THE OPUNAKE MURDER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2403, 29 November 1880, Page 2

THE OPUNAKE MURDER.

SECOND EDITION

l Lv Tki.kuk.u'H.J Hawkka. XoV. 27. The inquest on the body ot' the murdeivd Al is> Dobio. was commenced at. noon on Saturday and proceeded until midnight,- when it was adjourned until Monday morning. Inspector dames and Sergeant Major Pullen are conducting the case. The first witness examined was Major Goring, who deposed as follows;Miss Alary Goble was a spinster, aged ]<). I last saw her on the morning of the 25th. Her body was found by a searching party at The body was I’ing about a mile and a quarter from Opunake, and was very cold. Deceased wore little jewellery and did not carry much cash, and what she wore was found on the body. Her clothes were much disarranged. At this stage the prisoners, the European Stannard,and Tuhi, ah'nxTc Karici, a Maori, were brought in ami charged with the murder. Mr Wilson Hursthouse was sworn as interpreter, and the evidence taken was translated and read to both, prisoners. The foreman of jury—Air Lyes-—de-posed—Alias Dohie brought a pencil to have it ■ sharpened at my store on the 25 th. She tjien left and went along the Taranaki road. 1 saw the Maori prisoner about half an hour later riding a black horse in the same direction. Observed prisoner had apparently two pairs of trousers on,an old ragged moleskin pair being on the outside. Wondered where he was going riding so fast. I saw him later at ny whare. about four and a half miles south of Opunake. The prisoner appeared frightened. This witness being recalled at a subsequent stage said he did not recognise the trousers produced as Tuhi’s, as the prisoner's were not so much torn. Another witness named Middleton, a hotel keeper, at Opunake, said he believed Tuhi had two pair of trousers on. After dinner he wanted to go to TeXgama for ahorse. Xcxtsawhim at 4.;>0 when he asked for a llask of brandy, which he took into the stable and broke. He Mas quite sober, but kept asking witness to buy him a pair of moleskins, and to loud him a bridle as his was broken.

W. Harvey a servant at the hotel,

states that ho lent Tuht an old bridle ill the evening, but none of the broken pieces produced corresponded with it. Constable Knowles said that Tula was brought from Pnnehu on Friday, but. not. searched, and that three halls w» re made on the road. b. Hickey, a boy of eleven years, proved finding a knife stained with blood, and with the letters T H cut on the handle, about 17 yards from ouc of the places where Constable Knowles said he halted withTuhi. Dr Carey stated that the stains of the knife appeared to be produced with blood. In reference to the prisoner Stannard the following was the principal evidence Thomas Ecilly, a laborer stated that he left his work six miics from Opunakc to go to town for provisions on the day of the murder. He reached town at'2. 30. p, in. On his way he met Constable McGrath and Stannard about a mile and a half from the scene of the murder. As lie was returning about 4. 40. be met Stannard leading a horse and riding a bay horse. 1 lie led horse was restive. Constable McGrath : Left Opunakc with Stannard, and passed a young lady with two black dogs about 40 yards from the Telegraph Office. Travelled with Stannard about eight miles. Saw no blood on Stannard at that lime. We arrived at Bishop’s, Witiora, about 3.30 p.m. Constable Wilson proved finding a hat underneath the bdoy of deceased, and a pair of trowsers much cut and stained with blood about throe yards away in the flax. The circumstantial evidence against Tnhi is believe !to be very strong. He, was seen riding in the direction Miss Dobie went. A pair of moleskin trousers, saturated with blood, found within three yards of the body was sworn to bo similar to what the prisoner wears. The trousers ho wore when arrested had blood on them, and a human hair corresponds in color and texture to the deceased's. Prisoner is supposed to have had two pair of trousers on —a moleskin outside, which ho is supposed to have thrown away, and corresponding with the pair found. Hone Pihama’s people passed hy the scene, and his daughter exclaimed:—“There is a horse, saddle, and bridle.’’ Nobody noticed it at the time, and subsequently bearing of the crime, heat once, in company with Mr iinrsthousc and Colonel Roberts, proceeded to the spot, and strange to say in pointing out where the horse was tied it turned out to he nearly the exact spot where the body was found. The horse is proved to be a black one, and similar to the one ridden hy the prisoner on that day. Referring to the murder, the “Taranaki Herald” says the spot is about a hundred yards from an uninhabited pah at To Ngamu, on the road loading to a hay of the same name, into which a stream called the Otaki runs. To Ngamu is about forty-seven miles from New Plymouth, and about, a mile from Opunakc. It is a place where the Opunaku Flax Company had their works. The land towards the sea is much broken and thickly covered with llax, small wood, and undergrowth which reaches to the edge of the stream. The spot is a very lonely one, and where such an atrocious crime could ho committed with impunity. Miss Mary Dobie, we learn, was about 2(1 years of age. She had pleasing features, was a most intelligent young lady. She excelled as an artist, and several of her sketches hare appeared from time to time in the “Graphic” newspaper. The “ Taranaki Herald's ” special telegraphs that a pair of pants much tom and smeared with blood, were found yesterday concealed in a llax bush dose by the spot of the murder, and also part of an old bridle newly broken. So intense is the excitement at Opunakc, that crowds of people are seen all day long going to and from the scene of the murder. News has just been received that the counter part of the broken bridle has been found this morning. The " Herald ” says a report reached town this afternoon that one native has been arrested on suspicion. An nrdor was received from the authorities to send out several R..M. forms, and also “ Johnstone’s Justice of the Peace,” from which we infer it is probable that one or more of the persons under arrest will be committed under the Coroner’s warrant. Wo hoar that Wircmu Kiugi of Tiuura was taken to see the body of the unfortunate young lady, and was asked his opinion as to whether it was the act of a Maori. The old chief shook his head and replied in the negative. saying that Maoris did not kill in that way. Dr Gibbs (late of Napier) is the coroner.