MURDER CHARGE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1932, Page 6

MURDER CHARGE

EVIDENCE FOR DEFENCE

f Per Press Association— Copyright.)

;NEW PLYMOUTH, Nov. 15

The trial of Hubert Cedric Jenson, charged with the murder of bis wife and two children on 'September loth, was continued to-day before Mr Justice Reed.

William. McCarty, foreman of Taranaki County Council, stated the acetified worked under him on Pitone Road in November la>t. One day Jepson was wheeling a. barrow across the road and had just reached the other side when he turned round and fell across his load, and fell on the ground. He was stietched out. on the ground! and was whining and moaning, and his body was jerking. He was frothing at the mouth. John S. Hickey, a farmer of Opunake, said lie was in the same unit on active service. a.s Jepson. He had volunteered to give evidence because f f a peculiar incident which he remembered. When he saw the account of the t'.c vmdv, lie remembered that it had occurred at 6 a.m. on September loth., and that was the anniversary of the date, and precise time of the day at which the New Zealanders went “over the top, in the battle of Somme. That was the (ii-fit time that many New Xealandors had gone in + o the big battle, and the first time that Jepson had gone “over the top.” Witness said he knew the effect of a recurrence of this anniversary on some of the n or espeoinilv on those who had’ not the strength to resist some impulses. He felt them himself but had the power of resistance. James H. Barnard said he saw service with Jopjon at the war. He remembered' an occasion when Jepson cam e to a garage at Tilth am and had h peculiar stare in his eye. Witness spoke to him -as he had not seen him for a long time since the war, and thought he would like to renew acquaintance but he found it difficult to engage him in conversation; 'Charles David Arnold said he owned the house in which Jepson had lived in French Street and he left- that place owing witness between £4O and £SO. He had seen him on several occasions and had spoken about arrears of rent. He visited Jepson on the Sunday before the tragedy and tried to com-, to fiome arrangement about the payment of arrears. '