THE, WAIHI -TRAGEDY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1602, 20 November 1912, Page 8

THE, WAIHI -TRAGEDY.

. HOW'EVANS WAS KILLED*

EVIDENCE AT ; THE INQUEST, (fiy Telegraph,—Press Association.) . Waihi, November. ID. L The adjourned inquiry, into the. circum- . ' stances' oonneoted with the death of Fred- \ criclc George Evaiis,-. who died, :it was.'al- •. leged, fronr injuries resulting from a blow, with a policeman's baton,; was".!held'.:at . the Gourthouso.;tp-day before, Mi'. JV. M. I. - ■ . AVallhutt (coroner) and'a jury of six. The ■ formal opening'- of :the' : inquest , took place • ,oh"Thu'rsday,'; last;-, when - the- body _ was , 'viewed- : at tho iiiorguo by , the jury. >•; .'Among those present ta-day, was Mr. J. - Robertson; •M.P.V who 'attended as a spec- ' tutor'.-'; ■' ■■_'■ i Mr;-Selwyn'Mays,", acting for the "Crown t Prosecutor, appeared on behalf of the \ . Crown. Mr. May3,brieflv explained the i 'occurrence which" brought about the death of Avails. : ahd'the .'incident's which I Jed to the ,; attack 'on Evans.''. He said > Constablo Wado struck the blow in self- • I '"defence. .In regard to the shooting, ho i' said-Constable Wade would give evidence • to-the Effect-that lie liad.seen Evans fire the-shot which struck Johnson -in tho ;' leg, and in consequence he pursued Evans. .Although Wade' had' killed Evans, it' was ■under circumstances-justifiable. It would * ilio'shown'there h'ad .been no.breakin'g or ienterihg l into tho..Union' Hall. . •Arthur, Doyle, witness, stated '.' . 'ho hM-b'eeri l at 'Waikirio-on picket duly. ■ pKe';had-.; drawn'strike pay. a few- weeks had be'eii' He > ■ ,had;been I 'on picket .'duty-at the Miners' 1 ' jHall. along .with deceased (Evans) and .others,'-and had Commenced duty at'the ' hall on Saturday .evening, and remained : oh . diUy, .with Evans and .other, pickets till 1 Tuesday.' Evahs ihad ;.a revolver in Oiis possession on,., Saturday evening. It ; ,wns also in the possession of deceased on i -Monday night.' ' Between .5 tind. G a.m. on r'l ■ . Tuesday, November 12,: Evans came down ■to the'hMl; i at the hail . >when Eyads .arrived-, there. After that ; (other strters and : wtimen'came, He also >•', ...wemembefed :tho,;workers' coming up. the . 'imain street- thaimorning on..the way to fabric. deceased, and four others Jwero' stondiiig in 'frqht of tlie door leading -Jtoi'-thd. office. [ Witness was standing 'on >'•••' The doorstep. . He, heard..sy striker tell the Nromen-to ..sayi. nothing,chut .come, inside. .{Witness; ;the':; passage anto',;-th&-. reading'.-'--vrpsm. - Evans .;.Wns '. rtheriTi " standing,vjusfrinside Jho d00r.0f; , .-.'-thb:-::' entrance.While " ilie:.rwa3, .. standing: :in. tho' reading room he "heard; one; of; the- free 'labourers 'fcay: "iJou't." . . ; AVitne."s. went to lock, the door of tho . reading.xooni^..when 6ne of;the men.said: :.. . /{"Leave, it open!".. He'■,weht. into the ' reading.. room -.iyhefe< : ,the', ovomeh . were. They .were frightehed> ;, While vunloching the door ,to' let!,!the, womoii out he heard the first shot fired 1; . He knew Evans was "Hot ..in the-reading room when the -first >. 'shot''was, fired. : .Wheii : the. women rushed. out--hp.followed-into the paddock at. the back,;, took refuge , in •..-Br.- qhlj-'.-heard", one shot,.'and.never.'drew-liis-own revolver., -. , To,. tho. -coroner:: He didn't' hear' the ; pickets sing but. ..,. ' : "A Point Waiting for Them." William,iLeach depose(l . that'h'ei had -. ithree years, for-tho' last- . .fey ' , ni6fitlis':in l t ; ihiately. He had" 'often.' ha'd conversations :.iyith him-re the-strike,' And had advised.:him-iiot -to take so proeminent,,'a. part. He talked with deceased •ithe morning -before • the- shooting.' De|ceiis^'sai'd; that "scabs" had attempted to' .wreak;.into;the hall that-morning, and .. ! that members .of tho uuion;had no Tight .to go. intor.theibuilding .wlien^\they,.went . .7'scaWaag.