TAUMARUNUI TRAGEDY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1118, 4 May 1911, Page 4

TAUMARUNUI TRAGEDY.

LOVE AND JEALOUSY. An inquest was held on Monday by Mr. A. S, Laird, District Coroner, at laumarunui, on the bodies of tho two victims of the Taumarunui tragedy, liiua iiell, tho young half-caste, and Aume Ihomas, tlie ' half-caste girl whom bell murdered before committing suicide himWai Eangi, one of Messrs. Hatrick's men, was the first witness. Hβ had been walking with Hiua Bell on Sunday morning about half an hour before the tragedy occurred. Bell seemed then upset about Annie Thomas (tho deceased girl) having been to a dance at Mauunui on the Friday night, although he had tried to prevent her "going. He asked witness what ho knew about what had happened there, and said he would make trouble about it, and that he (witness) would hear of it. Ho also eaid he did not care what happened to him. .Mr. J. Harris, manager of the Hatrick' river boats, said that ho found one razor besulo Bell and anol er beside Miss Thomas, some 25 paces away. When ho came to the body of the girl he put his hand on her x face, and found it to be still warm. There was no sound of a scuffle. He saw nobody else in the neighbourhood. The ground was cover, ed with blood. • ■ • ■

Mr. J3p!l again called attention to the fact that no scream had been heard by the last witness, although he was so near.

Mr. A. Bell, sen., said he knew very jittlo about the affair. He had been talking to his son pretty sharply in the morning, us he often did on Sunday mornings when urging his family to go to church; but there was no quarrel to speak of. Tho only reason he knew for his son being somewhat upset in mind was the girl going to tho dance against his wishes. Slits Thomas, sister of the deceased, said that on Sunday morning about 12 o'clock Mr. Doll and his son Hina were qunrrelling, and she and her sister (deceased) went to pacify them. Her sister told IJina not to touch his father. Hβ tlie.u struck her, but she pulled him out and (hey went down the paddock together. Tlin t was the last ehn saw of them. Annie, the deceased, hnd told her abnut her quarrel with Hina and her giving him back the engagement ring, which he tvnmplerl • on. She did not think it likely that her sister would commit, sujcido. Constable Mahcr was emphatic in his opinion that the wounds on tho girl woro not self-inflictpd. To tho foreman: Hina Bell was a little wild, but was not a criminal. He had a violent temper and was very excitable. The jury retired, and after some 10 minutes brought in a verdict to the effect that Annie Thomas had met her denth by having her throat cut by Hina Bell, but thnt in the opinion of the jury both deeds hnd been committed in a fit of temporary insanity. Tlie Coroner faid he quite concurred in the verdict.