MURDER CHARGE.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15989, 25 August 1917, Page 10

MURDER CHARGE.

- —; « — _ THE POVERTY BAY TRAGEDY. ACCUSED ON TRIAL. (I'KESS ASSOCIATION TJJLEGIIAU. GISBORNE, August 24. At Waipiro Bay to-day, Frank Bertram Inkster, alias Edward: Clayton, aged 175 years, appeared before Mr Florance, S.M., to answer a charge that at TVairongomai, on July 22nd, he did murder Olie Andersen.and Harvey Bradley. Mr F. W. Nolan, Crown Prosecutor, presented the case for the police, and Mr J. Graham, instructed by ivlr Burnard, appeared for the accufeed. Inkster entered the dock smiling, and remained cool and unconcerned all day. , After the medical evidence, showing that both men ' were lei lied by gunshot wounds, received at close range, Michael Keogh gave evidence that ne was a member of a bush party, whicii also included both deceased and tne accused. lOn July 18th Andersen tola witness that he had found in Clayton's tent a watch which he had lost at the homestead. Anderson asked the accused where he got the watcn, and accused • replied, "From Joe Pokai," a shepherd on the . station. Andersen said, "You are mad! iou took a Quid from- Joe Pokai's pocket I'll get someone to fix you up." Accused made no reply. The four worked together for the rest of the week, Andersen and the accused not speaking to each other. • Andersen was on good terms with witness and Bradley. On Saturday, July 21st, witness went to the homestead, and on the following day he met the accused coming to the homestead. In reply to witness the accuscd said he had had a quarrel and that Andersen had sent him for a pack-horse, as he was getting out of it. He did not say what Anderson' and Bradley had quarrelled about. On the Monday, at 7.30 a.m., witness left for the camp, the accused following with a pack-horse, but some distance behind. Witness reached the camp nbout. 12.45 and found Bradley lying face downwards in a ditch at the bacK of the chimney, and Andersen lying cn the' floor in a corner of the tent adjoining the galley. Both were dead. A Winchester rifle they had had in camp was lying at Andersen's side, with his arm- over the butt and the barrel pointing in the direction of Brndley's body. Witness touched nothing, but- left immediately to report to the station. About eight miles from the camp he met the accused ridins the |\Tck-horse, and he told him wh.nt he had found. Witness r<xle the pack-horse to the station, and the accused followed half nn hour later on witness's horse. There was no need for Andersen to send accused for the pack-hnrse. as there were fire houses in a paddock near the corm. Inkster reserved his defence, and was committed for trial at Gisborne on September 13th.