-'- ;did-;thero'..would' be V-point waiting (for,them,, they didn't- • ' ipect . !(■;. . . _ .- . . ; Heard Two or'Threo Shots. . Henry .Lawrence,'"at present;on'strike,' said that on'the 12th. ihstP'hW arrived' i at the hall about seven, Snd saw'deceased with other men.- -.'AiteM-iirds :they wore . joined'-by.'tW'-strikej l £.'liii'd '. womenfolk, all standing'^outside 'th'e ; hall;> On a suggestibn being ihade-to-'go'-inside someone ~sadd there'was no'need;-they'd, be quito - safe; -'He^ 1 remained' ; with tile man Eichards-:'6ufaaSe,-' and "'the "others'- went into the/hall.' Some .trouble arose be-tween-Eiohards and .an elderly man. A' crowd Katlierod and' commehoed' to" pull' Riehards on to the' ro'ad. Witness got away from ,the crowd and went into the -hall._- i; He tried to' close- the door from the inside but failed,';bwing to. somebody pushing i( it'-'fronl/" outside:, '.Tie ,-next' thing he'saw* was Doyle pointing 'a rc.yoljjer. at ; the .doo^:'.' J .D6ylij was standing a yard or- tivo ! from ..tlie. door; Witness rushed,out jof'the."back .door. He heard 'two'-or. :;,three shots." Doyle and . Evans .wefb:guar'dihg the...door when he cleared. .(lle'ran J m"p''thb'hiir ; an'd'to'ok- refuge in ; iDr. Craig's, house.*?; •• [. Coronjjri'.Witjibss -'din'nt hear toybody'call'.out.'" ; 'Bit of a Scrimmage. • t ,_'ArthM;;;Richards, , miner,'said, he arf - . lived at the- liall' about- half-past- seven, 'and' had a talk .with deceased. ; Witiess wmained-.-otttsid®!.'the liall; ■ A. worker . Opassin.e.-,said, "Say,.,'scab' now." . Witness Y fi'splisd,'"Come out., on ~ the ' road' 'and jl'll talk-.'scab.'".<He had a bit.of a scrim- ■ ilriago, and':then;ran, off. ;He never, heard jonyone .-.call'"scab.''- He : would ■ not deny 'that the word "scab" .or similar words . were used to the: procession of workers passing., Ho didn't/Call out "scab." ,He • didn't. know, the v. object:, .of .the strikers land, women'assembling at the hall. ■ . Arljitrationist Gives;Eyidciice. / '. Harry Bostock deposed that he was •fe miner, employed, at' the Waihi . mine. -On the .niorniug of the 12th he joined a procession, of workers'which came in a brake and then proceeded on foot to - :the jnine. "His portion! of theVprocession . : 'lnarched-i upon,-the- fUnion / Hall f Bide ,',of i As,"he' caine up ; .to ; ; ,',jthe Union-Hail, Richards,, called, -You •'.. f'^cah^;.'He , r Wfis';'': ha' , • asked him' to ,«ay, it; agaiq."' Richards rei)lkd.:'i'VCome 'out'r='on i -'to the road." Richards was pulled out on to the road, ond-a'''fight'"c'oihmencetl.' Richards brofo away, and ran down Seddon ■ Strest. , Witness then' went to the Union Hall, ond'Saw ; the doorway with a re-; ' yolvpr in, his'hand. One-half of the door foot, a 1 shot was then •fired,;and.--the -. door"Was. .immediately " •cIo i sed.",'At' 'thiS'-' juncturo Harvey, a . worker, ran . at, the door' and • banged'' it open., _ Constable ,Wade and Harvey went' in, witness'-following.' 'Before they got to the : .reading-room they, heard another shot fired. Ho did'not know who fired it. IK-e then, passed,through-:th» back of the building,,..and,saw Constable Wade.being . carried'awajv 1 He was a financial member of jlie.iWaihi.:Miners' Union,.but had not> drawn strike pay? The Shooting of the Constable. Walter 'Evans' Harvey' deposed that he employed 'by tho. Waihi Company. He was one of the workers - . in the prbcessioh who passed the'Jlihers' Hall. When ho got to the hall ho saw Bonie strikers there, and heard' some call "Scab !";;and "Mongrel l !" He heard the expressipffiqd.itetdistinctly. Some stood outs.idb the door,while, others were 1 in the A&vaßesult of the,offensive terms called out, he stopped and went inside and partly closed the door. A revolver shot was fired. Witness rushed, at the door, which was slightly opened, and ' another 'shot was fired. This shot hit Johnson. Ho Jthen got inside, passed' through the building and. up the incline - at the back, when he; .overtook l'cur women','' was runnijigjin; advan.ee of the iwonten;''' "Constable 1 Wade'-was a-'little ahead:i of- ...witriess.:".j;Meanwhile. .