THE MOKAU TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 1 July 1920, Page 1

THE MOKAU TRAGEDY

CHANGE OK .M UH HER. STORY OK DESPERATE STRUGGLE x IN BEDROOM.. •WOO KIR El) THE KATA I, SHOT:-' In connection with the Mokaii tragedy for which 'William PiLa stands committnl tor triiil on a charge of having.murdoivd Douglas Phillips, and of which brief telegraphic details have appeared k (-. ntl.y, the evidence given at the in|iiest on deceased and preliminary trial :f accus'd, was of a sensational nature. If will he recalled that on Sunday, Wav .Tilth, Douglas Piripi was found dead in his house at Mokail with the top of his ihoad blown off. A halfcaste named Wiroiim Pita was taken into custody subsequently, and charged wit h murder. Accused is a good-looking Native, with, features more favouring the Asiatic than the average Maori. Inspector Mullaney conducted the prosecution, .and Messrs AV. A. Carrutli and O. 10. Stout wore retained as counsel for accused. AIRS PHUPPS EVIDENCE.

Etami Piripi (Polly Phillips), the wife of deceased, stated that she accompanied liter husband to Whangarei. They had three children with them, and four children were left at home, accused looking after them. Witness, with her husband and children, returned home on the following Sunday. The children were at home, but accused (AViremu Pita) was not there. The children were sent to look for Pit:j» who afterwards played the piano and the others stood at the front door. Afterwards they went into the bedroom and were drinking. She heard her husband and accused “growling.” Some lime, after deceased came put into the* front room, calling*; to witness to “come quick.” TTer nushand took the lamp off a small table, taking it into tiie bedroom. When witness went into the bedroom, deceased was standing off the bedroom door, holding a gun. and accused was sifting on the bed. Deceased said: “ Look here, Billy, I’ll smash you head off,” starting to hold the gun and point it. Billy Pita jumped to deceased, and witness put her baby on the bed and jumped to him too. She tried to cool deceased down, and also tried to take the gun away from her husband. Deceased threatened to shoot the lot. Witness took her baby lip, and with all her children ran outside up the side of the hill into the ti-tree. They wore not very long there before witness heard a gun go off. She waited a while and then ran down to the house. She sneaked in.through the front door, looked through a crack in the bedroom door and saw her husband (deceased) lying on the lied dead. The gun was lying near. A light was burning in the bedroom. Nobody else was in the house. Witness ran outside and called £dr assistance. FINDING THE BODY. William Henry Allen, farmer, of Mokau, stated flint lie heard someone screaming and calling out "Khan liaere; ehau liaere.” Tt was Airs Douglas Firipi. Witness went hack to deceased’s house with Airs Piripi, who was terribly excited.

Witness detailed the finding of the body of deceased, and tile position of tho gun on the lines previously outlined. A lamp was burning in the room where the deceased lay. When they were outside searching for the children witness asked Mrs Piripi where she was when the shut was fired. Speaking in broken English, she replied: “ I don’t like to see them fighting. ] run out here, i hear shot ; 1 run inside., i see Douglas dead on bed.

] tiion run for you.” Witness afterwards fasU'iit'tl the house up, and sent for the police. ■ ORA IHSHD AND STRUGGLED.” John Leigh, fanner, of Qhakura, (near Mokau), detailed going to deceased's house with accused, Hill Pita, and Albert Porter, on arrival of Mr and .Mrs Douglas Piripi from Wliangarei. After a while Douglas Piripi went into the bedroom, calling witness and ISiilv Pita (accused) to conic in. Witness sat on the bed alongside of Douglas. They went out and had tea afterwards. Deceased went hack in the bedroom, and called witness. After tiny had been conversing, Mrs Douglas came inside the bedroom. She took a bottle of whisky from deceased, poured what was left into a drinking vessel and gave it to him, who drank half and gave the rest to witness. Deceased went into the kitchen, where Mrs Douglas was. Witness left for home. At the time Lilly Pita was in the sittingroom, playing the piano. Witness left deceased’s .house about dark. He lived two miles away. He went to bed, and was just getting asleep when a knock came to the door. Witness’s wife sang out, “ Come in.” Accused came in, sat down by the fire-place, and took a deep breath. Accused had only a shirt and a pair of dungaree pants on. He wore no coat or hoots. Witness’s wife asked Pita what was the matter. Talking in Maori, Pita said: “ After you (witness) left, Douglas called me to come into his bedroom. When I went in Mr and Mrs Douglas went outside. Douglas came in again, and hit me (Pita) on the eye. We grabbed .one another and struggled. Douglas got me down. At the time were were struggling Douglas was trying to choke me, when I (Pita) got Douglas underneath me. I heard a gun fired, when T (Pita) got up and came out of the house.” THE POLICE EVIDENCE.

Senior-Sergeant Hollis, in evidence, stated that pieces of dcccaseal’s skull were picked up in two places in the bedroom. Tie was of opinion that the gun was fired in the room. It would have been impossible for the gun to lie fired from the door judging from the position of the body wound. The hair taken from deceased’s clenched, left-hand resembled human hair, and closely resembled that of accused. When asked a question accused said lie was in the room when the shot was

fired ; that lie. was on top of deceased when tin: gun went off; that deceased’s hands loosed on his (Pita’s) throat; then he. ran away, hut was afraid to go hack when called by Mrs Douglas, as she might shoot him as her man was shot. Accused when arrested said his statement to Constable Paine was correct. “ Tin' room was dark at the Lime the gun went off. I was on top of deceased. AI y head was thrown well hack. Deceased had me by the throat.”