CHARGE OF MURDER

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 69, 23 March 1933, Page 9

CHARGE OF MURDER

DEATH OF A MAOKI

INCIDENTS IN THE NIGHT

XSy Telegraph.—Press Association.)

KAITAIA, ..March 22.

hearing of the murder charge Kir! Manuel, a Maori, was tcr&oicd this afternoon. Manuel is charged with murdering Hatiwira Houkamou Itapihana, known as Hati KobBon, of Pukepoto, farmer, on January 8.

Dr. John Hubert Eule, who conducted the post-mortem' examination, said there was a wouud on the right side of the body, and tho skiu below it had thirteen small puncture wounds. There were no powder stains. Inside the ■wound was found a cartridge wad. Death was due to a short hemorrhage following a gunshot wound. Dr. Colin Clarke, of Kaitaia, said that on the morning of the tragedy he found the deceased conscious. He could smell no poSvder in the room, but there ■was a draught running through it. Dr. Clarke gave evidence corroborating the post-mortem examination. He did not think- the-" wound had been self-in-flicted.; ' '

A twelve-year-old boy, Henry Job 3Job\on, said in evidence that there ha.d been between the deceasedand the accused. On the night ,Eobson was shot witness said that-he and his brother and Manuel went to the pictures. The two brothers went together and after they returned witness went to bed and slept until he woke up and. saw. a man walking about the din-ing-room. "He had something in his liaiul,".sai<l witness, "and he leaned it against the table. He struck a match and went into my mother's room and came/ back. He extinguished the match ;and picked up the thing he had leaned against the table and held it to his.right chest. I heard a bang and the man ran outside. It was a bit dark."

Mr. Meredith: Who-tras.it you saw? —I. don't know. The man wore white pants, a shirt, andsand shoes. ' ■ Witness said that when the <mhi ■vrent off he heard-his stepfather cry out. He said he saw Manuel run into his stepfather's room and give a low cyv. "When Manuel came out," continued witness, "I followed him into the .shanty he slept in. He was waking someone up ana; that man I jiow .know was Willie Nathan." William Nathan sa id that on the mgnt Kobsoii was .shot he and Manuel went to the -pictures. They left- Kaitaia. about 1 o'clock and walked to Pukepoto. • Witness went to bed in the shanty and Manuel went inside, the house. Witness aid not see Mm again S nhW° r? ,Wf k, pant3 > a Mack and 3»Tf #' - av^ Shoes ' aud:a' IThite shirfc, He saxd he was going to change ? n the house antl sleep in the shack. g . ■Aathan.sa l d Manuel woke him in the' corning, and he then wore dungarees a black shirt, ana bluchers. Witness

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