the tragedy, the firstnamed identifying the occupant as accused. Though the second^ witness could not identify him.

Timothy Saunders, labourer, Greymouth, who had known the accused for fifteen months under the name of MciWabon, said he had seen him going across the Cobden bridge on November Sth, with his bicycle an 1 had drawn the attention of one, M«> Guire, to the accused's presence in the district.

The Court adjourned till to-mor-row.