KAIMATA MURDERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1835, 22 August 1913, Page 8

KAIMATA MURDERS.

THE INQUEST. CLEAR FINDING BY CORONER. SURVIVORS' STORY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Inglewood, August 21. An inquest on the remains of the victims of the recent Kaimata tragedy was commenced this morning, before Mr. W. Kenrick, S.M., Coroner.. The first witness, K. Taylor, a carpenter, gavo evideuco regarding alterations to tne house

utter'it had been purchased from Virgin. Sergeant Haddrell said ho visited tho scene in company with other- police, and ho described the positions of tne remains of tho victilns; which Dr. Nutting pronounced to bo those of two males and a female. Virgin slept in the house t'he same night, and is still missing. Although search and inquiry had been made, tihey had failed to find any trace of him. The inquest is proceeding. Dorothy Julian's Evidence. D-arorny j uj.on, uie gin \. no escaped from enj biu.'uing, gave e'ot ana htii- susspt logotneir un a room cypffiiua 'to 'limit 'in ivnicn Virgin was. 'Lite winuow. or .tneir teoiroaiu had no liiind, anu slio thougttt tnac the d'eur striKing uie tied niui awajituiea mic ami ner sister. Gladys said: "Wnat u\> you want, JUatlf" ana Virgin, starcta hitwutf fcur iieail witui what appeared to Ijo u P'jiKe oi firewood. Boui oaikd out for uitur, mured'. She tnaught that six Dvows were struck, hue erawiea uiuier tne bed-ciothes. Virgin tnen wene one of tho room and down, tne passage towards the Jdtcnen. She then tried to awaiken Jier sistor, but got no answer. Her tace was covered witn biood. She heard iii_ir aoter inciting a gurgling sound, and then heard Virgin coming bacji towards tho room again. Sne crawied under t'he clothes once more, and remained atill. Virgin only came to the dieor, and did not further molest them. When he had gone again slie endeavoured to awake her sister, but without avail. She then picked up ner skirt and btouse, and wont out of tne house. She could .see a reflection of light on the verandah, apparently from the dining-room. _ tjlie knew \'irgiu, had seen him at W'area and ICaiuiata, and was quite certain as to identification. There was quite , sufficient light in tho bedroom to see who it was. After leaving the liouso she went t.o M.r. D«ith's residence, and there she found that her brother had arrived before her. Bolore sho left the liouso she could small kerosene, and saw tho reflection of firo. The blows received hurt very much.

To Mr. Thomson, who was watching the case for the Virgin family: She saw a man standing in the doorway of tho bedroom, and could say positivefiy that it was Virgin. ; The last time she saw him, before the tragedy, was when he said "Good night.." Ho was then "in the kitchen reading. When she saw Virgin standing in tho bedroom his liair appeared to 1m ruffled 1 and his eyes goring. oJid.. he seemed excited. After ho left the room slio, heard her brother screaming. When sha left tho liouso no attempt was made to follow her, and she did not see. anything further. To tho. coroner: Virgin appeared fully dressed when he came to the door, but had no hat on.

Dr. Nutting gavo evidence. Tho boy had an abrasion over the right eyo and brow. Ho fonind that the girl was bruised all down the back and left arm. Tlw injuries hail been inflicted by some Uhmtimplement. ' Neighbour Who Was Aroused. Samuel Death, ' farmer, of Kaimata, stated that ho lived just .opposite the scene of tho tragedy. The houses were about twelve chains apart. Ho was awakened by Vernon Julian about a quarter past tliree. Tho boy called out: "Virgin is murdering father!" A, girl followed fivo' minutes after. Ho could see that

something was wrong as both wore very excited. When ho opened the door to the boy ho did not notice that the house was on fire, but he did when he opened it for the girl.' He left his wife in charge of the two children and went to give the alarm to the factory hands. lie saw then that the house wfts well on five. He went 011 to Mackies' store and also to the telephone exchange and telephoned for a doctor and the police. He then went to the scone of the fire, but saw that the houso was too far gone to save .anything. E. J. Bennet gave evidence as to' finding a hat, coat, and waistcoat on the Manganui Bridge between 7.30 and 8 on Thursday r.ioming. He gave these to Mr. Msi-kie. Rain had fallen since.

The following verdict was returned by the coroner: "I find on the evidence before me: (1) That Edwnrd .Tnlian, Gladys Eva Julian, and Frank Smith were murdered at 3 a.m. on August 14, 1913; (2) that the evidence is not sufficient to prove conclusively whether they all died from blows on the body administered l»y somo heavy blunt instrument, or whether they were rendered unconscious thereby, and subsequently burnt to death in the house c.f Frederick John Virgin; (3) I find that Frederick John Virgin administered the blows on the three above-named persons, and the evidence .strongly indicates that Virgin wilfully set fire to the house immediately afterwards, whereby all three bodies were burnt; (4) the evidence tends to show that Virgin had suddenly lost his reason through worry, and want of sleep. It is proved 'that all partie.\ wero on friendly terms up till. the time of retiring to rest on the night of August 13."