MURDER TRIAL.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 September 1917, Page 1

MURDER TRIAL.

TJIE GISBORNE CASE. YESTERDAY’S EVIDENCE. | PF.lt Pit ESS. ASSOCIATION’. —COP VtllCVil it. j (.iIsriOTIXE, Sept IS '[’lie trial of tlie youth Erauk Inkster on a charge of murder was continued to-day. Michael Keogh, one of the party working at the camp, where the tragedy occurred, gave evidence that ho left the camp for the homestead on Saturday, July 21st, leaving Anderson, Bradley and prisoner at the camp. Next day prisoner arrived at the homestead and said that Anderson had sent him in for a paekhorso as lie was going to leave. Witness left, on his return to tlie camp on the Monday morning, prisoner following at some distance. He found the bodies as already described and on returning Inwards the homestead met: prisoner about a mile from the ramp with the packhorse. Witness told prisoner of the tragedy and took the paekhorso and rode it barebacked to the station to report the matter. When on the way back to the homestead he heard shots lired in the vicinity ol the tin wliare, The Crown Prosecutor: About, what time would it be when yon heard the shots?—Between 2. J0 and 2.15. Yon also saw Iwo horses. VY hat wore they like ?—Yes ; a. roan and a

bay, both newly ridden and covered with sweat.

Mis Honour: Did yon see the riders ?—No. Mr Nolan : Were there any indications that the tin where had been occupied ? —Yes; there wore a couple of: sticks still burning in the tireplace. When you went up on the Tuesday lo get the bodies did you call at the tin where ?—Yes. Who did you find there?—Two Maoris.

Who were they ?—I on ly know ono bv the name of Pua.

Mr Lndbrnok got them to go on to the camp to help ?—I cs. Did they ride ? —Yes. What horses ?—The roan and the bay.

When he met. the accused on the Monday (after finding the bodies in the camp) witness said lie was going to report the ma tter, but said nothing about the police. His Honour: 44 That was all the conversation ? —I only • remarked, about my feet being a hit tired after running all the way. I also made a remark when T saw the two horses at the till whare. 1 said I wondered whether it was the boss and the shepherd. When yon were walking down did you talk ahontothers at the camp?— No. I don't think so.

After detailingßradley's clothing, witness stated that they went into the galley where they found Ander- I son’s body, near the fireplace. He j was lying face downwards partly on his right side. ITis right hand, which was clutching a wet towel, was under his; head and his left hand was extended palm down, and near it was a wooden pipe. There was a Winchester rifle lying in front of the body with the butt partly under the right forearm. There was a wound in the back of the head, the hair being singed and the skull exposed and black. There was no blood 'flowing from the wound. The muzzle of the rifle was almost between the chink in the slab wliare and the breach ol the rifle was open and there was a live cartridge on the platform of the magazine. The rifle had been re- j cently lired and there was a small j amount of dirt on Hie end of the muzzle, there being "a bank of about 1 a foot on the outside of the chink, j He accounted for the dirt by the rifle coming into contact with the ground on being dropped. To liis Honour : If the rifle had been dropped the cartridge would probably have fallen out. Mr Nolan : From the position of the rifle, could you say it was more probable the rifle had been dropped or been placed in that position?—To have got the dirt there, it must have gone forward to have got there. It might have dropped there or beer, put there. He could not say which. There was no sign of any struggle in the galley. Witness was present when accused was interviewed by Sergeant McDonnell for a statement for the inquest. On separating for dinner, the sergeant remarked, “ I will see you again.” Accused replied, “All right.” Subsequently, however, it was reported that accused had disappeared and search was made for him. He was found in a cowshed at the Paehiroa .Station on Sunday, July 29U1. William- Williams, Ludbrook, part-owner of Wairongomai .Station and manager, deposed that accused came into his employ on May 28th last, under the name of Iv D. Clayton. Bradley and Anderson had workqd for him off and on tor three years. There were neighbours at the homestead but none at the back, being all standing bush. There were no neighbours at all uc-ar the camp. The only wav for anyone to go to the camp (riding) would be up past the homestead to the track. It would be very difficult to get from | any other quarter, unless from | Hurikia. There being no track, I they would have to come through

