STABBING AT NELSON.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2051, 21 April 1864, Page 3

STABBING AT NELSON.

A serious and fatal case of stabbing occurred in Nelson on the 12ih. The victim was a sailor on boa id the mail steamer Auckland, named William Burkilt, aged 28, and belonging, we believe to Sydney, but a native of Ireland. It appears that a dispute, originating onboard the steamer some eight or ten days ago, had taken place between the two men, and causing a feeling of ilhvill. On shore, last evening, the i two men came to high words again, and so for f as we can learo, blows were exchanged, or the ' deceased man struck at the cook, wbo retaliated by drawing- a butcher's knife, which he wore in a sheath and stabbing Burkitt in the abdomen. The man fell at once and was conveyed into a house on the Haven-mad, and tbedcs to the hospital. He was attended by DrsCusack and Thebin, wbo found on examination a wound on the lower part of the abdomen, aud towards the right side. The wound was between two and three inches long, and from it was depending fully two feet of the unfortunate man's intestines. Little or no hope of his recovery was enter* taiued by the medical men after they had ex* amined and dressed his wound. During the five hours he survived his stomach refused to retain opiates and restoratives;' he was frequently seized with violent retching!, believed to have caused internal hemorrhage He suffered several severe paroxysms of pain. He never rallied, but gradually sunk ami died at two o'clock this morning, about six hours after he had been stabbed. ,\y ...■•• The principal witness at the inquest hehi Ott ; the body was Henry Pearce, who said: ,' / I last saw deceased in health about half-past seven last night. He and I* were walking together, I having met him while we were both out. We weut together about 200 yards from ' the place up towards the town. As we were going to the ship met the prisoner and the chief cook beside the lime kiln, and just beside the ...» wharf (Drewitt's New Wharf,) deceased stopped \ Frank, the prisoner, and said to htm "I "have a few words to say to you." Prisoner' said "I- - ;- want nothing to do with you," and he shored deceased; from him at the time. Deceased then said, " I waut to settle that little growl we had on board the ship." They had a few words some ~ days before. Deceased then went up to prisoner a second time, and the prisoner then stepped back and thea struck him in the belly. Deceased did not strike the prisoner. There were no blows exchanged or given, except the shore* I did not kuow whether he intended to strike, but no blows were struck. After prisoner haij^, stepped back, he immediately- ran ap to hioY and struck him in the belly: I saw thitf'rery dis tinctly. Prisoner did not say a word at tha time he struck him. Deceased did 9ot fall at the moment, but he immediately cried out " Oh the knife ! I ran forward when I saw him stag*- . gering like a drunken roan and saved him from falling. When he called out, I said to prisoner, "You've stabbed the man." Two other persons came np, and one of them said, "If oe has stabbed the man don't let him escape." 1 There was no blow struck between the parties, ; except that which inflicted the stab.' 'TianTde-? 1 -' 1 ceased down on the road, as he wished to bt ; : laid down, because he said he was not fit Jto > walk. He said his "guts were hangXnjj'ottl^ 1 I endeavoured to push them in again. I mo another fireman, and we curried deceased ijltOva; . store on the Haven- road. '*"'. - After aome more evidence* had been heard L including that of Dr Cusack, who deposed ,as % J to the fearful wound the knife had made in -de- { t ceased's abdomen. ' ; '.■':'" : /■;' \ : r } :''^< v-i^f-.;^' The Coroner said tjbe^9-Mrjis,t|6 t dence necessary to ena^l^thjS.jury'te^'i^teß l^^.^; conclusion. The questioH resblved itself intof one of murder or mauslaughter.^ It^as.jon^the r evidence that the fatal blow .w^as sttuo^uno^ such circumstances as couldnb^in^Bis^iffloj,,^ , reduce it to the" lesser r bharge^^liiM™Sp^ blow struck, except tK^-faHa^bhi||l^;t|e|i^^ a per, and there was no jus tihcatioufor^i^|aopl p act, nor apy ; prorqoaUon^j:.| v i)|^;^g|^jf|i|pi|S^ a ; The jury then give^^yerdwtvjofjl^^^p^l a . Murder " against;tbeyp^^]^|^^||^^«^ j 'until five o'cloak, 3'|%!A]lJ||ii|^ii^^|o^ T t^|^i^^n^ a , drawing up the formal li&^ 8 p r^: l S:^o9^^^^^m