THE WOODVILLE MURDER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5215, 8 December 1877, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE WOODVILLE MURDER.

(From the Hawlce's Jiaij Herald, Nov. 30.) THE CORONER'S INQUEST.

The following evidence was taken at an inquest on the body of George Ollandt, held at the Woodville Hotel, Woodville, before Dr. Alexander ,Todd, coroner, and the following jury : —Messrs. Joseph Sowry (foreman), J. B. Ross, John Monteith, A. W. Hurst, C. Stacey, A. Peebles, W. Ridley, Edward Smith, James Linton, James Darcy, and P. C. Protches.

The prisoner Hans Thomsen was present. Samuel Henry Kemp, laborer, deposed: I know the prisoner. When I got up on Thursday morning last, George (the deceased) said breakfast was ready. I and two other boarders had our breakfast. We went into the front room. This was about 9 o'clock a.m. I stayed within some time, resting. I remember seeing one of those lodgers pay for their accommodation to George a short time afterwards. I told George I wanted a shilling's worth of matches. When he gave me the matches I said I might as well settle up with him at once. I paid him five shillings. I gave him a five-shilling piece, and shortly after I left the house. George was in the house at that time. After the body was found it was similarly dressed as when I saw George alive. He had no coat on when I saw him alive. I went a short distance up the road leading to Napier after leaving the house. I must have been away five or ten minutes, and returned straight down the road, and looked towards the house, but saw no one. I went down to Mr. Monteith's store, and returned to the prisoner's house about 1 p.m. I went straight to the front door, and took the first seat to the left inside the door. I took up a newspaper and was reading it for more than half-an-hour when Harry (Hans) Thomson came in and asked me if I had dined. I said, " No." He remarked, " Well, we have had our dinner long ago." I replied again I had not had mine. He said, " Then you had better come into the kitchen and get it there." I went into the kitchen, and Thomsen went out and brought in four cegs, which I had for my dinner. Shortly after that Mr. Monteith came in and asked for George, addressing himself to the prisoner, as he wanted him (George) to cut his hair. The prisoner replied that George was in the bush splitting palings. I then cut Mr. Monteith's hair. About an hour after, about 2 p.m., the prisoner said that the deceased had taken away some tea into the bush. This was the first time the prisoner mentioned that George was away. Mr. Reuben Collins came to the house with a load of bricks about 2 p.m., and asked where was George ? Prisoner replied he was out in the bush splitting palings, and told him where the deceased was splitting the palings. Collinsproceededtotheplaceand coooedforhim, Onhisreturn he said that hecould getnoanswer. As soon as I finished cutting Mr. Monteith's hair, Collins and I came into the back of the house, and I laid the comb and scissors on the prisoner's bunk, as I came out of the kitchen going towards the front. I left the prisoner in company with Mr. Monteith, aud did not return for twenty minutes or half an hour. When I went back I felt drowsy, and laid down on a sofa and slept. I woke about dusk, and the prisoner coming in I asked him if George had come back yet. He replied, no ; he had not returned yet, and might have gone up towards the settlement. He did not appear anxious about his mate's absence. After tea I mentioned the strangeness of George being absent, and the prisoner joked about it. He said George might have lost himself or gone up to the settlement. He said George was an old fool to lose himself, and that if he did not come home by next morning he would go and look for him. About 10.30 p.m. I turned in. I was awake for about half an hour. I heard some movements, but not unusual ones. I was up about 8 a.m.; I saw the prisoner in the dining-room. He said he was going to look for George, as he had found nothing of him. The prisoner had a mouthful to eat, and went in search of George, leaving us to help ourselves at breakfast. About half an hour after the prisoner left a search party went into the bush. I joined them. We went to where George had been supposed to have been working. We searched several places about the locality. We had to travel singly, owing to the thickness of the bush. When we got into a clear place we separated. After a while some one cried out, " What a horrible sight !" I looked, but could not see anything of the deceased; but saw the prisoner, who seemed to come from another direction. From where we were standing I could not possibly have seen the deceased where he was lying. The prisoner pointed to where deceased was lying, and said, in reply to my question, that it was George. Still I could not see the body of the deceased. From wheie I was standing to the body of the deceased the distance was about 64 feet, and owing to the thickness of the bush it was impossible to see a body lying there. When about 15 feet away I could only see the legs. I had to go very close before I could see what the condition of the body was. I saw a piece cut off the deceased's nose, his eye out of his head, and hi 3 mouth cut right across. He was lying on hi 3 back with his knees drawn up. A dice-box was on his breast covered with blood. A match-box was at the foot of a tree. When the prisoner lifted the body up he did not appear affected at the sight. I noticed that the prisoner took a piece of candle from under the body. A tree at the sjiot was charred as if a candle had been placed there, stuck between a supplejack and the tree. There were no dice in the box. The prisoner took what appeared to be a purse out of the deceased's pocket. We all looked for traces of blood and footmarks, but could find none. As there was no appearance of a scuffle at the spot, the body appeared to have been carried there. I was not surprised at the prisoner being arrested. The body was lying about a chain and a-half from where the deceased had been working. I identified the body as that of the late George Ollandt.

