ONGAROTO MURDER TRIAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 302, 15 September 1921, Page 5

ONGAROTO MURDER TRIAL

A NEW WITNESS CALLED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Hamilton,- September 14. The third trial of Hakaria Te Kahu, charged, with the iuurder of Patrick Richard Elliott at Ongaroto on Easter Sunday, was resumed to-day. Kepa Hamilton, a new witness, son of another witness, said that on Easter Sunday, just as it was getting dark, he saw the prisoner alone, with a gun, following the fence-line going away from tho bridge. Asked by Mr. MacGregor, Crown Prosecutor, why he had not given the information before, witness replied that he did not want to get mixed up with tho case, but when ho discovered the seriousness of the affair, he gave an honest account of what he saw to Detective Sweeney. Asked by Mr. Hampson, counsel for prisoner, whether he spoke English, witness at first would not reply. Later, on- being pressed, he admitted that ho spoke English very little. In a further reply to Mr. Hampeon, witness said he whs cantering a horse when he met accused. Prisoner’s back was turned towards him, ahd witness did not call out anything or pull him up. He did not tell anyone that nij'ht or next day that ho had seen accused. Witness was quite nwnre that his mother and.brother had given evidence in each of the previous trials.