ATTACKED WITH KNIFE

Otago Witness, Issue 4033, 30 June 1931, Page 26

ATTACKED WITH KNIFE

AN AUCKLAND TRAGEDY WOMAN FATALLY STABBED GIRL WOUNDED IN ARM AUCKLAND, June 24. Just before 9 o’clock this morning, in Randolph street, Mrs Gwen Johnson, aged about 40, was stabbed to death and her daughter, Miss Queenie Driscoll, was wounded in the arm and Lysol was thrown in her face.

Cri.es of, “ He’s murdered her,” attracted the neighbours,- and a man was seen to stagger down the front steps leading from the house. His hands were covered in blood. He ran down the street, turned the corner, and leaped"' into a waiting taxi. Over two hours later a Maori named George Rameka, aged 36, was found in a house at Hepburn street. He was suffering from the effects of poison, and he was taken to the Auckland Hospital. His condition this afternoon was reported to have sufficiently improved to enable him to be questioned by detectives. Rameka’s full name is Pahara Rameka. He is a returned soldier.

A nine-roomed two-storeyed house near Newton road is where Mrs Johnson was murdered. It is the largest house,in the street and stands well back from the roadway. The murdered woman was found lying on the floor in a front upstairs bedroom. She was in her nightdress. Neither Mrs Johnson nor her daughter, who occupied the same bed, had got up. A graphic story of what happened was told by Mrs L. Keesing, a tenant of the house. “We had trouble with a Maori last night,” she said. “He came to the front door about 7.30 and threatened to commit suicide by taking poison. I said to him, *Do it outside, not in here,’ and I pushed him out of the door. After that we went to a dance in the Orange Hall with Mrs Johnson, Miss Queenie Driscoll, and Mrs Johnson’s son. Mr Sydney Driscoll.

" When we came home I had it in my mind that the Maori might be dead under the house/’ remarked Mrs Keesing. “ Before I was dressed this morning I was kneeling at my bedside saying my prayers when I heard Queenie calling out ‘Murder!’ from the upstairs bedroom where she slept with her mother. I knew instinctively what had happened. I grabbed a flatiron and rushed up to the bedroom. The door was locked from Jhe inside. I screamed, ‘Open the door.’ Inside, I heard Queenie screaming and I started to smash the door in with the flatiron. My efforts apparently frightened the person inside as the door was quickly unlocked and the Maori who had been at the front door the night before rushed out and made for me with his right arm raised. In his hand was a new sheath knife. I attacked him and caught hold of his raised arm and struck him with the iron. He made another rush at me and fortunately the French windows on to the balcony were open, so that I was able to escape. The Maoris staggered and fell downstairs.

Mrs Keesing said she went into the bedroom and found Mrs Johnson lying on the floor bleeding profusely from a deep wound in her right breast. She died shortly after. Queenie was bleeding from a stab in the right arm above th.* wrist, and was blinded by the poison which had been thrown in her face. Her right eye was closed. Mrs Keesing asked Queenie what had happened, but the girl could tell onlv an incoherent story. She said she had been in bed with her mother when th-* Maori entered the room, locked the door, and attacked her mother, who was asleep. Queenie tried to ward off the blow, and. being a strong girl had a short but fierce struggle with her mother’s assailant. In the struggle Queenie wa« wounded. As the man was leaving, Mrs Keesing screamed from the balcony: He s murdered her.” Her daughter. Myra, aged 9, also ran out screaming, and her mother told her to find a man to stop the Maori. Mrs Kcesing’s frantic cries brought Mi M. A. Marsden, who lives next door He went into Mrs Kcesing’s house and bandaged Miss Driscoll’s arm. He wen’ up to the bedroom where the murdered woman lay. and noticed in the doorway a new sheath knife and a flatiron. The knife was covered with blood. Mr Marsden said that the room was covered in blood. Miss Driscoll’s arm was cu’ through to the bone, and her right ey>was completely closed from the stinging effects ‘of the poison, said Mr Marsden She was walking about in a dazed wav.