- Wade ihustled through the women, arid witness " followed. Two shots were, then fired, one at witness and. the sbcond at Con- - stable Wade. Witness saw the constable put his hand to his stomach. The nt-it moment Constable "Wade closed on Evans and struck'hini with his baton. Evans fell on'his face; and then turned over on his back, , holding th? revolver in his hand, and pointing it upwards. Witness seized the weapon, at the same time catching Evans by the throat. The I polioo then came up. _ Meanwhile, with ' other workers, he assisted Evans to his feet. The crowd were very angry, but tho polioe kept, them away. Witness saw no act of violence done'to Evans. If Constable Wade had not used tho baton ho quite believed somebody else would have been snot. - Constable Wade had .' every, reason "to' believe, that '-when I lie used the-baton hisiifo':was: in-danger. Had witness been in 'Constable Wade's place he would have taken the same action. If it had not been for the language used by the strikers in front of the

I Union Hall there would have been, no I trouble.' To the Coroner; He was of opinion that Evans had fired t'he first shot. Ho had 110 doubt iu his mind, whatever that Evans fired and shot Constablo Wade. 1 Albert Ritchie, worker in tho procession, said he saw Evans through the open door actually discharge the revolver. The bullet passed between Harvey and himself. Immediately after Evans' fired Doyle fired two shots. Struck In tho Leg. Thomas Henry Johnson, who limped into the witness box, said lie was with tho procession of workers who passed thb Union Hall. When he. got opposite tho hall ho heard one .of the strikers say, "Go on, you scab." This occasioned 6onie words between the strikers aiid tho workers. Some of tho strikers went into ths hall and closed tho door. He heard a report, but could not tell whether , it was a revolver shot or not. Harvey, a worker, tried to get through the door. It was opened from within, and witness saw four or five men inside, three of whom had revolvers pointing outwards At: different angles. Directly ho saw the revolver he stopped and called out, ,"Look out," at tho same time jumping/to one side. While in the act of jumping he was struck in the leg with a bullet. He was under tho impression that throe shots were fired almost, simultaneously, but lie could not'say positively that more 'than one shot was nred. Tho workers had not the slightest intention of interfering with anybody at tho hall. They were going to work, and there had been no organised move to rush tho hall. . ■ . 1 '• /' Some Altercation. • James Alfred Dclaney said he was a contractor working for the Waihi Company. He was ' u member of the procession proceeding to work. He was at its head. Ho had passed the liall about twenty paces when lie heard some alter-cation-going on opposite the luill. Ho at once went back and saw some; 'scuffling. The door was shut. A few seconds afterawards the .left-hand leaf of the door was opened about a foot, and at tho same time a shot was .fired from' within. At the same time he saw Evans standing inside with <v revolver in his hand.' Directly the shot, was fired the door was slammed. He then saw Constable Wade endeavouring to open the door, and'a second shot , was fired. The fconstablo then got into the passage-way. of the building, followed by witness. ' At this stage a third shot wa's fired. Witness then, along with the eonstable, went through the building, limiting their -exit into tho back yard. He saw Wad© following. Evans, and he '(witness) followed a little distance behind. .'He'saw Evans when Wade was rapidly overtaking him half , turn round and fire. Wade was then.about five paces behind Evans. Wade tlieu overtook him, and struck him with his baton. He saw Evans fall to . the ground, but did not see him again, as his attention was taken, up. with Constable Wade. The latter half stumbled and said, "I'm done; I'm shot."