standing bush. On Monday afternoon, July 23rd, Keogh reported what he had found at the camp, and witness eonsequenly reported the matter to the police. Witness accompanied them out to the camp next day riding with accused part of the way. He asked accused what had caused the row between Anderson and Bradley. Accused said he did not know, but saw Anderson bring his fist down on the table explaining, “ I told you so before.” Anderson had then struck Bradley a blow and that started the fight. Bradley, he said, got the best of it and thumped Anderson out of the galley into the sleeping part of the tent. ITe said that Anderson had stood there waving his fists about and swearing at Bradley. -He further said that at about breakfast time Anderson had told him (accused) that lie was going to get out of the job and asked accused to get a packhorse. A boxcalled Pua Pokia, and liis mate joined the party at the tin whare when on the way out. He knew that they xvere there. A shepherd had given them permission to sleep there that night.

Mis Honour; AYhat were they doing there?—Shooting pigeons. If the truth was told they had a rille and not a shot-gun. Mis Honour: Had you any other Winchester rifle on your station ?—No. This was the onlv rille on the station.

lApiirnna: Aupouri soimotimos called J!ol» Karitini, packman employed on tin* Waii-on gomai farm dt-posed that on the Monday evening accused came to his room and wanted to take some clothes out of the box- he had left there also some important documents and hooks he had in the hox . While doing so accused; if he heard footsteps would attempt to close the hox ip) sharply .and put it under the bed. .Acehsed Said that til he. ’(accused) should get into any trouble over this matter that, lie (witness) -should have the contents of the hox. He did not asked accused what he meant by “getting into trouble.” Next day. after coming hack with the bodies, accused came to him and said that if Johnston had not seen more than one shot in the deceased they would not have sent for the doctor or the detective and the inspector. TTe also said- that the only man lie was afraid of was the sergeant, hilt tie would “give him a go.”. Several witnesses were called to repeat statements which accused had made to them at the homestead after (he tragedy. These showed that accused had been apprehensive of “tailing into trouble over the affair. ’ Feta Hi rami deposed that on the day that the inquest was held, accused told him that he was going to run away from the trouble, and asked witness about getting a horse. brie Welch, station-band at AYnirosroinai, said that he saw accused with Detective AfcT.eod after the arrest. Accused remarked that they could not do anythin" with him ns he was under 21 and they could only put him in a reformatory school til] he was 21.. Sergeant McDonnell, who had prosoner in charge alVTokomaru Bay for three weeks after his arrest, detailed Ids conversation with accused. Speaking of his arrest, accused said that the police, caught- him while asleep or he would have given them a go for it. On another occasion accused remarked that he would he q: fool to tell the police all lie knew. Detective McLeod gave evidence as to the arrest of accused on the way lo Tokomn.ru. Accused asked whether they gave gao] and reformatory treatment at the same time. Later, at Tokonmrti accused remarked that it he could have, got a horse the police would not have caught him so easily. Ho a dec! that he would have got a job on a Maori station for a couple of years and grown whiskers and then got away on a ship. This concluded the case- for the Crown, and Air Buriuml intimated 1 hat he did not intend to call evidence for the defence. Mr Burnard proceeded with, his address to the jury, stressing the purely circumstantial nature of the evidence, ' and urging that; there was nothing to connect accused with the crime, which might easily have hoou committed by any person with a knowledge of hush country. Counsel suggested the possibility of the two men having been murdered by an outsider, who had then placed the rifle anil the bodies in such a position as to suggest murder and suicide. The position * in which tire rifle had been found was not a natural one.

His Honour intimated that he would sum up in the morning., and the hearing was adjourned till then.