SHOTS FIRED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 505, 12 April 1933, Page 5

SHOTS FIRED

(Special to "P'ost.")

TE PUKE SENSATI'ON YOUNiG MAN CHA'RGED WITH ATTEMPTjED MURDER FARMER'S NARROW ESCiPE

Te Puke, Tuesday. On the evening of Siinday, March 29, when Mr. and Mrs. James Kerr Broad and their son and daughter wiere sitting at table in the kitchen of their home at Mangatoi, nine miles from Te Puke, they were disturbed by a shot smashing a window and lodging in the wall in the direct line of Mr. Broad's head. Another shot struck a picture. Mr. Broad extinguished the light and went cutslde, but wias unable to 'discover anyone. The following day Colin Alfred Jensen, farm hand, aged 25 years, was arrested and charged with attempted murder. He appeared before the Court at Te Puke and was remanded to Hamilton and again to Te Puke, where he appeared again this morning before Messrs H. A. Washer and George Sweetman, J's.P. Accused was represented by Mr. L. E. Manning, of Te Puke, and pleaded not guilty. Detective White, Hamilton, conducted the case for the police. Constable Naylor, of Hamilton, produced photographs of the locality, showing the position in which Mr. Broad was sitting when the shots were fired. Reginald Jensen, brother of accused gave evidence that he purchased .32 cartridges on the evening of March 25 and gave them to his brother. ^ Alleged Admissions by Accused Detective A. J. White, of Hamilton, gave evidence that as a result of information received from Cofnstable G. B. Jackson he visited the Broads' home at Mangatoi. He observed two holes through the lower pane of glass in the kitchen window. He made a general examination of the place. Among articles picked up in the vicinity were a motor cyclist's leather helmet, a red-coloured handkerchief and a sheath knife and belt. Detective White said, with' Constable Jackson, he traced the horseshoe marks towards Te Puke to the accused's house, 12 or 13 miles from Broad's place. He interviewed the accused, who said he left home on Saturday evening about 7 o'clock, and met two strange men, who offered him a drink which he accepted. "The drink nearly burned my inside out and afterwards I don't know what happened," the accused had said- When told about the shooting he said: "I will admit it." He observed to his mother: "I did it. I am had. I can't help it." His mother replied that he oughti to be horsewhipped.

"Accused then signed a statement, which Detective White read. In the statement the accused said he lived with his parents, share-milk-mg at (Rangiuru, near Te Puke. He obtained some .32 calibre cartridges on Saturday, March 25, from his brother Reg., and left home by horse- l back at 7 p.m., for the Broads' farm. He intended getting a revolver from Dick Broad's hut, and firing some shots into the Broads' house to frighten them. His object in frightening them was because the girl, Avis Broad, had told lies about him. He used to keep company with her about a year ago. The accused said he cut the telephone wires from Douglas's house near by with a pair of pliers, so that the Broads could not ring up the police after the shots were fired. He got the revolver from the hut, took off his shoes and, approached the Broads' house. He fired two shots through the window and did not know whether he hit anyone. He then returned home on his horse, throwing away the revolver and cartridges. He left Broad's about 10 p.m. and reached home about midnight. Detective White said he found the articles left by accused en xoute to his home from the Broads' place. He also found the cut telephone wires, the ends of which were produced. Two Shots Fired

Frederick Sydney Kerr Broad, sawmiller and farmer, of Mangatoi, said he lived with his three sons and daughter Avis. About 9.15 p.m. or.. March 25, he was sitting in the kitchen with his family, finishing supper. The window was closed, hut the blind was not drawn. A shot was fired ana the bullet passed close over his head and struck the wall behind him. A second shot followed immediately afterwards, and also passed close to him. He extinguished the lamp and ordered his family outside. He went out, hut could see and hear nohody He tried to get in touch with the police by telephone at Douglas's house nearby, but could get no reply. He knew the accused, who stayed a few days at his home last Easter. Accused had been friendly with his. daughter Avis. He was positive the two shots had been fired at him and not at any one else in the room. He knew of no reason why Jensen should fire the shots at him. Avis May Broad corroborated the evidence of the previous witness, and stated that the shots had gone nowhere near .her. She first' met Jensen in .Tanuarv. 1932. when she refused

an offer of marriage made by him. During Easter, 1932, sh'e was met by the accused at Te Puke on arrival 'by train from Auckland. Again he pro.posed marriage, and she declined. She saw Jensen in Auckland on the night of the riots in April, when she said she, would not marry him, hut they could always he friends. They parted good friends. She had corresponded with the. accused from January to Easter, 1932. She had ftot seen him since he left Auckland four days after the Auckland riots. A Revolver Missing . George Broad- gave eyidence that a revolver of .32 calibre and fiverchamb-

ered, was kept in a bag in a drawer in his hut. He had not seen it out of the bag in which it was kept for 12 months or more..He was at the home of a neighbour, Mr. Douglas, on the evening of the occurrence. About 9 o'clock he heard a noise as though the telephone line had been struck with a stick. About 10 o'clock his family arrived and reported the incident. lOn searching the hut" he found his rifle, shotgun and ammunition still there, but the revolver (which was the oue produced in court) missing. Committed for Trial . Mr, S. Manning, on- behalf of accused, plea.ded not guilty. He reservecl his defence, and was committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for. 'Jrial. ■ —