THE PAPAMOA HILL TRAGEDY

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3949, 30 May 1929, Page 3

THE PAPAMOA HILL TRAGEDY

EVIDENCE GIVEN' BY MOTORISTS. Opotiki, May 29. The inquest into the death of Samuel McAleese,, who was found dead on Papamoa Hill with >a bullet wound in his chest and extensive injuries to the face, was re-o.pened before Mr. F. J. Short, the coroner and a jury of six. J. Lappin gave evidence of the finding of the body and of a red ear passing along the road about 2 o’clock. He found the body 35 minutes after the car had passed. There were no h'lood stains on the road but near the body only. Deceased never said anything al»out doing away with himself. He was very (•heedful and contented. Herewiiii fe Makarini, a roadman employed with Lappin and de(eased, corroborated Lappin’s evidence and stated .that he had remained with the body whilst Lappin rang up the police. , Rf the meantime, a man and a woman came along in a car. The wolman got out to view the body but lie would not- let her touch it. He did not know- why deceased carried •a rifle; he had never done so before. He bad 'been doing shovelling before the accident.

Arthur Carney, another roadman, who with one George Gosling, was working on a section of the road nearer Opotiki, said he saw two strangers pass in a red ear about 11.40 going towards Motu. No other red ear passed that day. .John Boyd, another roadman, corroborated the previous witness’ statement regarding a red car.

Norman Levy, music importer, of Wellington, deposed that he passed the body lying on the road. Lappin was in charge and witness asked if lie could give any assistance. The time was about 4.10. Witness noticed a. small pool of blood alongside the head of the body. “I had no suspicion the man had been shot and 1 do not thinlk. the roadman knew either.”

Wi'llia|m Noad, licensee of the Masonic hotel, Gisborne, stated that he left Auckland on May S and arrived at Whaka.tane the same evening. He left at 9.10 o’clock the following morning and arrived at. Opotiki at 10.45, and drove straight on. On the first hill, 'at Meremere, he had trouble with the ear and pulled uip at To a Toa. He had lunch and drove oil ui> PapaUioa hill. He stopped near the top and spoke to a roadman, who remaiked Hint he heard witness coming ami thought "the car was an aeroplane. “I asked him 'if lie knew anything about cars and said he had no idea. I couldn’t say who cranked the car to start it. All the service cars had passed the)m. My car was giving trouble. We went to Moku and pro-, cured oil and a. bottle of cordial.” The constable at Motu asked him if lie had seen the body of a dead n an on the road, and he told hilm he never saw one. He left Motu at about 3 and arrived in Gisborne at 7.30.

Detective McLeod suggested to witness that on turning the corner on Papamoa hill, he ran into a dead man lying on the road. Witness denied this and got very wrath and accused the detectives of endeavouring in Gisborne on May 10, to make a false statement and it was like the detectives’ “cheek” to suggest that lie ran into a body and moved it. He did no such thing..

'The Coroner .told witness he was not answering the questions put. to him very satisfactorily and must curb his temper.

Witness replied he wa.s indignant at the accusations being cast at him. He declared he did not have any liquor at Motu. While in the car, he had not seen a dead man and if he had, lie would have reported it to the police. Willi aim Ewart Richardson, retired, of Remuera, stated he accompanied the previous witness in the car from Auckland to Gisllnorne. He practically corroborated the previous witness’ statement. He staled that the (roadman cranked the car at. Papamoa hill. He recognised him as the deceased bv a'photo in the papers. This witness also denied the detective’s suggestion that they ran into the body of a dead roadman and moved the body lo the side of the road. * To the. detective: He was wearing the same overcoat as he had on the day of May 9. He did not know what stains were on the side of tha coat. TTp got them on the trip. The detective said ho would collect the co'at afterwards. ' •Witness said he could not account that 15 Intimites after passing the man, he was found dead. To the coroner: The man was dressed in a dark shirt, his sleeves were rolled up and he wore no coat. He did not notice a coat, hag nr shovel on the side of the road. The man was well spoken. He could only guess at the time of the various .incident's which happened. The 'case wtos adjourned till 10 o’clock to-morrow.

DEATH FOIMD TO BE ACICIFDEINT. Opotiki, Last. Night. The inquest on Samuel McAleese was concluded to-day. Constable A. Breed in evidence stated that he hade a search by torchlight, but only found a stud fvo|m a car curtain. A search of deceased’s camp revealed no trace to suggest that he would commit suicide, nor any trace of robbery. The wounds on the face could have been caused by a cair wheel. Witness noticed an imprint on the left cheek of a squashing nature. When the body was found, he was' not aware the deceased was shot. Detective White, stationed at

Hamilton, stated that,what impresr sed him was the absence of blood stains. The locality was a rocky nature. He was conversant with pea rifles and gave a demonstration. Witness was present at Gisborne when Nond gave a statement. He was in no way “bluffed.” He was given, the statement when finished 'and read it over’ and signed it. Witness examined Noad’s car in the garage at Gisborne. When seen, the tray under the engine had been removed. All studs on the curtains were complete. He was of opinion death was' accidental, but the body had certainly been moved.

Dot active-Sergeant McLeod, of Gisborne, said only one snot showed blood stains, where flic body was first found. Witness gave a resume of the cars and .persons passing the locality during the day of the tragedy. The only persons who had been in the vicinity between 1 and 2 o’clock weii’e Noad and Richardson. TTe was satisfied the body had been moved but by whom, he was not. prepared to say. The coroner stated to the jury that the case from the outset had been shrouded in mystery. Thev could put out of their minds a theory of suicide or murder, on account of the absence of motive. That death might have been accidental had been demonstrated by Detective Kelly and the manager of the C.A.C. and the doctor’s, evidence showed such a cause was within the range of possibility. The body seemed to have been shifted but by whom, was not disclosed. Noad and Richardson, in evidence, had stated deceased had cranked their car. If it heir evidence was to be believed, who then, shifted the body? The jutry’s finding was that Samuel McAleese came bv Iris death on May 9 by a gunshot wound from his own rifle, accidentally discharged. The jury was of opinion that the facial injuries were received after death had occurred. There was no evidence to show how these facial injuries had boon received or by whom the body was removed. .A rider was added as to the dangerous nature of the pea rifle as a firearm. The jury also complimented I hr-poh'oe on the (methods adopted during the inquiry. The coroner expressed himself as being in accord with the finding’.