- Witness .caught hold of the constable. ' At the Rear of the Building. James Scott gave corroborative evidence to the incidents opposite the' Miners' Hall. At the rear of . the building ho saw Doyle and Evans getting through the fence. They wore followed by nonstable Wade, and Delaney ■ was some little dis> tance-behind the constable. When ho (witness) got to the fence he .heard the shot, and saw Evans pointing the revolver. When he got over the fenco he saw Constable Wade stagger. Meanwhile Evans was lying'on the ground and Harvey was wresting a revolver: from him. . Sydney J;'Poster gave similar evidence to that of the previous witness regarding the scene in front and at the back of the Union Hall. When Evans fired, wit.nes's was only : hrflf a dozen yards behind . the. constable. Directly the shot was fired the constable went forward, and while covering a few yards between himself and , Evans,'ho drew his baton. He saw Evans receive a blow on the head and fall. Witness had every reason to believe that if the constable had not used his baton Evans would have'shot at him again, or at somebody else. / Agnes Manning said that the back of her house commanded a view of the paddock at the'back of the liall. ■ ;SKe'fsA\y fire men running up' the paddocli, arid the constable, closely following the man. in the lead, when the latter put his hand behind him, ■ the action being followed by a.report. She saw- the flash and smoke from 1 , the revolver. She then saw- the constable bend forward, catch~'-up to the man who had fired,, and drawing his baton from his clothing behind, struck ;him on the' back of the head once or twice. , v. To a juror: It was after the man had .fired' that the constable drew, his baton. Medical Evidence. Dr. Hyde, medical superintendent of Waihi Hospital, stated' that., when admitted.,to the' hospital on November 12, the deceased (Evans), was .in a very -serious condition. • He was suffering from concussion and laceration of the brain. Tho right upper eyelid was discoloured and thei;e Were slight /abrasions behind' tho ear. The post-mortem examination disclosed discoloration of both eyelids, the displacement of the cartilage of the nose, and' a post-mortem discoloration of the back and shoulder, and upon the removal' of the skull cap an effusion of blood was found on the membrane, and laceration of the brain oh the back and' right sides. The other organs were found to be in a : healthy*, state, and in tho opinion of witness laceration of the brain, combined with concussion, accounted for. death. The condition of deceased cduld' have been accounted for by a blow, from the baton. A very severe blow would have caused tho fracture of the skull, but in . this case there was nc fracture. When deceased'was admitted to the hospital the only visible wounds were those discoloration of the eye and two abrasions | —and they were slight. The post-mortem discoloration to the back of the shoulders was such as usually ! follows. after death. Dcceased's condition' was not consistent with tho statement that lie • had been kicked and knocked .-.bout by- a' frenzfcd, • crowd: Witness . knew Constable ■ Wado, •''■ who,, when admitted, to-tlio hospital, was suffering from a, wound. tin the right side' of -the, abdomen. Ths constable's condition was sfrious, and his was not yet entirely out of danger. He also knew the man Johnson, who had been shot in tho right leg. Tho bullst produced ih tho Court was that extracted from tho wound. Dr.' Craig the evidenoe of the previous witness.. Revolvers aiid Bullets. W. H. Hazard, gunsmith and importer of ammunition (Auckland), stated that ho had had' 27 years' experience of firearms and ammunition of all kinds. He had examined tho revolver produced. 