THE WAIKINO TRAGEDY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4667, 27 February 1924, Page 2

THE WAIKINO TRAGEDY.

WAS HIGGINS INSANE ? A VICTIM’S FATHER SAYS YES. The sentence of death passed on Christopher Higgins for the shocking murdci of school children at Waikino has given rise to a good deal of controversy, ami the opinion is widely expressed that the prisoner was insane and net responsible for liis actions. The following letter oni , the subject from Mr ,H. R. McGarry, father, of one of the children who was shot in the leg but luckily not killed, is important. not. only because the writer has deeply suffered and might well have cherished bitter feelings against the condemned man, but also because he had known Higgins for a long time, and was aware of his delusions. The letter is as. follows :—-

Sic,—Having seen that counsel has petitioned for a commutation of. sentence passed on John Christopner Higgins, as father of one of the chib dren shot in the school I think it is my duty to state that the verdict of the jury was very unjust. I have known the man for nine jears, and seen him in a few of those delusions. One of then! was that there was a gang going round killing his horses. Another was that they stole his wood and kept his dog barking al! night. I talked the matter out with him a few times, ns Mr Reid 'nearly changed nis purpose at the school. Alsp people avoided him over those delusions, and used to say he should be locked up. Ever since he came out of the hospital in October, 1923. in my opinion he has never been the .same, as it took him a lot'g time to get back his strength. He used to visit my liou.se a lot, and my children were very fond of him, as he was a very nice, kind man when not affected by those delusions, but when in them the man did nof"know what lie did and it was proved at the sclioci that he shot tlie children cf the people lie liked best. I notice that the seven doctors pronounced him in sane. Suffice it to say that people have seen him in those mad fits ; I have for one, and lie has had these delusions for years. If the jury knev the n.an as I know him they could never have convicted him, as the crime alone speaks for itself —it was the crime of a madman. Pardon me if 1 am intruding in any way, but I think ; t my duty to my fellow-man, and, as I have mentioned before, the verdict was very unjust in my opinion.