Cross-examined by the Prisoner : You did say to Collins that George was in the bush splitting palings. I was close to you when you. said " What a horrible sight," and I could not see the body. It was impossible for you to Bee the " horrible sight" from where you were standing. John Dudeek, farmer, deposed : I stopped at the accommodation-house last Thursday night. I asked if George OUandt was at home. The prisoner said lie went into the bush splitting paling', and had not returned yet. I took my horse to the Woodville Hotel, and on returning prisoner said he had been looking for George, but could not find him. He appeared very perplexed. After I had gone to bed I heard the prisoner moving about as if j;oing in and out. At breakfast I asked prisoner if he went to look after his mate. He said ho had, and would go again after he had had breakfast. He went, and when ho returned he said they had found George with his head all smashed. He made no further remark, save that I was to help myself to dinner. He borrowed a cloak strap from me. He appeared much confused. John James Murphy, publican, deposed : On Friday morning last, the 23rd inst., Mr. Fountain called at my house and said George OUandt, of the accommodation-house, was lost in the bush, and that he (Fountain) was going in search of him. He showed me a plan of a block of land where George was supposed to have been working, remarking that he could not see how George could possibly lose himHolf. We went together to the accommodation house. The prisoner came out, and showed us up to the stump where OUandt was supposed to be working. I saw on the stump a coat, two pipes, a knife, and a pannican, with something like tea in it ; I did not taste it. I noticed a billot of wood with a wedge sticking out of it, and also a maul-head with the handle broken off. Mr. Fountain picked up the broken handle, remarking that OUandt must have gone to look for a maul handle and had cut himself. I asked the prisoner what OUandt could have taken to cut the maul handle, as the axe was lying by. He said, "Perhaps he has taken the billhook; but I don't know if he has been working withiteither." Wewentontoanotherßtump, a few yards further on, where some pailings had been split. Mr. Fountain got on a tree that was lying on the ground, and said, " Wo will go across that way," pointing to a certain direction. The prisoner said, " No ; come this

