DOUBLE TRAGEDY AT DARGAVILLE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3014, 23 March 1926, Page 3

DOUBLE TRAGEDY AT DARGAVILLE.

MURDER AND SUICIDE SUS-

PECTED.

Dargaville, March 22,

A sensation was caused in Darggville yesterday morning when it became known that a terrible tragedy had taken place at the little Maori settlement of Te Wharau, a few miles out of the town. From the information supplied by the police and the evidence given at the inquest, it is fairly evident that it is a case of murder and suicide of a most determined character. The victims were Mrs. Maisie Walker (35), the white wife of Matthew Waaka T Huia, a well-known resident of the district, and Hokaia, known as Teddy Nathan, a Maori lad of 16 years, and nephew of Te Huia.

The tragedy took place at Te Huia’s residence, a small cottage near the Northern Wairoa River. It appears that Matthew Waaka Te Huia left his home at about 1 p.m. on Saturday for Dargaville, leaving his wife and nephew, who were to follow later, in the house. A GHASTLY DISCOVERY.

He found the front door locked. He knocked, and receiving no answer,went round to the back door, which, to his surprise, he found wide open. On the floor of the kitchen his wife was lying dead, and on the sofa he found his nephew, dead, with a shotgun between his knees. As soon as he recovered from the shock lie went over and awakened an old man named John Frances Morton, who lived in a whare about 50 yards away from the scene of the tragedy, and then walked on to Mrs Brenstrum’s, another neighbour, where he secured a horse. He rode into town and informed the police of the tragedy. Sergeant Griffiths, Constable Nield, and Dr Crump immediately proceeded with Te Huia to the scene, where they found the bodies as described.

The woman was lying face downwards on the floor, with a gunshot wound between her shoulder blades, and the boy on the sofa with a double-barrelled shotgun, from which two shots had been fired. The shells of the cartridges were still in the gun, and the top of the boy’s head was blown off. ' No motive for the tragedy can be advanced, and the whole thing-came as a great shock to the community, as the parties interested were all well known in the town, wi.cie *hey were frequent visitors. Mrs. To Huia was a handsome woman, and when in town was always well dressed, and appeared quite happy. The deceased boy until recently was a pupil of the Dargaville School, and, although a fine, upstanding lad physically, was not looked upon as very intelligent. THE SCENE OF THE TRAGEDY. In company with the Coroner (Mr. J. A, McLean), Sergeant Griffiths and Detective De Norville visited Te Huia’s house, which consists of a bedroom, sitting room, kitchen and scullery combined. It is situated at Te Wharau, Awakino Point, four miles from Dargaville, and stands back off the road some considerable distance. On the same section an old-age pensioner named Jack Morton lives in a whare about 50 yards away from where the tragedv occurred, but he informed the police that he did not hear any shots on Saturday afternoon. He said he was away a part of the afternoon.

Mrs. Brenstrum, who lives about three-quarters of a mile away from Te Huia’s, said that between 1.30 and 2 o’clock she heard a shot, and about seven minutes later she heard a second shot, but thought it was someone shooting rabbits. The mother of the deceased youth resides in a house about a mile from Te Huia’s, and there is a short-cut through the paddock between these two places. From the*position of the deceased woman’s body it looked as though she was trying to escape through the scullery window, which was open when the police arrived on Sunday morning.

It is believed that three shots were fired altogether; one at the woman the second shot having missed the boy, as a large hole in the roof shows where the whole charge went through. The third shot did its work. There was no sign of a struggle, and everything in the house was in its proper place.

The husband of the woman states that when he saw the body of his nephew he called out to his wife, as he thought the boy had been murdered. He struck another match and saw his wife lying on the floor, a bit further towards the scullery. INQUEST OPENS. At the inquest which was opened to-day, Matthew Te Huia, husband of the deceased woman, said that when he left home his wife-was in good health and spirits. His wife and nephew were good friends and always had been. His wife never made any complaint to him about the conduct of his nephew. She was either 34 _or 35 years of age, and her birthday was on Saturday. They had been married about 12 years, and 'they had always lived happily together. He thought that his nephew was 16 years of age on Sunday, but he was not sure. The gun was hanging on the wall in the kitchen over the couch when he left home. It was not loadpd. A belt of .cartridges was hanging on the wall near the gun. He had no enemies, and his wife had no bad friends as far as he knew. He did not have any reason to think there was anything between his wife and his nephew. His nephew was a very quiet boy, and there was nothing

wrong with him mentally. He could give no reason why his nephew would shoot his wife or any other person.

Dr. Crump gave evidence as to the nature of the wounds and the result of the post mortem. The wounds on the body were consisten, with the boy’s shooting himself. It was possible for another person to have inflicted the wounds, but not probable. It could have been done if two men had a scuffle for the gun, but there was no sign of a struggle. The woman had been shot in the back at short range. It was not possible to inflict the wound herself. Both had been dead several hours when found.

The inquest was adjourned till to-morrow.