THE RUAHINE MURDER
ROITHANN ON TRIAL
EVIDENCE FOR THE CROWN
(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)
Wanganul, February 11,
A great deal of interest was manifested at the Supreme Court this morning, when Arthur Rottman m charged with' murdering at Ruahine, on December 28, Joseph M'Cann, Lucy Mary M'Cann, and Jonn Joseph M'Cann. ■Accused pleaded not guilty,.and was defended by Mr. C. E. M'Kay. Accused is apparently between 21 and 25 years of age, tail, well-set, and intelligent looking, a German by birth, but not a naturalised British subject. In 1 openuig .' the ' case, the Crown Prosecutor (Mr. Marshall) said it was a subject for congratulation that, with the increasing population of this district, few crimes of this nature occurred here. ■ He had been Crown Prosecutor for many years, and this was the first time he had had to address a jury on a crime of this sort. If the evidence showed that tho accused man was innocent it would'be gratifying to I all, but, on the other hand, an atrocious murder had been committed by which three persons had lost their lives, • and if the murder was sheeted home to the accused,, he asked the jury to do its duty, and' return a verdict of guilty. M'Cann .was about 36 and his wife 34, and the child'four months old. Did Not Want to Co.Home. The-first witness was Eoberta, a surveyor. He explained thp plan of the locality, after which Herbert Sweet, a .farmer, of Ruahine, was called. Sweet said thaj; M'Cann promised to help witness with sheep oil the Monday, but did not come. " William Neil, a labourer, of Ruahine, said that on Boxing Day he met the accused riding one of M'Cann's horses, and'they went-to Rangiwahia together, and had a good' many drinks during the day. The accused was drunk during the afternoon, and sober,ed' at night. On tho way home, -he had a conversation about the ■ M'Cann family.. Accused said M'Cann was a good fellow, but he did not like his wife, who drank too much whisky. The accused did not want to go home to M'Cann's that night,. fearing a row with M'Cann, and rode with witness to the latter's father's place, but finally left there about midnight. On Sunday morning, witness saw M'Cann at the factory, deli/crying his milk himself. Thomas James, storeman, at Mangaweka, for Munroe, who had a wholesale license, said that during December he supplied tho .M'Cann's eleven bottles, of beer and one of whisky, delivering the hamper oh Christmas Eve. He saw the accused' on December 28 about 9JO' in' the ■ morning, riding into M'Donald's stables, on a chestnut horse belonging to M'Cann'.
At the 1 Cheese Factory,
Albert Patchett, cheesemaker, of Ruahine, said that M'Cann had supplied milk Banco the factory opened, m September, and .so far as witness knew Al Cann was a sober man. On Sunday, December 27, accused came to the factory. He said he had had a good time at Rangiwahia, and looked as if he had nad a night out, but spoke rationally. Accused.said he way going home to have a .sleep. On the 2Sth, Rottman brought the milk about, 6.30 a.m. ,Ho was the first supplier that morning, and it was th 6 first time he had ever been first. Witness remarked that accused, was early, and he, replied,. "Joe is going away fleecing .down, at Sweet's.", The milk that morning was not up to the average; the weight was only 5541b>—100 less than usual. The accused "Joe spilt some of the milk in putting it from' one can to another." On the Tuesday morning no milk came from the M'Canns', and witness and others up to M'Cann s in the aftenioon, tried the door of the (house, and knocked, but no reply was received. Then then went to the cowshed, the door of-which was shut. The body of M'Cann was found on the floor, face down, with a deep cut on .the head. _
Gustavo Kreger, a farmer, of Ruahine, stated that he had known M'Caim for seven or eight years. On Tuesday, ' December 29, lie found the windows of M'Cann's lion so open, but the blinds down. He saw a child lying on a bed on its back. The door was locked. At a side which was o_pen, he saw a box, in which was a pair of boots. Entering the bedroom, he found the body of Mrs. M'Caim under the bedclothes,' and the child, with its head on the pillow. ; At this stage of the proceedings, the Court adjourned for lurich'.' On resuming after, lunch, Gustave Kreger deposed that he and Fox milked M'Cann's cows,; who were distressed through not having been milked on Tuesday or perhaps on Monday. There was no sign of a large amount of milk having been spilt, as alleged by Rottman. " . t - William Neil, recalled by prisoner's counsel, said after ho and Rottman mounted their horses to go home they received more drink. Rottman fell off his.horse twice. 1 To the Crown Prosecutor, Neil said that Rottman played the piano during the evening.
