Incidents In House When Man Murdered

Chronicle (Levin), 22 April 1949, Page 2

Incidents In House When Man Murdered

AUCKLAND, April 23. Incidents at a liiouse in Nelson Streei early on Tuesday moniing wlien an Indian bottle collector, Govind Ranc'i hod, aged 58, was found dead , with stabbing wouiids, _ Were related to Mi j. H.~ Luxford, S.M., /"in -the Pobea ed away witnesS jumped' *oveV a fefice and went along .^elson Sfreet. Withess said he did not' see th'e bp'dy. in the washhouse'. Tfe "noticed • blood on the hands. of the man'who lield the axe. Tlu matf hanxlled thte *Lxe -in a' threatening manner. , . .. The hearing was adjoiirned, accusel being remanded until May- 5^ Coutt today by a shipls, greaser, Williara James Woolsey-. The .police took the depositions because Woolsey saiL on the Governnient ship -.Matai tlus afterndon. . .? , . Willianr Riiha Matthews, .aged 2S, y Maori labourer, was- again in the dock charged- with the nnurdfer ;',of Goyim! Ranehhod. The". Vlag.istrate .iiiformeu him that, under the Pear Prisoners ' Defence Act,' he had assigned Mr. George Slcelton to appear for him. Woolsey said he and another man slept at the Nelson Street house on Monday night. Two Maori girls were also there. Next morning he heaiil someone creeping about the house b-u he dozed off again. Later he heard a noise like bottles rattling downstairs and coughing as if someone was beiug choked. He went downstairs and kicked open the door leading to the wasli house. It was dark inside and he could not see anyone. Two other men came downsta'irs and joined him. On;, a Maori named Walter Smith, yelie-1 out and witness saw a man in the doorway of the washhouse holding an axe. Smith rushed away from the washhouse. Witness could not delinitelv identify the man who lield the axe but he was a Maori or someone dark an-.j resembled accused. When Smith rush-