RONGAHERE MURDER

Southland Times, Issue 18831, 26 May 1920, Page 5

RONGAHERE MURDER

SHARP BEFORE THE COURT.

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

(Per United Press Association.)

DUNEDIN. Mav 23

As lim result of the tragedy at Ronpahere on May 10, when a farmer named John Sharp, aged 72, is alleged to have fatally injured Ids daughter in a fit of temper, Sharp was charged to-dny at Balclutha, betore Mr K. D. Mosley, S.M., with murdering Sophia McLean Sharp, aged 7.

Constable Findlay saui lie ’.vent to Rongahere on the morning of May Ifi and there saw deceased lying on a sofa. She wart unconscious, and had several injuries on her head. One of her fingers was also badly broken. A doctor attended her and arranged to remove her to the Dunedin Hospital. lie took her in his car. and returned an hour and a half later with the body of the girl, she having died on the way. Witness found the stick, produced, about ten yards outside the front door of accused’s house. A quantity of hair was attached to the stick, and there was a pool of blood near where it was lying. David Ireland said that he found deceased lying on the ground insensible. Her head and face were covered with blood. Witness removed her to his house and sent for a doctor. When the depositions of the last two witnesses were read over to accused he remarked. “It's the wrong stick.” S'rgeent Kidd said (hat on the morning of May If accused called at the police station at Lawrence and told him that he had assaulted Ids little daughter Sophia and he thought her injuries were of a serjous na turn. Witness asked him why he had as-

saulted her, and he replied that his oldest daughter lior! assaulted him on the previous night by ra’ehing him by his whiskers nnd throwing him on to the floor, and that her three youngest sister? assistcr her to assault him. After getting free, he said, he picked up a piece of wood from a box and ran after the older girls, hut he was unable to cetch lliem. On his way hack to the house he met Sophia and struck her with the piece of wood. Witness then arrested him, and later ascertained that the girl was dead. Witne 1 ?, told accused that she was dead. He replied that she. was as well dead ns to be half alive for the remainder of her life-. Witness then charged him with murder. lie made a statement in which he said he struck deceased with a piece of wood on the head. Cross-examined, witness said accused was examined by two doctors in the Lawrence lockup as to hi? .state of mind. Accused, who is very dull of hearing, reserved his defence and was committed for trial at the sitting of the Supreme Court at Dunedin in August. Bail was not asked for.

At the adjourned inquest on the victim of the murder, the Coroner returned a verdict that death was due to a fractured skull with concussion and laceration of the brain substance, caused by blows inflicted by the girl’s father.