way, perhaps we might find his tracks." I remarked that I did not think we could see any tracks. Prisoner said, " Yes ; here is one, and I know it. That is the sort of a boot George wears. lam certain he mentioned "that sort of a boot." We went on at a good pace, and every moment the prisoner would point to fresh tracks of the deceased, until we got on the road. He still called our attention to tracks until wo reached the saw-pit. Then we went a short distance in a northerly direction, say about a chain. I noticed one footprint coming from a northerly direction—in the opposite direction from that to which we were going. Wo decided to go up that road as far as Penfold's. The prisoner and Hutching (one of the search party) were to go the other road, as far as Sarrey's. We went to Penfold's and enquired from Mrs. Penfold if Ollandt had been there. We returned by a different route to the accommation-house. I saw Hutching there, and asked him if Ollandt had come home. He replied, "No." Fountain and I went inside and sat down. Fountain made some remark about the billhook to the prisoner, who replied," We have only one." We left, and went to my house, the Woodville Hotel. I then said it would not do to leave the the man in the bush, and we went back to the acCommodation-house. I asked the prisoner whether George had taken the billhook with him or not. He replied that he had forgotten, but he would go and see. He went into the dining-room, and returned in a very short time and said, " Yes, the billhook is gone." Six of us then started to make another search. The prisoner took us through the bush, remai'king, " This is the way George generally goes to his work." We went to the same stump, aDd over the same (racks as we had gone previously. We went to the sawpit, and then decided to make further search. I came out on the Napier-road, and saw Mr. Peebles coming from Woodville township. He proposed that we should go to Picton's sawpit. Before we reached it I heard the prisoner talking, and afterwards several voices. We went in the direction of the voices, and I asked what was the matter, was he (meaning the deceased) much hurt. Someone replied that he was dead. I went up to the body along with the others. Someone, I think the prisoner, proposed to move the body home. . I said the best thing would be to leave the body where it was, and to send for Constable Farmer. I advised the prisoner to go for the, constable. After the constable came the body was removed to the accommodationhouse. The prisoner appeared quite cool, calm, and collected. The prisoner had brought us twice past where the body was without noticing it. There was not much blood about the face, but a good deal about the neck. The ground had no appearance of having been disturbed. The delicate ferns were not even crushed. An old stick near the body had blood on it. It was a rotten stick, and would have broken if the body was thrown against it. The body was not there longer than about j twenty-four hours ; it was flyblown about the wounds.

Susan Davey deposed : On Friday last, about 11 a.m., the prisoner came to my house and asked me to come to his house and take charge of it. I asked where George was. He said that George was dead in the bush. I said I would rather he vrould get some other person. He said he would prefer my taking charge of the house. I did not notice the clock. He was on horseback. He had his head on the pommel of the saddle, and appeared to be laughing. I proceeded to Woodville. I got some tea for the boarders. Mr. Farmer asked me where he could put the body, and I said in the place where deceased had slept. I cleared the room, I noticed spots of blood on the pillow, and thought it strange that the pillow had no cose on it, as George had always used one to sleep on. The bed from where I took the clothes was made up. I lived in the house at one time for ab.mt seventeen days. George and the prisoner then appeared to be on good terms. About a month or five weeks ago I was at the house. George was at the table washing up the plates, &c. They appeared to have had some words before I got there. George asked the prisoner to wipe up for him, and the prisoner said, no ; he was engaged elsewhere. George said he regretted he ever had anything to do with the place or with the prisoner. The prisoner straightened up and said, " You won't regret it long, you old b——." He, clenched his fist, and ground his teeth, and stared wildly. I thought it was his temper. Since I heard of the supposed murder I was much upset, thinking of the look and attitude of the prisoner at that time. On a certain day some time ago George told me he had a presentiment that something was going to happen, and that he could not sleep, as during the night he felt something come over his feet and crawl up his body and under his armpits ; that he jumped up and accidentally kicked over a kerosene tin ; and that he heard the handle of the door turn. He told mo another time that he had again the same feeling at 3 o'clock in the morning, and at 10 o'clock ; and he remarked to me, "Do you know what a gambler would do ?" I said I did not know. " Well," he said, " murder." To the Prisoner : I did not exaggerate in stating your appearance when you and George quarrelled. You never told me George was dead, when you called on horseback, until I asked you. After I left the door you were bending over the saddle and appeared to be laughing. . To the Coroner : The prisoner told me that he slept in George's room on the night when George was away. That was not the room where I found the pillow referred to, but the next one.

