ALLEGED MATRICIDE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2210, 2 December 1920, Page 2

ALLEGED MATRICIDE.

THE HENDERSON SEN'RA^Ife Auckland, Nov. 2D. The young nian named Frederick Spearpoint, aged 23, who was arrested on November 3rd on a charge' .. of having assaulted his mother at their home in Henderson, and who was subsequently charged with her murder on the death of the woman, was brought before Mr J. AV. Poyutou, S.M., this morning for trial. Medical evidence was given as to I lie cause of death of deceased.

Jamek Spearpoint,- labourer, said that he resided at Henderson. Deceased was witness’s wife, and ae- ■ (•used was his stepson. Accused arid his mother were on good terms, so fnr as witness knew, and they got on well together. Joseph Alfred Thorn, blacksmith, of Henderson, stated that accused came (o wilness’ shop) about 10 a.m, on November 3rd. Accused came into lire slurp in a very excited state, and said: “Send for the police; 1 have murdered my mother.” AA ritnoss replied: “Surely you haven’t done that,” and he said: “Yes, 1 have; it’s true; she is lying dead on (he floor now.” Accused was taken by witness fo the post ofliee, and on the way, in reply to a question- why he had done it, aeeuse<\ > said: “Don’t ask any questions; you’ll hear soon enough.” AA’itness' had the police rung up, and he detained accused at) his slurp. Before the police arrived at the shop witness told accused his mother was not dead, and accused burst out crying and said be didn’t moan to do it. Roderick B. Shaw, apprentice at Thorn’s shop, corroborated the previous wilness’ evidence. Arthur F. Massey, postmaster at Henderson, stated that on account of what Mr, Thorn told him he proceeded to .Spearpoint's house, gelling there at 10.40 a.m. He found Mrs Spearpoint lying on the lloor in a bedroom with her arms outstretched and one knee bent. As he approached her she acted as if she were trying to ward off an expected blow. Then she said either: “Who is that?” or “AA'ho is there?” and added: “Go away.” He and the Rev. Mitchel and the Rev. Rattray, and David Byers, who had accompanied him, got her on a couch in the living room. 'l’he small axe produced was lying near where the woman's head was on the lloor, and a broom was leaning against the bed. Some lirewood was scattered about the lloor, and bis opinion was Unit the bedroom had the appearance of having been tlie scene of a struggle. Rev. AATn. Rattray the previous witness as to how Mrs Spearpoint was found. He had known Air and Airs Spearpoint for some time; they were a devoted (ample, and got on usually well* together.

After Constable Douglas had given evidence of how he found things, when lie arrived at the house. De-tective-Sergeant Hammond staled that Aviien he told accused on November 9th of his mother’s death that day, accused broke down. When told he would now be charged Avilh murder he replied that he thought he had already been charged with murder.

Constable D. McGlone slated that when lie aiTested aeensed he asked him where his father was. He replied: “1 never had a> lather; I was brought into the world with a curse on me.” He said lie had asked his mother at breakfast if she could do anything for him, and she replied she wished she had killed him when he was a baby. “She was always throwing that up at me,” accused * said.

Accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.