KARERE MURDER

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 70, 13 November 1931, Page 5

KARERE MURDER

(Press Assn.—

death of blakeway EVIDENCE OF ACCUSED YOUTHS MOVEMENTS ON FATAL NIGHT TESTS OF FIREARMS

-By Telegraph — Copyright.)

PALMERSTON N., Thurs. The hearing of the charge of rruurder against Norman Robert Decke, following the finding of the body of Edwin John Blakeway, at Karere on August 24, w'as resumed -before Mr. Stout, S.M. The Court was again crowded. Norman Peter Hansen, salesman for a firm of ironmongers, said be knew accused in a business capacity. Witness sold him a second-hand rifle on July 18 of .22 calibre. Accused bought two paclcets' of cartridges the same day. The rifle would take Nobel cartridges, which were branded with the letter "N" on the base. Accused called on witness on July 27 regarding the rifle, and complained that the firing pin was broken. A new firing pin was ordered. Eric Hollier, salesman with the same firm gave evidence that he sold two packets of .22 cartridges on July 27 but could not say if he sold them to Decke. No other similar cartridges Were sold that day. Henry William Smith, a farm hand, said that previous to June he worked for Saunders at Fitzherbert West. He met accused there, and occupied the same room. Accused owned a motorcycle. Continuing, witness said that on August 23, at 7.30 at night, accused rang him up at his residence at McKenzie Settlement, and said he was coming over for a while. He told witness that if he did not turn up for a while not to get disgusted and go to bed. Accused arrived at 8.30 and said he had had a spill. Had Graze on Ar.m Continuing his evidence, witness said accused had on overalls and a pair of gloves: Accused had asked the time when he arrived. Witness told him that the clock was half-an-hour fast. During supper accused sat right in front of the clock. Witness did not see anything attached to accused's motor-cycle. A gun could be there without being observed. Witness did not take particular notice. Accused had a graze on the arm when he arrived. To the Crown Solicitor witness replied that accused left about 10.30. Were the tyres all right? — yes, I felt them. Witness did not know which way accused went. Continuing, witness said that he rang accused the following day and asked him to go to the pictures. Accused replied that he was too tired, as he did not reach home till midnight. Accused gave no reason for being late home. When accused left witness on his motor-cycle on Sunday night a car from the opposite side of the road left five minutes after. To the Crown Solicitor, witness said he met accused in town on September 26 by arrangement. Accused had said that he had been having an exciting time. He had a puncture when going home on August 23. The Magistrate: Was that the first time he mentioned it? — Yes. Witness, continuing: I said a car had left Just after him and should have seen him if he had had a puncture. Accused replied that he did not know how they could miss seeing him. The Magistrate: Where was the puncture? Witness: On the Rangitikei Line. Accused said several cars passed while he was mending it. The Crown Solicitor: Did accused say anything in town about a rifle? Witness: No, but about shells. Accused said the shells he used were the same sort as he used down at Karere. The Crown Solicitor here said that witness seemed to be trying to see how little he could remember, and warned witness that the evidence would have to come out. Men With Motor Cycle Continuing, witness said accused told him that he had been interviewed by the police about the murder, but he did not tell witness what they said. Accused told witness that he had told the police that he was at witness' place that night. On October 24 witness asked accused if the police had been interviewing him again. Accused replied "No." Lucy Ann Fenwick, residing at Palmerston North, said tbat on August 23, with her husband and children, she went by car to the McKenzie Settlement. They left at 10.30. On their return they travelled by the Rangitikei Line. Just before they left they heard a motor-cycle start. Just before they turned up No. 4 Line they saw two men with a motor-cycle. They appeared to be repairing it. Witness saw no one when coming back. What Couple Heard Jens Envoldson, a farm hand, of Linton, said that be visited Miss Reid, who was employed at Saunders' place on Sunday, August 23, on a push cycle, which he left at the gate. Accused went out that night about 8.30 Witness went into a garage and sat in the back seat of a car with Miss Reid after accused's departure. Witness did not know how long they sat, but it was not long. After midnight accused came up the drive with a motorcycle. Witness did not hear the engine running, and did not know whether accused was riding it. Accused took the machine round to the cowshed,, and remained there for a few minntes. The Crown Solicitor: Did you hear him doing anything? Witness: It sounded as if he had dropped something. Accused then

went into the toolshed adjommg the garage and the light went on. The Crown Solicitor: Could you and Miss Reid see him? Witness: We did not look, but it would be possible to see him. The wall was of rough lining, with cracks between the boards. The Crown Solicitor: Did accused make any noise. Witness: He made a tapping sound on the concrete for a few seeonds. It also sounded as if something was swung on the wall. Accused was in t Continued on Page 6