Thomas Francis Fountain deposed : Last Friday, about 8.20 a.m., I went with Mr. Murphy and the prisoner in search of Ollandt. The prisoner led the way, showing us where the deceased was working. He said he saw a track in the soft part of the bush which resembled the mark of the deceased's boot. He also pointed out several other tracks as he went along. We went up a by-road following these tracks, and Mr. Murphy saw a footprint in an opposite direction. We came back to the saw-pit, and agreed to' divide. Mr. Murphy and I did not keep together. I heard some person calling out. The prisoner exclaimed, " Here he is." Immediately after he aid, " W nat a horrible sight!"—or "plight." I was half a chain from the prisoner when I heard the voice, but did not see him or anyone else. When I went up to the prisoner he was pointing to some object in the bush. I looked in the direction. I walked several yards before I could .hoc the body. No one spoke except the prisoner, who exclaimed " What could have done it?" After a few seconds, I said I believed ho had been murdered, aud that the instrument used must have been a billhook. When I first went to the accommodationhouse in the morning, tho prisoner told me that Ollandt had been absent from about 11 o'clock the day before. I was astonished that the prisoner had made no search for the deceased. He appeared very cool and unconcerned. When the prisoner called out I don't think he could possibly see tho body clearly from where he was standing. Since that time I have examined the place, and am of opinion that the prisoner could not have seen the condition of the deceased from where he was standing when lie called out " What a horrible Bight." When I remarked that the deceased was killed with a billhook, he said, " Who could have done it V I have done business with the prisoner and the deceased. The prisoner repeatedly blamed his partner as to the way of carrying on the business, and said he hated the sight of him. He said so with a strong feeling of hatred aud dislike, and in a serious manner. A personal dislike existed between them, but more strongly on the prisoner's side. They were joint partners in the business of a bakery and accommoda-tion-house keeping. The last time the prisoner expressed this feeling of dislike was about five weeks ago. The prisoner showed no signs of sorrow or distress when he saw the Btate of the deceased.

To the Prisoner : When I heard your voice I did not Bee you. I do not know if it were possible for any of the others to see you when you called ont. I have remarked to you that George waa not a good business man, and that he was of a very aggravating disposition, but I cannot say if I said'that if I had anything to do with him I would kick him out of the house several times a day to keep hiin in good

temper. I do not remember saying that the deceased was a rogue, although I might have said he was mean and of an aggravating disposition, but he was strictly honest and upright ; he never insulted me. Charles Bevan deposed : I joined a party at the accommodation-house, and having searched the large blocks, suburban sections Nos. 15 and 16, we searched also block 20, and then town lot No. 12, where we found the body about 11 o'clock. The first I heard of it was Thomsen crying out "Aye." He was a few yards in advance. I made straight for him, and came out close to the stump of a tree. He was then about 6ft. from me. I and the others cried out " Where ?" and Thomsen said, "There," pointing; "terrible sight,"or "plight." At that time I could see nothing of the body of deceased. We advanced to the end of the cross-cut log and could then see the legs of a man. We advanced to the body. Thomsen put his hand under the body and pulled out a piece of candle. There was no appearance of any struggle, nor of any instrument that would cause death. I noticed a burnt place on a tree close to the body. Some tallow was on the moss underneath, and there were matches scattered about. At the bottom of the tree, near a small hole, a box of matches was found. I was over the ground since, and I could not see the body from where the prisoner was standing when he pointed it out, and made the remark of "What a terrible sight," and the prisoner most decidedly could not see see it.

To a Juror: The prisoner did not appear to be in any way excited. He only remarked " Poor George; speak, old boy." He found the candle of his own accord. He almost immediately placed his hand under the body and took out the candle from underneath. When starting from the accommodation-house with the searching party, I asked the prisoner if George had the axe with him. He said, yes, but that a billhook was missing. He went into the bakehouse to look for it, and then into the floorhouse, but could not find it. He then saidhe supposed that George must have it with him. On seeing the wound I believed it to have been done with a billhook. Deceased told me last week that they were going to leave the house. I laughed at the idea, and he said he expected two persons from Palmerston to give him an offer for it. I do not think it possible that the prisoner could have gone closer to the body and then returned when he cried out.

