MURDER CHARGE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 261, 28 June 1932, Page 5

MURDER CHARGE

(Press Assn

WHANGAREI TRAGEDY MAORI YOUTH ON TRIAL FOLLOWING DEATH OF OLD MAN HEAD SMASHED IN

.— JBy Telegraph— -^opyrlgl>t).

WHANGAREI, Monday. Heta Fred Gardner, a quartercaste Maori, 16i years of age, was brought before the court charged today with the murder of George Crewe, aged 73 years, at Ruatangata on or about May 27. Evidence of a neighbour, George McDirmid, was to the effect that Crewe was found dead in bed in his hut with his head smashed in, evidently By an axe which was standing against a table alongside the bed. Witness visited the hut in consequenee of deceased not having been seen for some days. Several witnesses .gave evidence as to accused's movements prior to the tragedy. A Kirikopuni farmer, Charles John Bnrnett, for whom Gardner had worked some days, identified the horse which accused had admitted having taken. William Hardy said he passed the horse near the school half a mile from Crewe's place, the same afternoon. He saw a Maori boy eome from Crewe's hut. George Johnston, a native lad, identified the prisoner as the boy he had seen carrying a gun and said that accused had offered to sell the gun to him. Other witnesses also said that Gardner tried to sell them the gun. Went to the Police Constable McKay stated that accused came to the police station at 7.30 p.m. on May 27 with a man 'named Page, who had lost a watch and said he knew something about it. As accused said he had nothing to eat all day, witness took him to a' boarding house, where he took possession of two tins of cigarettes, a leather purse and a watch, nothing being known of the murder at this time. Constable Beasley, said that on the afternoon of May 28, before he was aware of the murder, he took Gardner to a spot where he said he Ieft his swag; among the contents was the gun, which accused said he got from an old man's hut at Ruatangata. Gardner was left with the chairman of the Maori Council at Otaika on the understanding that he would later appear in the children's c.ourt. Later in the afternoon the murder was discovered, and the police went to Otaika, where they awakeped accused and handcuffed him and led him to the police station. When he arrived at midnight, accused was taken to Detective-Sergeant Robertson's Office and interviewed by detectives and Inspector O'Hara. At this stage the hearing was adjourned until 9 to-morrow morning.