THE ONEWHERO TRAGEDY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 745, 13 February 1915, Page 5

THE ONEWHERO TRAGEDY.

DEATH OF MRS KEALS.

A RELATIVE ACCUSED OF CRIME

Mrs Kdith Emma Keals, the victim of the Onewbero sensation, died at the Auc.laknd Public Hospital on Wednesday. The facts are now well known. On Monday night, while Mrs Keals' husband was away from home, the house, was entered, and Mrs Keals was first struck across the head with a olub, and then shot through the temple. She was unconscious whsn found lying in her bed next morning, land her Bix weeks' old baby had dis- | appeared Mrs Keals was taken to | Auckland and operated upon, but died | on Wednesday evening without having I regained consciousness. The police »were accordingly unable to obtain ijjfrom her any account of the tragedy, or any description of her assailant. Nevertheless, various clues have been discovered by th« police, and the outcome was the issue of a warrant for the arrest, on a charge of murder, of Norman Keals, the murdered woman's brother-in-law.

From evidence now in the hands of the police, it is clear that Norman Keals left his home at Papakura on Thursday of last week, and hired a horss, stating that he wanted to ride through to Onewhero.- The horse was not returned but on Wednesday was found running loose in the vicinity of the murdered woman's home. In an abandoned whare, within a quarter of a mile of the Keals' homestead, has been found the saddle and bridle hired with the horse; also an oil coat which the man bought in Tuakau a week ago, some .32 calibre cartridges. and a roughly-hewn club. It was evident that the whare had recently been occupied. It is significant that since Thursday week no one has seen Norman Keals. nor since the tragedy has he communicated in any way with members of his family. A strong force of police, under SubInspector Mcllveney, including Detective - Sergeant Hollis, Detectives Powell and Sweeney, Sergeant Cowan, an 1 Constables Thornell, of Pukekohe, and Martin, of Tuakau, are now scouring the district. Some 50 settlers are assisting in the search. Norman Keals, for whom a warrant has been issued, is well known in the district. He is a native of Auckland, 29 years of age, -sft 7in in height, of fresh complexion, with light brown hair, prominent bluish eyes, and light brown moustache. He was last seen wearing a grey suit and a grey soft felt hat. A farmer by occupation, he has a good knowledge of the district. A prominent police official holds the opinion that the murder waß probably the act of a criminal maniac, and that after his attaek upon Mrs Keals the man would choose some fantastic death for the child and himself. The Waikato river runs toward-! its outlet to the sea at the foot of the Onewhero hills, and the authority in question thinks it is quite likely that the deep arid silent river may now hold in safe keeping the secret of the crime.

THE LATEST. KEALS SFiEN IN THE DISTRICT. Word was received in Auckland at three o'clock yesterday afiernoon that the man accused of the murder, Norman Keals, was seen alive in the Opuatia district Only the moßt sanguine details are to hand, but it is understood that a search party caught sight of Keals in the vicinity of an empty whare in Boms thick scrub country. The man was hailed by the search party, but disappeared amongst heavy bußh. The search will now concentrate on the locality in which the missing man was seen. Superintendent Kiley ; seen after this information had been received, said that he was in receipt of information from Sub-Inspector Mcllveney, which led him to believe that Keals was alive, ancS was still hiding in the Onewhero district.