On Boxing Day. Jam®" Badlimd, mail contractor, said he saw Neil and Rottman at Rangiwahia about. 3 p.m. on- Boxing Day. They ,were merry, though not drunk. Accused said: s'As it is Boxing Day, it is up to M'Cann to milk the cows tonight? as I have done it before. I don't care if I get the sack, as I can go and work for Neil." On Monday -witness met Rottman at Mangaweka. Ii; reply to a question put by witness, Rottman said he did not get-home until 3 o'clock on Sunday morning, l and as M'Cann had the cheek to lock the back door, he (Rottman) had the cheek to go through the front door. He gave no answer to witness's inquiry about how he got* on with M'Cann. A Constable's Evidence. Constable Essen, of Mangaweka, deposed that on Monday, December 28, he saw' Rottman at Mangaweka, and told him that under the new regulations regarding aliens ho would not be ailowed to. travel more than twenty miles from his' place of residence without getting a polico permit.. Rottman replied: "I have no intention of leaving the district. I am too well off where I am." Next day witness visited M'Cann's house, and ■ found Rottman's room in a disordered state, and at the head of the bed next the window was a bloodstained shirt and an axe covered with blood and hair was on the outside of the window. He made a search far signs of milk supposed to have been. spilt, but failed to discover any. In, the spare room ho found a case about ihalf-fiul of quart beer bottles. There was no sign of any whisky. Cross-examined, witness -said he met Rottman frequently, and he wa6 a steady, quiet fellow, and- sober. He was prepared to give him a permit to travel anywhere he wanted to. What Happened at Terawhiti. William Kelly, labourer, employed at the lighthouse on Karon Rock, near Wellington, gave evidence as to the accused coming to the lighthouse on December 29. Accused said ho wanted a boat to get over to Pclorus Sound, and eaid he would go along the bcach and. get a boat he saw here. Witness told him to po by a Nelson boat. Ao--cussd replied that tho,
lined with detoctivee and police who were arresting- Germans, and the aocused added: "I would drown myself before I would let the police take me." Bottman asked to be put up" for the night, and witness agreed on the understanding that he should leave in the morning. They had tea, and afterwards played cards and an accordion. Accused was talking in his 6leep during the night, but' witness could not understand him. _ Before they turned in accused asked if the door was locked. Nest morning was New Year's Day, and two newspapers came about 11 a.m.; accused read one and witness the other. Accused said: "Have you come across the murder case yet?" and witness replied "No," and accused started to read the report, but omitted any reference to the suspected person working on the Hinemoa. When witness read it and saw mention of the Hinemoa he considered it was- time to got out. Witness said he would go to town to get. some letters Aocused said it was strange that witness wanted to go to town after reading the murder case. Witness replied that the boys would bo cut on the Sun-: day, and explained that the other men were in town. Accused refused to go into town with witness. - Accused said: "Don't let the police know I am here." ffitness replied: "You are a sailor, and I. am a sailor, there is no fear of that." Uottman then went over the hill in the direction of Makara,
Brain Storms. Dr. ■ Turnbull, of Mangaweka, gave evidence as to the nature of the wounds inflicted on Mrs. M'Cam. and her infant. He was crocs-examined at some length on the' questions of "brain storms," impulsive insanity, the state of a man's mind after heavy drinking, etc. . . Counsel: "Are you acquainted with a case which oocurred in TaJanaki? A medical man visited a woman, and shot her twice. He had teen drinking heavily, and Dr-s. Truby King and Beattie gave evidence. The doctor was acquitted on the ground of insanity. Witness: "All I know about that case T read in the, newspapers." To the Crown Prosecutor: Witness did not claim to be an authority; on the question of insanity At) 5.20 p.m. the Court adjourned to ten o'clock-next morning.
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Bibliographic details
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Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2383, 12 February 1915, Page 6
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1,598THE RUAHINE MURDER Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2383, 12 February 1915, Page 6
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