THE KAIWARRA MURDER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2148, 14 June 1889, Page 3

THE KAIWARRA MURDER

MAGISTERIAL PROCEEDINGS. [*BB PBXSS ASSOCIATION.] Wjeujhgtoh, June 14, The B.M. Court «ss crowded this morning when Louis Chemis was charged on remand with having murdered Thos Hawkins. Mr G. Bunny with Mr Devine appesred for the accused, and Mr H. D. Bell for the Crown. All witnesses were ordered out of Court. Mr Bell briefly described the locality where the crime was committed, and ihe circumstances under which the body was found. Be brltfly -summarised the evidence which it was inteoded to produce, whion w»« manly a leoapitnlatfon of facts already known, exctpt that he mentfoned that pieces of paper which had been need as wads m the gun would play sn Important part m the evidence. One pleoe of paper found on the ground near where the. murder was com<nitud fitted exactly that extnoted from the wound m the body of deceased, and these two pieces fitted a torn " Evening Post " of November 17th, 1888, found In the prisoner's bouse. Other ihreda of found at the eeette of the murder also fitted » paper fonnd In accused's house dated M»y 23rd, 1889. It wonld be proved beyond the possibility of doubt that the fragment of paper which entered Hawkin's body m front of the shot was a portion of a paper fonnd at Ohemis' hoage. This would be the main evidence against Moused, and he had bnt little doubt a prima facie oase would be established. At accused's bouse a dagger tnd doublebarrelled gun were found, the latter having been recently discharged ; also roughly Mat bullet*, and* as these did not fit the barrel of the gun It was suggested that a large quantity oi paper wonld be required Mwads. Chemis explained that the gun Bad been fired at quail, and tbe dagger had not left its sheath for a long time. Mr Bell then proceeded to call evidenoe. Later. D. G. A. Cooper, Registrar of the Snprem Court, produced tjie papers In tbe aotjion flawkfus v Chemis. Ihe cage had been heard before the murder,- but reserved for further contideration. The argument, however, had not been taken. F. d. Bolton, solicitor engaged m the case of Chapman v Fitzgerald, said Ohemis had agreed to lease land from Hawkins. Witness prepared draft lease, and took it to Ohemis for perusal, but he refused to read it and said he wonld Dot execute any 'ease, A writ wan next served on Chemis by witness. Accused refused to take U end the writ was thrown on tbe gronnd beside him, The demeanor of Chemis on tbe service of the writ was iniuliicg, but witness put it down to his being a foreigner and did not understand the documedt ' "'Oroivaxamlned : Witness admitted as a rnfe people did not aosept serrioe of writs kindly. Gaorge B.owles; laborer, cousin of Mrs gawklns, who $rst found the body, deposed^ thai he lived #lth Hawkins, and as p* wss late m coming home on May lie went to look for him, First foqnd the borse and cart jammed against a fenoe, and on proceeding down the road fonnd Hawkins lying dead. Gave information, and tent for a doctor and the polloe. The bod/ was thirty chains from Hawkins' hou«e. Tbe day after the murder witness law the polios officers ploklcg np soraps of paper n*a* the scene of the murder.