An hour after the tragedy the* St John" Ambulance arrived to take Mis>Driscoll to the Auckland Hospital. Her face was red and swollen, particularly her lips. Dr -Moore, of Newton road, was tlm first medical man to arrive. He dressed Miss Driscoll’s wounds. He said that Mrs Johnson had been stabbed with <i knife. Mrs Kecsing’s daughter said that when the Maori arrived at the house last night Mrs Johnson said. “It is not Queenie he wants to do harm to; it is me. Myra said her mother said: “ Don’t be frightened. I’ll put him out,” and she did. Mrs Johnson was twice married, the second time about 12 months ago. Her husband is due in Auckland on Monday by the Niagara on which he is a steward. Immediately the murder was reported Sub-inspector Gibson, in charge of detectives, organised a search for the Maori, who had been seen in the house. Numbers of detectives scoured the city, where it was thought he might be, while Detective-sergeant O’Sullivan and detective Moore watched the railway station as it was thought likely he might board the Rotorua express. Detective Bowman then decided to visit the vicinity of Freeman’s Bay where he knew several families of Maoris lived. Detective Moore accompanied him and after visiting several houses in Baker street, they went to a small twostoreyed house at Hepburn street, Freeman’s Bay, occupied by Mrs Murphy a cousin of Rameka. Detective Bow man ascertained that Rameka had been there early this morning, but had been removed to the hospital as the result of poisoning only a few minutes before the arrival of the detectives.

Mrs Murphy was unaware that Rameka was being sought concerning the murder. She said that Rameka, who previously resided in the house, arrived there about 9 o’clock this morning in a taxi.. He .went into her bedroom, and she said “ Good morning ” to him. He did not reply. He seemed very quiet, and would not speak. She pressed him, and wanted to know what was w-rong. and then he said he had “ done something bad.” “What’s wrong? What have you done ? ” she asked. “You’ll know later,” *said Rameka handing a sealed letter to his cousin. Rameka then said: “Give this to my father. Do'that for me. This is the end of my life.” Rameka left the bedroom and went out into the kitchen, where he washed his hands in the sink. When Rameka returned to the bedroom Mrs Murphy again asked him what had gone wrong and why he should talk of taking his life. “Because my girl has turned me down, and all her people too,” said Rameka.

Rameka then began to foam af'the mouth, and collapsed on the floor unconscious. Dr Lamb was summoned, and, arriving shortly afterwards, he attended to Rameka and telephoned to the Freeman’s Bay police. Constable Higgins

was quickly on the scene, and Rameka was taken to the hospital in the ambulance.

While these two detectives were busy at Mrs Murphy’s house Detective ; ser geant Martin arrived in company with Wini Andrews, another Maori, at whose home Rameka had been staying for some time. Interviewed, Wini Andrews said that Rameka until last Christmas stayed at Mrs Murphy’s house, but early this year he moved into Hobson street. Then he went to live in Symonds street, and then to Grafton road. From there he went to reside with Wini Andrews and his mother at Brighton road. Parnell. “ Rameka was working on relief works until last Thursday, when he was in-' jured, and had to stop work,” said Andrews. “He had been to the doctoi yesterday, and the doctor told him lit* could start again to-morrow (Thursday) Rameka seemed al] right yesterday aftei noon, and returned home about 5 p.m After tea Rameka went out, and re turned an hour afterwards. He was all right, and was joking and seemed quite happy. He slept in the same room as I did This morning he "ot up at 5 o’clock and left the house without having any breakfast. That was the last I saw of him. He never told me where he was going.” OPENING OF THE INQUEST MAORI’S CONDITION SHOWS lAI- - PROVEAIENT. 45 AUCKLAND. June 25. The inquest was opened to-day concerning the death of Mrs Gwen Johnson, who was stabbed yesterday. Evidence was given by Mrs Keesing along the lines of the statement which she made yesterday, and the inquiry was adjourned sine die. Queenie Driscoll, the dead woman’s daughter, is suffering severely from shock but is progressing favourably. George Rameka, who has a policeman at his bedside day and night, is recovering quickly from the effects of the poison.