THE ONEWHERO TRAGEDY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 747, 20 February 1915, Page 2

THE ONEWHERO TRAGEDY.

HUNTED MAN CAPTURED. BABY'S BODY FOUND. The voung man Norman Keals, wanted on a charge of murder in connection with the death of his sister-in-law, Mrs Edith Emma Keals, and 6f the abduction of her baby, was arrested on Saturday afternoon The body of the missing child was also found. The circumstances of the crime are well known. On Monday night of last week, Mr Leslie Keals was away from his home, leaving in the house Mrs Keals, her three children, and a lady help. In the night a man entered Mrs Keals' bedroom, shot her through the temple, and struck her upon the . back of the heail witn a club, inflicting wounds from which she afterwards died. Her assailant also stole her six-weeks-old baby, and left the house as he had entered it, without even waking the other occupants. Suspicion fell upon Norman Keals, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. For five days he eluded the police, but early on Friday morning he was seen near the homestead, and the police, knowing him to be bootless and foodlesp, proceeded to skilfully draw a cordon round the spot. It was in this manner that the accused man waß finally hunted down and secured. Over 100 settlers assisted the police in gradually drawing in the cordon which surrounded the area of bush in which Keals was believed to be hiding. Keals was driven from cover to cover, in densely timbered country, and caught hiding in a tree. When called upon to surrender, he did so without showing any resistance, and was immediately surrounded and handcuffed. The first inquiry of those making the naturally in regard to the baby, and Keals indicated where it woulfl. be found. The searchers accompanied him to a spot near the Opuatia Creek, where the body of the six-weeks-old baby boy waß found. It is reported that the child had been i:hoked A to death.£