HAWERA MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 7 February 1931, Page 3

HAWERA MURDER

TRAGIC FATE OF HINDU

FURTHER DETAILS OF CRIME

WOMAN’S DRAMATIC STORY

HAWERA, February 3

No arrest lias yet been made in connection with the murder of Nana Cliliiba, the Hindu, commonly known as David, who was found dead in his fruiterer's shop in High Street Kawera, on Sunday evening. The’ dead man, who had been terribly wounded with a tomahawk, w«us a married man, with one child. His wife lives in India.

David bad been struck five times or more with the tomahawk, which had probably been used for opening fruit cases. One significant fact is that the weapon used to commit the brutal murder had been washed to remove incriminating evidence. David wafl hilly dad, and lay on his back in the centre of a room at the rear of his premises. His leet were towards the wall. The, wounds, being at the back of the head, suggest an attack from behind. discovery OF CRIME. Evidently some person other than David was on the premises until .shortly before eleven o’clock on Sunday , Night, lor the police inspected the doors of the premises up till then at intervals alter they had been inlormed, at about 7 p.m., that a crime oi some kind was suspected. A constable made investigations after 7 p.m., and found nothing amiss externally. Botn doors were then locked. After y p.m, the same constable together with an all-night constable, again inspected the premises. Everything appeared to be in order. Hie lights were burning at 11 p.m., however, and the constable iound the back door open. The crime was then discovered. The lights were still burning. Another indication of movement in ■the shop was furnished by the statement of a woman living nearby, who visited the premises at 6.45 o’clock on Sunday night, and saw the door ajar, and tlie lights burning. The woman believed that a sound she heard was (he sizzling of a frying pan. She was acquainted with the deceased, and had wished to purchase some tomatoes. She called out: “David,” but there was no reply. Approaching closer, the woman glanced up a passage leading from the back door to another room. BLOOD-STAINED HAND. She saw in the gloom a hand proti uding from a huddled form, covered in blood. Although she became hys- 1 terical, she did not then sense a tragedy. It occurred to her to ring David’s legal adviser. The police were informed, but the doors were found to be shut and repeated knocking brought no response. The woman later telephoned that the lights were still burning.

David is reputed to have been a man of financial means. He had been in business in Hawcra for about 15 years. He visited India in 1927, and had contemplated making another visit in the near future.

Detectives Meiklejohn and Kearney are engaged on the case. A dramatic story is told by the woman who discovered the crime. “My family and I fancied tomatoes for tea,” she said. “I went to the hack of David’s shop and found .the door slightly ajar. The lights were burning, and I noticed that the gas heater was alight. I called to David, and thought it strange that lie did not answer. I then glanced through the doorway, and a few feet inside could see what appeared to be a blood-stain-ed band protruding from a huddled heap.

“DOOR SLAMMED VIOLENTLY.”

J was scared almost to hysteric/?, but, even then, I did not realise that a tragedy had occurred. My first thought was to rush and tell someone. T half turned to run away, when the door slammed violently behind me. I am positive of that, and I was more frightened than ever. I ran across n tarpaulin-covered yard, where Mr David used to store fruit.” In the yard the woman noticed a large tin basin full of water, in which was a hammer and a tomahawk Although she is uncertain of the fact, she thinks the water was clean. Reaching her home, not far away, she told her story to her family and a visitor. “They would not believe me,” she added. “I tflld them that I had thought it was a pig I had seen on the floor, but I was positive. I had seen a human hand. Then one of them suggested that I might have intruded upon some sort of religious observance of the, Hindus. T was scared and worried almost out of my wits, and no one would believe that anything serious had happened.

NO ANSWER TO TELEPHONE CALL.

“The lights were still burning in the shop, and T telephoned David’s adviser, who informed the police. Previously, I had telephoned David's shoo, and I received no answer. That made me more convinced than ever that something was really wrong. At nine o’clock I saw that the lights were still burning, but I knew that the nolice bad been informed. T did not sleep a wink all night, but T had no knowledge ■of what had actually happened until this morning. T never want another experience like it.”