To the Prisoner : I was close behind you when you came to the body. I am quite certain you could not see the body from where you were standing when you first noticed the body. lam quite sure you could not see the body, for I had to go to the end of the crosscut logs and stoop down before I could see anything of the body, and then the legs could only be seen. I was on the ground since, and the face of the body could not be seen. James Hutching deposed : I went with the search party last Friday morning. When we came to where the body was found I heard Thomsen cry out, "Aye, what a horrible sight!" I could not see the body from where I stood, and I don't think the prisoner could. We* had to go within 20 feet of the body before we could notice it. I have seen the bush several times since, and I am positive the body could not have been seen from where the prisoner was standing. To a Juror : I do not think, independently of height, that anyone could see the body from where the prisoner was standing. He was not in any way put about when he saw the body. He said, " How did this accident happen ?" and some one said, "It was no accident; it was foul play." The prisoner made no further reply. To the Prisoner : I cannot say we were together entering the bush ; you were about a quarter of a chain in advance of me. On Thursday night I heard you say, " What a lark about George being lost in the bush ; and how excited he will be."

John Penfold deposed : On Thursday morning I saw George. He went to work at 11 o'clock. He was in his shirt sleeves, and had no coat on his arm. He had nothing on. his head. He had not a pannican of tea in his hand. I served the house with milk. The prisoner was peeling potatoes in the kitchen. James Picton deposed : I saw the prisoner last Thursday about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I heard a cooey, and afterwards saw the prisoner carrying some palings on his left shoulder. I asked him if he had cooeed, and he said yes. He was coming from the direction where the palings were split. He said nothing to me about George being missing. To the Jury : I did not see the prisoner go to the place where the palings were split. I heard no one working in that direction that day. If anyone had been working there I would have been sure to have heard it. Charles Dooney deposed : I had a conversation with the prisoner last Thursday evening about George being missing. Hutching and Kemp were present. I asked if anyone had been to see about George or not. The prisoner said that when he found that George did not come home to dinner, he went to where George had been splitting palings, but he was not there. The prisoner said that he felt in a " pelt" with George for going away without saying anything about arrangements for dinner, and that being in a " pelt" he took up a load of palings,and brought them out. He said he did not come, the usual way, but came by Picton's tent. I had another conversation with the prisoner on Friday night. I said I hoped the vjllian who did the act would meet with the full penalty of the law. He concurred with me, and said it was a villainous act. He suggested that more than one person could have done the deed, "for," he said, "do you mean to tell me that one man could take George to the place where the body was found ?" I said I thought so too. Constable John Farmer deposed : On Friday, November 23, the prisoner came to me at Tahorite and told me that a man was found in the bush at Woodville dead. He said it was George Ollandt. I asked him whereabouts in the bush. He informed me, and said that one of his eyes was out, and that his face was cut. I proceeded to the place at once. [The witness described the appearance of the body, &c, and the articles that were found near it, adding to those already mentioned that there was a leaf from the " Free Methodist Quarterly Magazine."] I searched the body, and found two"pockethandkerchiefs and a sixpence in the pockets. At a place where someone had been cutting palings I found the coat produced. There were also two pipes, a knife, and a pannican with tea in it on a stump. The pocketbook produced, containing Rome stamps, was in the pocket of the coat. There was a maul and also an axe about where the deceased was supposed to have been working. I removed the body to the house. I ioolced through the house, but did not disturb anything. Constable Gillespie and I arrested the prisoner for murder on Saturday. On that morning the prisoner informed me that he had found the billhook, and he pointed it out to me in the kitchen. I found a bag in the house with a few bloo'd stains on it. There were four towels in George's room. The prisoner showed us where there were a cheque for £l6, one £5 note, two sovereigns, three ones, and 3d., also nineteen coppers. This money was found in George's room. Three dice were also found in deceased's room. I found the corresponding portion of the magazine that was found at the body of deceased, at the house ; it is the next, leaf. The place was pointed out to me where George was supposed to have been working in the bush. Constable John Gillespie deposed : I arrived at Woodville early on Saturday morning. I went to the house where deceased was lying, and met Constable Farmer. I asked him the particulars of the case. I went in and viewed the body, and I saw the prisoner writing in one of the rooms on the left as you entered. I spoke ■ to him, said " Good morning." He only nodded his head. I then went into the kitchen. Previous to going in I asked Constable Farmer if he suspected anyone. He said it was a mysterious case, he hardly knew what to think of it, and that it looked curious towards the prisoner. The prisoner then came into the kitchen. I asked him a few questions, among them if he knew anything about this matter. He said "No, it was a very mysterious affair." Ho told mo he last saw his mate alive about 9.30 or 10 a.m. on Thursday, at the back of the kitchen. Ho said he went to look for

