EXPERT SAYS SHOT FIRED FROM RIFLE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 146, 12 February 1932, Page 5

EXPERT SAYS SHOT FIRED FROM RIFLE

(Press,. jAssn.

karere- murder DECKE'S TRIAL WILLt PROBABLY END TO-DAY ' . — - VERY" EXTENSIVE TESTS

— By Telegriiph — Copyright).

* PALMERSTON N., Thursday, The trial of__Norman Robert Decke on a charge of the allege'd murder .of Edwin John Blakeway At Karere m August last entered ujpo'n its fourth day to-day. The prqceedings opened- with the heari'ng "'of exjpert evidence concerning rifles and 'caftfi'dges, . Yhis will compllet'e the . testimony .in the case fbr the Crown and the trial will p'robably conclude late to-morrow... , Drictor Hector, .of Wellington, >.whh;# sai'd he had: extensive , expetience *ifi* microscopicai / Wox-k, including the taking >"of photo^-micrographs/ statedhe had received- :a Walthef rifle of .22 • calibre; number. 31342, and alsb"* other aiticles to test. Shots had been 1 fired. with the same hrand ofi- anx- ■> munition as that fhund -on the road- " side. ■ An examination of 'the shells ' disclosed that the .strik'er lim- * pression ; was pearishaped,* whirih ■ was: produced ' -only ■ by ' the Walther- rifle. ' Three shells* 'which . o also represerited the same character,'stic impression comprised1 on'e • picked up at the scene of the tragedy. • One test shell was fired with ac- ' nixxsed's rifle. The ones found neax the '• vhare had. c'eftaih exiractor 'and ' xjeetor Axarks _op them 'only* fo'uhd vith shells from the Walth'ei* rifle. - 1 Acctised's Rifle. Doctor Hector • stated that nme noints of agreement between-the t'eit^ hells from the susp'ect rifle 'and' Bfi'e h»f the shells obtaine'd on thfe i*badsi'd'e •had been found. Witness had "criih'e 0 the coriclusion that the shell f oufid . -*>n the r oadside arid the test shells axamined had been fired from the aarixe gun. /• -s ' ■ f •• None of the other rifles exafliihed had the same injxiry." " - 5 • • He was 'convinced -the' cartrid'g*es found on the schrie' of "the* nixirdef were fired friom Decke's rifle. 5 - l' ' - Tests had been m'ade of the bullet /ak'en frorir de'ceased's left lurig, the bullet having -f out grooves ahd four "limping Marks, the latter being chn'ined to Western amttiunitirin. The '•uliet found. on th'e Karere roadsidfe ihowed the same marks. - - '' '■* ' Dr. Hector said that none of the '00 shells fired froni thq other WAl,her rifles showe'd* the- sAm'e ■ fe'e'ofe mark, bnrst Bn the tim, or strike't 'nipression as th'e shells froni th'e SUSxect rifle. •*' • • ' * I Cross-examined witness said that vith the pullxng of the tfigger While lxe gun was unloaded any other Wa'l'her xdfie Would make A -similat injury to' the bafrel, but hot exactly the ame. It would hot be woi'n to the mme extent. • Witness stat'ed that prior to the Lov/er Court hearing • h'e spent 206 ' hours making th'e comparisoh tests lealt w|th in the evidehee. . Moire Expert Evidence Frederick Paliser Worleyy Profes--or of Chemistry at the j'Auckland University, said he had , had/ fexper'ence in'»examiriation of - bullets in 'he Dennis Gunn case. He had. been •nterested in guns all his life. He was ■ 'h agreement with th'e 'conclusion arrived at by Dr. Hector, having . examined all exhibits. , William DonoVan, .Dominion analyst gave the result *of investigations into the stains on the cleaning rags, put through Decke's, rifle. He detected the nresence of metallic copper- of a soluhle potassium - - cqmpound, . ahd xhalysis of a lead . hull e'fc found in Rlakeway's arm showed that it Was W estern ammunitiqn. From portion of Blakeway 's coat sleeyes he* ohtained a distinct re'action to the* potassium compound where it was powder stained. Prosecutiott Closes Sydney Tisdall, gun and rifle expert, said there was an obvious injury to the rim of the chamber of Decke's gun, caused by frequent releasing of the trigger when the gun Was empty. He was of the opinion that* the dttjury was peculiar to Waltheri rifles. Four grained rifles were inost •aneonimon,this being confined -to the Walther and the Savage, which had ja peculiar action of its own, in that it fired automatically as a repeater, or as a single shot gun. Shells ejectqd from Walther rifles could be identifled by the impriht 'of the striker, and secondly hy the a'dlative positions 'of the marks left-hy the Striker. Shells found on the road and. foxxnd in Decke's whare, "and fired by himself through accused's rifle, all bore the same charaeteristic maffiings of a Walther rifle, as well as the impression left hy-the injury of the rim of the chamher. , , , The case for the prosecutioh is eoncluded.. .. Mr. Ongley intimated that .he did not propose to call evidence, and the court adjourned untilv-the morriing, for couris'ers .a'ddress and His Honour's summing-xipx . ;