A Verdict Of Not Guilty
p. 88 · Read in the full issue
From Our Own Correspondent
Rabaul, Sept. 25.
WITHIN ten minutes of the con clusion of Acting/Chief Judge Gore’s summing up, Rabaul’s first post-war jury returned a verdict of “Not Guilty” to the charge that Mrs.
Culnane had murdered her husbandl Edward Culnane, who died on the morning of June 3 from a bullel; wound in the neck.
Mrs. Culnane said she was leff alone in her plantation house that night. The lighting system failed.! and she greatly feared an attack natives, so she armed herself with a revolver. When her husband finally! returned she went to hand him the revolver, and it unaccountably wentt off, and wounded him. She called! the boys to help her to get her hus band to hospital. When she realised! her husband was dead, she tried to< shoot herself. She took the to the Vunapope Mission hospital,, and went with the head of the; Mission to the police.
Defending counsel pointed out: that there was no evidence of a, quarrel between husband and wife,, and therefore nothing to set against: accused’s story of what had occurred.
The judge said that the accused shot herself. Whether that act was the result of remorse, or of horror at seeing her husband lying dead from an accident, was for the jury to decide.
Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Martin, SDA missionaries from Papua, were on leave in NSW in September.