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Chronicle (Levin), 10 February 1949, Page 3

Trzrzi ; -9 GISBORNE, Peb. 9. . The discovery of the bo4y of J. Riehard Augus McGill in ~ a Whakatane distript prchapi following ari intensive ' hunt after the murder qf Traffice Jnspector J. Kehpe, yecalls g previous hiuit for McGill by arxned poliGe and fariners in the Ngatapa Valley, 17 miles from Gisborne, in March, 1944, McGill carae to Gisbqrne as a ward of the State from Auckland, in the latter nionths of 1942 and for 18 months worked on the property of Mr. ,1. Dixon dobson, at Ngatapa. McGill i was then 15 years of age, aceording to Mr. Jobson, who said that be had been given no indi'eation of the type of trouble in which McGill bad been before being sent from Aiiekland to Gisborne. ' ' I understood later that McGill had been sent to the country to get him away from undesirable company in Aucldand, " said Mr. dobson. ^'In the light of what happened suhsequently ir. Gisborne and what apparently occnrred later in Whakatane, farmers employing these lads should be taken into the eon fidence of the Child Welfpre Department. It is important that their weaknesses be known to the emplqyer. I was told nothihg of McGill 's background. " Recalling those 18 months in which McGill was in Jfis ejnploy, Mr. Jobson said the boy was sent hpndles of literature of an undesirahle type, featuring the deeds of gunmen and cowhoys. He wopld often wander about alone at nights. At that stage McGiU had an air gun and it was found that he had a. target in his room. The target was a sketch of a policeman ahout one foot sciuare. The sketch was marked off in sectors giving 10 points for the heaa, 10 points for the heart, seven for the stomach, three for the leg and two for the arip. Mr. dobson said the events of Mareh, 1944, came as a shock. Mr. dobson and family left McGill in charge of the farm when they went off to a dog triai meeting. Greeted By Shot. "We came home at 3 p.m, on Sunday and apparently caught McGill un prepared, "■ said Mr. dobson. "We were greeted by a shot from a .303 ealibre rifle McGill had stolen from a ueighbour, together with 200 rounds of ammunition. McGill had previously shot up the lawn and buckets with a shotgun taken from the house. "At the rear of the house there was a slit treneh filled with water bnt with a feld of flre down the drive up wliich i we must approach. It was his intention apparently to wait for u's in a shed at the top of the drive. There was a hole cut in the iron of that shed. "After being ippt fealf way up the drive with that one shot, I went after him," said Mr. dobson. "McGill was i climbing a hill at the back. I got withLn about a quartpr of a mile of him and said that after he finislied shooting I would like to have a talk. He let me have the full magazine but he was not a very good shot. McGill then made over into the Eastwood Hill property and I phoned an officer of the Child Welfare Department ' ' His Answer a Fusillade. The efforts of an unarmed party were in vain because McGill ensconced himself in a cottage on the hill. McGill had an excellent yiew of the country and poliee attempting to talk him into being reasonable were met by^a fusillade of shots. "The weakness in his defence was that he could not look to the rear. While McGill 's attention was engaged by the party in front of the cottage, Mr. dobson was a memher of a group which took a covered route to the rear of the building. Mr. dobson, from a short distance, appealed to klcGill to lav down the rifle and come out. Further shots followed in indiscriminate fashion.

''From 10 to 15 yards a constaable ealled on McGill to lie down a:nd put a shot through the roof," Mr. Jobson said. ' ' There was no reply and another shot was flred again high. "McGill then called upon them to stop shooting and said he was coming out. Before doing so he could be heard loading his magazine. "He .came put with his rifle in readiness. A poliee sergeant had his rifle trained on McGill and McGill paused with his ldfle aimed at the sergeant. Uis haiul see.iued to tighten on the grip and t.lien as he was orderect again to drop his rifle, McGill complied. ' ' The situation nad been extremely tense but when I went over to McGill he was cairn and unruffled. He had a dagger on his hip and stolen field glasses around his neck."