1 It wasja Belgian make of. low power." Eour of t|io chambers had been recently fired. As regardsthe bullet which had been extracted from Johnson's Leg and produced, witness said the' markings.> on' it corresponded with tho. rifling of tho revolver. Another bullet found in the passage of the Union building was similar to the bullets, already described, and its flattened appearanco was consistent with it having struck the. lock of. the door. - A second revolver produced was described by witness as being of . American make. If one of the bullets produced, which had been taken from tho undischarged weapon in possession of Doyle, struck anybody at short range, it would make a hole large enough to put tho hand in. The bullet iu question had been crissed-crossed by a sharp instrument, a practice prohibited in civilised war. The Court was about to adjourn till tomorrow, when n. E. Holland, a prominent Socialist, aoplied on behalf of a relative for an adjournment to permit the Federation to obtain a legal representative and witnesses. It was ultimately decided to take the police evidence to-mor-row, and after that to adjourn'vtill December 4, when it was hoped Constable Wade would be sufficiently recovered to give evidence. COURT CASES. Waihi, November 19. A number of informations have, been laid in connection with the recent troubles between arbitrationists and federationirte, and are to come on for hearing next Tuesday. . CONSTABLE WADE. Waihi, November 19. There is no change in tho condition- of Constable Wade. The chief trouble is his excessive weakness. A SENSATIONAL STORY, ALLEGED REVOLVER SHOTS. Waihi, November 19. A story was in circulation yosterday .. afternoon that a man on hweebac£.

while journeying from Katikati to Waihi, had been bailed up by an armed man. The former alleged, that when ho was bailed up ho galloped across country, hotly pursued by tho armed man until the latter was brought to a standstill in D swamp. The pursued man alleges revolver shota were fired at a distance of about a quarter of a mile. Tho ptlico made investigations, but discovered nothing to substantiate the story, and place little credence upon it. POSITION AT HUNTLY. EACH SIDE WAITING FOR THE OTHER. THE EGG-THROWING INCIDENT. ■ (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Auckland, November 19. Huntly is still in a very* quiet condition, tlio position so far as the miners are concerned being that there is less obvious sign of unrest than there has been for weeks past. The opinion seems to be prevalent that each. side is waiting for the other to make a move. It is not thought there will bo any change in the situation until after the big meeting of the arbitrationists on Thursday.,, night. On that occasion it is expected there will be sonio definite indication as tp how the miners are. likely to act in view of recent developments. There was a inass meeting of tlio Federation Union last night, concerning which reliable information is extremely difficult to get. /It seems to be a fact, however, that Mr. Marshrall (president of tho union) was received with very great disapproval when he counselled the continuance of peaceful tactics. A good many members present were not of the same opinion as Mr. Marshall, and the president, after expressing his views, left the chair. Another prominent official of the Federation Union told a reporter this morning that the executive _ was strongly against violence of any kind. The recent incidents of egg-throwing .were repudiated by officials, and the threats given to certain citizens to get out of the town were also made -by irresponsible persons, and were not to bo taken seriously. Sir. Parry,is at present ill Huntly, but his visit is not in any w&y connected with, the union's affairs among the coalininersi '