STABBING LEADS TO MURDER CHARGE

Chronicle (Levin), 1 May 1946, Page 5

STABBING LEADS TO MURDER CHARGE

—PfesS . AsWcitiito'n

FAtHiEfe'5 GdNdlEftN FOR W DAtJGH^feR

By telegraph-

HAMILTON, April '30. Chargfed with tlie miirder of Ira Stahley Gharles Culleh, aged 58, a ttiatket gai'deaer, at Manunui, Nfewtdir fhoihafe Lowe, aged 30, married, emptoyfed' at the Veneer Works ai Manunui, plfeaded n'6t guilty in the Supreme Court 'at Hkih1 ilton today, before Mr. Justifee. Fihla.V and jur.y. Ac-cused w&s repres'ente'Jyliy Afr. N. G. Smith and the pfosec.iitio.if'' ik heing conducted by Alr. N. S. Baiii, Grown prosecutor, of Wanganui. . In outlining thfe case to the jur'y, Mf. Bain said accused liad been. emploj'ed as boiler attendant for about iiine yfears, at the Veneer Works and worked oii - the night shift. f'lie "eirc.umstances lfeacling up to Cullen receiving 'the ihjttfies - ■that terminated fatally a few hotafs iater in the Taumarunui hospitfal, wfere not altogether pleasant for they indi-' cated an, illicit relationship betwfefen Lowe and Cullen 's daughter who, at the time, was not quite lo years of age arid was attending school. The gifl used to pass Lowe's house and later she visited there. In Februarv, hei* fa'tlier had on occasions left his daughter ani two younger sons (aged 13 ahd .10 years) at Lowe's while he attended card parties on Saturday nights, calliiig for them later. The relations between the Cullen 's and Lowe's were frifendlV hut soon Cullen objected to the increased friendliness apparent between Lowe and the daughter. Cullen hejfrd that his daughter had been seen late at night with Lowe in the boiierhouse at tiie Veneer Worksj said Mr. Bain; The gifi disobeyed her father's- instructions and intimaey occurred at " intervals until March 10. iMr. Bain said that on Mareh 16, Cullen saw his , daughter. go ti! Lowe's houfce and he folio.wed, but he was seen and the girl hid in an.outhouse. On arrival, Culien was told kis daughter had left. He disbelieved Lowe 's J?tatfement ahd. wfeht ih'side. An alt.ercation took plaee and Mrs. Lowe wfent out the window sayihg she would get the police-. Lowe retreated from Cullen into anotherU'oom where he piclied up a hunting khife and then re-enter-fed'the fu-st room; Cullen received a vvound in the stomach. Cullen then went along the roa'd about 200 yards where lie c-ollapsed. Help was given and soon Gonstablfe Edwards arrived in a ear. Cullen was taken to Taumarunui hos- ! pital and en route, Lowe was picked up j at his ffont gate (he had been sitting Oii the Verandah with his wife reading a paper). Lowe allegedly said to tlie | eonstable: "I did it. I told him to get out of the house or there would be trouble. " At the hospital, eontinued counsel, Cullen asked for Lowe and Constable Edwards and the -latter took notes Of the tallt between Cullen and Lowe.- Later Lowe aceoinpanied a sergeant ahd thfe eonstable to his honie ivhere the khife was produeed and hand ed to the sergeant. Lowe deelined to make a wfitten statement. On retUrn ing to Taumarunui, Lowe was formallv charged with assault causing aethal bodil.y harm. When Cullen 's death oceufed, the charge was altered to one oi' murdfef,/ : ; "■