TRAGEDY AT TAONUI.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 392, 21 March 1908, Page 3

TRAGEDY AT TAONUI.

One of the most horrible tragedies which have occurred in the Feildiug district, took place in an old whare at Taonui about three miles from Feilding, on Thursday morning, at half-past six.

At that hour the neighbours heard a sound like a violent explosion, but no notice was taken then.,

A young fellow named Noiman Clarke, who was milking at Mr W. T. Bailey’s place opposite the scene of the explosion, went over after he had finished milking, to ascertain the cause of the noise. He noticed a two-roomed whare, belonging to the Government, and known as Jcnes’ whare, smashed about and blackened, and looking inside be saw a leg and a bool sticking up out of the debris. He did not investigate further, but rang up for the police. Upon investigation, the whare presented a most gruesome sight. The woedetr chimney had been blown completely out, and the lining of the place was smashed to splinters. Ivverywhere inside the room where (he tragedy took place were pieces of flesh and parts of the organs of a human being. In one corner was part of a head, which served to complete the identification cf the body, and under some timbers was the body from the waist downwards only. Although there was no trace of the explosive, it was plainly evident that dynamite must have been used to cause such havoc.

The police searched the body, and found several letters and a diary for 1908 in the hip pocket. The address was Mr F. Hasse, care of Bailey Bros., Kamatau, and the contents of the letters showed that the victim of the tragedy was Frederick Hasse, a resident at Taonui, and sou of the occupier of the next-door house, who bad been working for Messrs Bailey Bros., at Kamatau, for the last two years on fencing contracts. He left these on Friday last, without giving any reason. The deceased was well known as a quiet inoffensive, hard-work-ing man. The documents found on the body show clearly that the suicide was premeditated: — “ Halcombe, February 8, 1908. —Well, Fred,—l can’t say much. Come at once. Danger. .” Halcombe, March x 6, i9°7Dear Mother, Brothers and Sisters, —I am sorry to leave you, but as is quizzing me of a thing that I never done, I am going to another land. So gccobye all.—l remain, your brother, F. Hasse.

P.S.—You will find me in ahole of water in Halcombe not far from my Grandfather. I will tell you the hole is where I get this. It is all through— at Halcombe. —F. Hasse.

The following is evidently intended for a will: “ March 16, from Feed. Hasse.—l owe Charlie, my brother, £ 2O. So I give him this money which is £8 17s 6d, and the horse that I left at Mangaweka, as I have not paid him for the horse, and from Bailey Bros. Arch, and A If., get for lenciug 60 chains at 4 shillings per chain, my share is £2l, and I have drawn £l2 xos. " So I have yet to come £8 10s, so I give it to my brother Charley Hasse, of Taonui, and the tools that Jack Ryan and I won in Mat’s which half of them belong to me, jacksaw, wedger, 2 axes.— This is through , of Halcombe. So good-bj 7 e to all.” The diary gave a complete record of deceased’s movements and transactions.

At the inquest yesterday, Sergeant Bowden stated that the father of the deceased was away, and the children were contributing to the support of the mother. There had been some negotiations between the relatives about the support of the mother, which would come out at the inquiry. Theodore Frederick Noffke deposed :—He knew deceased all his life. He was brother-in-law to witness. Witness had sent a letter (produced) to deceased, from Halcombe, as follows: —“Well, Fred, I can’t say much. Come at once. Danger.” The letter was posted to Kawatau. The reason for the language in the letter was on account of witness’s wanting deceased to come to his house, to discuss small family matters. Deceased went to witness’s house last Monday. The interview was a friendly one, on the subject of the temporary support of deceased’s mother. Deceased had lunch with witness, and then went to visit his grandmother. He had not seen deceased alive since. The second letter (produced) was the writing of deceased. It was the will left by deceased. Witness had said nothing whatever to deceased to make him write any such letter. Witness had noticed nothing unusual in the demeanour of the accused during the last year. Another letter was read stating deceased was ‘‘going to another land,” as he had been accused of a thing he never did. Witness could not explain why deceased should write such a letter. Witness could not say if family troubles had worried deceased. Witness used the word ‘ ‘ danger ’ ’ in the letter to get deceased to come to the house, as on previous occasions they could not get him to come. There was no oue present at the interview between witness and deceased.

The jury returned the following verdict: — “That the deceased, Ferdinand Auguste Hasse, met his death, at Taonui, on igth inst., by explosion, presumably by dynamite, and there is no evidence to show how such explosion occurred.”