■ his male about dusk in the evening where he was supposed to have been working, and not bting able to find him, he brought a load of palings with him. He said he had been employed during the day about hishouse doing his usual work, and that his mate was knocking about the place. From the prisoner's actions and appearance, I arrested him on suspicion. I cautioned him in the usual way, searched him, and took a purse containing four £1 -notes, one sovereign, 7s. 9d. in silver, some stamps —receipt and postage. The prisoner requested that someone should remain in charge of tho house. He stated that there was a Bum of money in the bedroom he wished the police to take charge of, which I did. I went back and made a search. I found the coat produced in the prisoner's house. It had some marks of blood on it. I then went to the place where the body had been, and returned to the accommodation-house and made another search. I found the three dice wrapped up in a piece of paper—a leaf of a magazine. All the things found have been handed over to Constable Farmer.

Sydney Skermin deposed : I am a legally qualified medical practitioner residing at Palmerston. I made a post-mortem examination of the body of George Ollandt. Deceased was a man of medium size and strength, about sft. Bin. in height. Decomposition had set in over the face, which was much lacerated. Blood was effused over the upper part of the shirt. The hair on the back of the head was blooded. There was a jagged cut on the left cheek four inches in length, extending from the angle of the jaw to the mouth. The inferior maxillary bone was laid bare from the angle. The cavity of the mouth was opened beyond this, through the cheek. The upper lip was cut superficially. The cut was gaping, opening the mouth from the right side. There was a superficial cut on the right side of the nose. On the left side of the forehead a large, irregular, triangular piece of skin and tissue had been scraped off from the frontal bone. The apex of the triangle was rounded. The eye-ball appeared to have been pierced, wounded, and collapsed towards the outer side of the orbit. The base of the triangle joined this cut just above the eyebrow, and extended outwards, running parallel to the eyebrow, to a point half an inch above the outer angle of the orbit. [Tho witness described minutely the cuts about the face.] On taking off the skull cap I found no fracture, nor could I detect any bruises or effusion of blood either on the surface or in the substance of the brain. The vessels of the brain were full of blood. From the appearance of the wounds I should be inclined to believe that the cuts were done with a semi-sharp instrument, and from the absence of injury or bruises on the cranium, I should not imagine the instrument to have been very heavy. The inner side of the triangular cut seemed to correspond with the notches on the billhook produced. I consider that the deceased met his death in consequence of the injuries he received. To the Prisoner : A quantity of blood would be found near the body where the act was perpetrated. I think the wounds were caused by a billhook. The piece of missing flesh was taken away by an instrument like a knife. The murder was committed with a semi-sharp instrument.

The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased was murdered by Hans Tkomsen, and the Coroner thereupon committed the prisoner for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court at Napier.