MURDER CHARGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2405, 16 March 1922, Page 2

MURDER CHARGE.

YOrXG NATIVE ON TRIAL

ATTEMPT TO DESTROY EVIDENCE. \ Gisborne, Yesterday. The trial of the young Native,*Rutene Topi, on a charge of having murdered Paul Zambukka at the Motu River on 14th November, commenced in the Supreme Court to;day.- It is expected that about fifty* witnesses will be called, most of them Natives, and that the hearing of the case will continue till the end of the week. Mr F. \Y. Nolan appears for the Crown, and Mr L. F. Barnard for the prisoner, who pleaded not guilty. Mr Nolan, in opening the ease for the Crown, mentioned that since the hearing in the lower Court-, some fresh evidence had been discovered. Some weeks ago some Natives, while collecting fungus, discovered a shirt that belonged to Rutene, and that he was seen wearing before the murder. There were some dark stains upon it. The Natives put it back in a log. Detective M’Leod had gone to Opdtiki to investigate the matter, and the information he brought would show that the shirt had been removed, by the prisoner’s mother, tom up, and thrown into a creek. Detective,M’Leod, however, had succeeded in finding some pieces of the shirt in the stream, Evidence was given by Robert Leslie Kay, Public Works engineer, who produced a locality plan.. Kapu.Aruiti, farmer, of Maraenui,* and Nikitaia, a farm hand, gave tin account of Znmbukka’s last visit to Mnraenui, and to the finding of the bod v. ;

Tuwaliinwa Topi,: brother of Rulene Topi, was asked by the Crown Prosecutor if lie previously had said lie had told accused to clean the ”im,s and hide the, ammunition. Counsel for the accused objected 10 ibis question. IliSyHonour: Did you say that in the lower Court?Witness: Yes. His Honour: Was it true? Witness: 1 was at the time; I was frightened. The evidence seemed to be going against my brother. The Crown Prosecutor: Has anyone spoken to you about this matter since? Witness: Yes. His Honour, to the Crown Prosecutor: T think you had better leave 11 at that. To counsel for the accused, witness said lie had not spoken to the accused or his counsel since the lower Court proceedings. Accused ha one of his guns on the Wednesday before the murder.