MURDER TRIAL

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1921, Page 1

MURDER TRIAL

[hi TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION] YESTERDAY’S EVIDENCE. WELLINGTON, June 23. At the Hamilton murder trial Granville Clive Norman was recalled, and submitted to a vigorous cross-examina-tion by Mr Hampson. He eaid he was quite positive that everything he said yesterday was strictly correct. Mr Hampson: Then why did you say yesterday you changed a ten pound note for The prisoner, giving him ten single' notes, while in sworn evidence in the Lower Court, ou said you gave him one five-pound note and five single notes? Mr Hampson: Does it not strike you as funny that this is the first time your evidence was brought into line with thnFof Seymore, another witness? Witness: No. -Mr Hampson: Have you discussed the ease with Simpson ? Witness: We were occupying the same room, and while we discussed Te Kahu, we did not speak of a ten-pound note.

Mr Hampson: You haven’t compared notes with Seymore? Witness: Oh I I know Seymour has come after me.

Mr Hamson: Ob! You are tbe most caudid witness I bave met. Under further cross-examination witness said that Te Kahu was playing “two-up” on Monday morning and asked to have a ten pound note changed in order to join in the game. Counsel said it was strange that Te Kahu should want more smaller notes, when already he had a number of smaller ones than the ten-pound note in his wallet.

Witness said that he had changed money for a number of people. He had £7O in his pocket, but had only one ton pound note. He was winning prettv heavily that day.

George Seymour, a half-caste, a fireman of Makai, said that on Good Friday morning Te Kahu tried to borrow ten shillings from him at Mokai, but witness replied that he had no money on him that night. The prisoner and Sarah Herepeka went to the local hotel, where a dance was proceeding. Prisoner asked the price for admission but when he was told that it was three shillings, lie said that it was too much. His next recollection of Te Kalin was seeing liis playing “two-up” on the Monday afternoon, when he heard prisoner make a five pound bet. which he lost. Prisoner then took a ten-pound note out of bis wallet and banded the note to Clive Norman and asked for change. Norman, so far as witness could see, banded prisoner ten single notes in return. Witness noticed Te Kahu had a wad of notes, in the wallet when he lost the five pound bet. and said he had more to follow.

To Air Hampson: He was saying with Norman, but did not discuss during the night what transpired during Easter Monday, and did not know what evidence Norman was going to give; nor did Norman know what witness was going to say. He had known Sarah Herepeka about two years.

Air Hampson: Were you and Te Kahu not rivals for her favours? Witness: 1 knew her long before Te Kahu did.

Robert Davis, a half-caste bushmnn, said that lie took part in the ‘Two-up’ game, and saw Te Kahn bet. Witness won a l>et of three pounds from Te Kahn who tendered a five pound note in payment. He saw Te Kalin in the billiard loom that night, playing pool. He believed prisoner cashed a few notes there, hut did not know how much. Witness pa nd Beck a, a hawker, a five pound note for goods purchased. Mr Hampson: How much did .you win on Faster Monday? Witness: Seventy-five pounds. Joseph James Thornton, buflhman, at Mokai, gave evidence about the ‘Twoup’ school, and prisoner changing notes with witness. When searching the river bank for Elliott’s body, he picked up a couple of empty* cartridge-shells about a hundred yards beyond some blood-stained ground. The shells found were those produced in Court. William Leslie, labourer, Mokai said that ho saw the prisoner passing notes at the ‘Two-up’ school. Constable William Wright, Tarpo, said that on March 29th., he went to the scone of the tragedy with Hamilton, who pointed out certain bloodstains on the river edge. The track to Uu> river was through high ti-tree on which splashes of blood were found. Traces of footprints and of the ground having been smoothed over, were also found. On "Wednesday morning he saw Te Kahn and asked him if he could account for Elliott’s disappearance. Te Kahn said they had been shooting and returned to their whnres on Monday afternoon at dark. He said no accident had happened. Witness then went to Te Kahn’s rvhare, in the company of prisoner, and found there deceased’s overcoat. Asked where he got that, prisoner said that he borrowed it from Elliott early on Monday, ns he was going to Mokai and was cold, and that was the last time he saw Elliott. Witness found four cartridges in Te Kalin’s whare, also a hank-hook and a pair of trousers up the chimney, on a hit of a shelf. The trousers contained a considerable amount of dry blood-stains. Asked to account for the blood Te Kahn replied that he “was out pig-shooting some time before, and while putting a pig on his horse, he got bis trousers smeared. This was about ten or eleven a.m. He held a post mortem on a dead duck found by Hamilton and extracted a shot. They found Elliott’s body and it was brought ashore by Constable Sutton and witness. The hip pocket of the trousers was turned inside out. When the body turned over some pellets fell out of the wound. On searching Elliott’s whare witness found .SI’S 10s.