PUKEKAWA MURDER

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 45, 17 November 1920, Page 8

PUKEKAWA MURDER

THE TRIAL OF THORN EVIDENCE BY DECEASED'S WIDOW I. By Telegraph—Preßs A ißooiatloa "" • Auckland, November 16. The trial of Samuel John Thorn, charg--ed : with-murdering Sydney Seymour Eyre atJ Pukekawn on August 24, was con- , tinned in the Supremo Court to-day. Mrs, Byre, widow of the deceased, was put through a searching cross-examina-tion by counsel for the accused, lasting in all for six hours. "Within a few hours of the shot being fired," said Mrs. ' Eyre, in answer to Mr. Singer, "I thought it was Thorn. I believed it was Thorn.". She added that slio heard footsteps outside tho house similar to accused's. '■ * Counsel: Bid you not say in the Magistrate's Court that ifce steps were short, ■ ' quick, and heavy, and was not that one of the Teasons you thought they were Thorn's? 1 Witness: Yes. > She admitted that in effect she said • to herself that tho report of, the gun ■was like'that of accused's gun. By the >■' time tha police camo she thought Thorn was iihe only one -who could hare ceminitted! the murder. Mrs. Byre said that her husband always treated her kindly; lie never drove her to tears, and ho never, sworo at her, . although lie was addicted to swearing if he was upset. ReverHing to her relationship with Thorn, ■' .witness said that at first she thought ac- - cused was a decent fellow, but shortly V -after the relationship began she had nothing buti contempt for him. That was caused partly by his familiarity towards ■ I her, and partly by his threats. Bv tho : time her husband returned-, she disliked '.Thorn. , : Counsel: Why did not you tell your ■ I husband, and let him shoot Thorn? I Witness: 'I'did not; want my .husband •to be branded as a murderer. ' Mrs. Eyre denied that she had ever • ! asked Thorn if he could get a divorce, lor vtethbr if ho ,coul<l get rid of his V '.wiU be wotild marry lier in the event :«P anything happening to her husband. 1 After Byre's return he received lottos .from abroad. f His Honour: What is the relevancy of 'that? ' , , : . Mr. Singer: It may have been someone 'from abroad, perhaps Canada, who comimitted the murder. - '• Witness said that her hnslmnd . lm- : ''mediately destroyed these letters, and , never referred to the persons who sent them. She never worried nbout whether the writers were men or women. ... She saw an advertisement in a paper, find she showed it to her husband. _ • . Counsel: It was someone advertising * for yout husband? ■ i His Honour: You cannot! put that dnestion without putting in the adver- , tispracnt. . , ... Counsel I'Sotae time after that did' your husband receive a letter in cypher? Witness: Ido not know. She added 'that she did not think the advertisement was mysterious, and she did not know •who inserted it. Touching another point, witness said : tlhat she saw accused-at the - Tunkan police station on September 4. After o. greeting between the two, Thorn s first : remark, so far as she recollected, was • • that he had always found her a truthful woman, ffliat the b«>ys were truthful, and that he had nothing against the family. • He aWo stated that he did not suggest • that witness or any of tlho children killed Mr. Eyre. Wlien the polic* went out. Thorn asked what made her think he had killed her husband. She replied: *'The- circumstances. The person, "who did it .must have known the position of the bed and iihe Tun . of tho place. . Thorn said: "As true as I.am here, I Tiever did it." * "Witness replied: Tr you are innocent, I feel sorry for you." 'In further answer to Mr. Singer, Mts. T.yre admitted that she said to the accused" "Taking the wholo circumstances, • I cannot say anyone else. The person who-did it must, have known the whole ■ ' run of the place. At first I did not say anything about you, but when 1 thought ' it over thoroughly, and tried you in my. own mind, I could not think of anyone . but vou that would.do it." Evidence was civen by Sidney Eyre, azed 16 vears, a son of the deceased.. Ho said that his father and accused did not i eet on well together. From expressions ' which were used, he knew his fa'lher was an object of dislike.by Thorn. Witness detailed the happenings on the night of the murder. He was. briefly crossexamined bv Mr. Singer. . Dora Millicent Eyre, sistpr of 'the last Witness', 1 and others gave evidence before the .Courii adjourned for the day. .