KARERE MURDER

(Continued) the shed for- about five minutes. Accused then went to the Whare where he slept. Objection By Counsef. The Crown Solicitor asked if the tapping sound was consistent with cleaning a rifle. Counsel for aceused objeeted, and the objection was upheld. Continuing, witness said that on October 4 accused spoke to him in the cowshed, saying, "You wait till they get you at the inquest. What were you doing in the car?" Witness j replied, "I will be there." Accused I said, "I will see that they get you there." Louisa Frances Reid, a domestic servant, employed in August by Saunders, gave evidence that she knew accused. She gave similar evidence regarding the night of August 27. James Arthur Sharman, employed by Saunders as a farm hand, said accused occupied a whare with witness. Accused had a rifle, which he kept in a cupboard. On August 16 accused practised with it. On August 20 accused took it to the tool shed, saying that it was becoming knocked out. On August 23 he and accused went to witness' parents' place in town, returning to Saunders' farm later in the day, accused leaving at 7.30 at night. Witness did not hear accused return, but the latter told him that he came home about 12 o'clock. Subsequently witness had a conversation with accused, who said that Miss Reid was supposed to have heard or seen him cleaning a rifle in the toolshed after he came home on August 23. Accused told witness that he did not clean the rifle that night, but may have gone into the tool shed and handled it, and may have cocked it. Questioned by the Police On September 16 accused returned from the police station, and told witness that he had been questioned by the police, who informed him that he had been followed from Yerry's place that Sunday night, and people in a car said he did not stop. The police on August 24 took the rifle from the tool shed. They did not get a cleaning rod hanging in a cupboard in the whare. Accused did not know that they had not taken the rod until a few days later, when he said, "Here's something they missed." Accused pulled a rag off the cleaning rod and threw in in the fire, saying "That's a bit of evidence they won't get." Discussion About Rifle Frank V. Goode, farm hand stated that he met accused at a whare on the Sunday weelc before the tragedy. After discussing Decke's rifle witness asked him what was the firing range. Decke said he did not know as he had never shot anything with it. He then asked witness if he thought it would kill a man. Witness replied that it would if fired close enough. After the tragedy they also discussed the ' affair. Decke said the police had shown him a letter from Wellington, in which it was stated that the cartridges picked up at Karere had been fired out of his rifle. Witness told Decke that the police had been searching in front of the whare for cartridge cases. Decke replied that it was a pity they did not look a t the back as he had been firing one night out of the window. On another occasion Decke mentioned that Miss Reid had told the police that she had seen him cleaning his rifle when he came home on the Sunday night. Witness said to him "Surely you would not clean your rifle at that time of night." Decke had replied "I may have done and I may not, but I do not think so." Decke told him Blakeway never had any money on him. Witness said he took that to mean he had gone through Blakeway's pockets and had found nothing in them. He told him that Blakeway was not playing the game as he had a girl in Wellington. Also, that if the police found that he had diamond brand cartridges around the whare or had bought any recently he would be done for. "Threw Something In Fire" One night after Blakeway's death accused took down a box in the whare and then threw something into the fire, saying "here's some more b evidence the police won't get." It seemed like an old envelope. Donald Leslie Meehan stated that he saw Decke talking to his sister when accused made a threat that he would stop Blakeway from marrying Betty. Detective Russell related that on the evening of Monday August 24, he and Detective Barling visited Saunders' farm and saw accused who later was brought to the police station. Decke was told that Blakeway had been found shot. Witness asked accused to detail his movements the previous qight. He then made a statement which was typed out and signed. Decke stated that he went out to see Smith, leaving about 10.30 p.m. and arriving home at midnight. He had got off his bike near the Bunny-thorpe-Karanga Road to mend a puncture, having some difficulty in getting the tyre off. He was not on the Karere Road on Sunday night, but had gone along it in the afternoon when he went to Buchanan's. The last time he used the rifle was on August 16. He knew Blakeway and it was three months since he last saw him. That was at Otaki. He knew Blakeway was going with Betty Meehan and that was the principal reason for his going to see him at Otaki. He stated that if he had made a threat it was made in the heat of the moment. Tests of Firearms Witness detailed the test made with Decke's rifle and cartridges which he had taken to Dr. Hector at Wellington. At the same time he handed over several shells fired from various .22 calibre automatic rifies within a radius of 100 miles of Palmerston North. Detective Barling and Detective Power described the finding of two bullets during the seiving operations at the scene of the crime. Detective-Sergeant Doyle said he was present on September 16 when Inspector Cummings asked Decke if he had ever had a rowJ with Blakeway over Betty or anyone else. Accused stated "Not what you would call a row. I know that if I had had a row with Blakeway and he had been accidentally shot or killed through my defending myself I would be excused." Detective Cumming told Decke that ... w;

? ■ experts stated there was no doubt that the bullets found by the police were fired from his rifle. Accused said "Is that so? If my rifle were used to kill Blakeway it would look as if I was through." On October 31 Decke was brought to the police station and charged with the crime and he made no reply. At this stage the court adjourned.