The Rottman Murder Case

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 35, 12 February 1915, Page 8

The Rottman Murder Case

THE RUAHfINE MURDER. TRIAL PROCEcDINU. PLEA OF INSANITY SET UP. Per Press .Association. AVanganui, IJ'eVuary il. At the hearing < J 0 e charge aga.nst Arthur llottman of having murdered Joseph - McCann, Lucy .Vary McCann, and John Joseph MoCauU on December 28, Wiliam Neill gave further ev. : chiice that he could not give hi ); a io!., as the bush was nearly finished licitman said he would not go homo till he had seen Dovoy ii. Uutoher and spent the- evening in the bath. In the afternoon the barman told accused lie world not sell him any su.re liquor. Aeci.sed referred to McCann as a go(» 1 fellow and did not seem to have any grudge against him. Thomas Jaems, storeman, of Manga, weka, for Monroe, who had a wholesale license, said that during December he supplied McCanns with eleven bottles of beer and one whisky, delivering the hamper on Christmas evening. He saw accused on the 28th about 9.31) in the morning riding into M'Donald's stables on a chestnut horse belonging, to McCann, Albert Patchett, eheesemaker, of Ruahine, said McCann had supplied milk since the factory opened in September, and so far as witness knew, McCann was a sober man. On Sunday, December 27, accused came to the factory and said he had a good time at Rangiwahia and looked as if he had had a night out, but spoke quite rationally. Accused said he was going home to have a sleep. On the 28th llottman brought the milk about 6.30. He was the first supplier that morning, and it was the first time he had ever been first. Witness remarked to accused that it was early, and he replied, '.'Joe is going away fleecing down at Sweet's." The milk that morning was not up to the average weight, being 551 b, or 1001 bs less than usual. Accused said, "Joe spilt some of the milk in putting it from one can to another." On Tuesday morning no milk came from McCann's, and witness and others went up to McCann's in the afternoon and tried the door of the house and knocked, but got no reply. Then they went to the cowshed, the door of which was shut. The body of McCann was found on the floor face down with a deep cut on the head. James Badland, mail contractor, said he saw Xeil and Rottmann at Rangiwhaia about 3 p.m. on Boxing Day. They were merry, though not drunk. Accused said, "As it is Boxing Day, it is up to M'Cann to milk the cows to-night, as I have done it before. I don't care if I get the sack, as T can go ami work for Xeil." On Monday witness met Rottmann at Mangaweka. In reply to a question put by witness, Rottmann said he did not get home until three o'clock on Sunday morning, and as M'Cann had the cheek to lock the back door he (Rottmann) had the cheek to go through the front door. He gave no answer to witness' inquiry about how he got on with M'Cann. Constable Essen, of Mangaweka, deposed that on Monday, December 28th, he saw Rottmann at Mangaweka, and told him that under the new regulations regarding aliens he would not be allowed to travel more than twenty miles from his place of residence without getting a police permit. Rottmann replied, "1 have no intention of leaving the district. I am too well off where I am." Next day witness visited M'Cann's house and found Rottmann's room in a disordered state, and at the head of the bed, next the' window, was a blood-stained sheet, and an axe covered with blood and hair outside the window. He made a search lor signs of the milk supposed to have been spilt, but failed to discover any. In the spare room he found a case about half full of quart beer bottles. There was no sign of any whisky. Cross-examined: Witness said he met Rottmann frequently, and ho was a steady, quiet fellow, and sober. He was prepared to give him a permit to travel anvwhereo he wanted to.

William Kelly, 1 a labourer employed at the lighthouse on Karori Rock, near Wellington, gave evidence as to accused coming to the lighthouse on December '2!)th. Accused said lie wanted a boat to get over to Pelorus Sound, and said he would go along the beach and get a boat lie saw there. Witness told him to go by the Nelson boat. Accused replied that the wharves were lined with detectives and police, who were arresting Germans. Accused added, "T would drown myself before I would let the police take me." Rottmann asked to be "put up" for the night, and witness agreed, on the understanding that he should leave in the morning. They had tea, and afterwards played cards and an accordeon. Accused was talking in his sleep during the njte;ht, but wit. ness could not understand him. Before they turned in accused asked if the door was locked. Next morning wns New Year's Day, and two newspapers came about 11 a.m. Accused read one, and witness the other; Accused said, "Have you come across the murder case yet?" Witness replied. "No," and accused started to read the report, but omitted any reference to the suspected person having worked on (lie Hiuemoa. When witness read it and saw the mention of the Hinemoa. be considered it was time to get out. Witness said he would go to town to get some letters. Accused said it was strange that witness wanted to go to town after read-

ing the murder case. Witness replied

that the boys would be out on t

Sunday, and explained that the other men were in town. Accused refused to go into town with witness. Accused said, "Don't let the police know I am here." Witness replied, "You are a sailor, and I am a sailor. There is no fear of that." Rottman tnen went over the hill in the direction of Makara.

Dr. TurnOull, of Mangaweka, gave evidence as to' the nature of the wounds inflicted on Mrs McCann and her infant. He was cross-examined at some length on the question of brain storms, impulsive insanity, the state of a man's mind after heavy drinking, etc.

| Counsel: Are you acquainted 1 with a case which occurred in Taranaki, in ■which a medical man visited a woman 'and shot her twice? He had been drinking heavily. Drs. Truby King and iieatti'e gave evidence. The doctor was acquitted on the ground of insanity.

Witness: All I know about that caso I read in the newspapers. To the Crown Prosecutor: Witness did not claim to be an authority on the question of insanity.

At 5.20 p.m. the Court adjourned to ten o'clock next morning.

Wanganui, February 12

The murder trial was resumed, and Dr. Turnbull, recalled, in reply to the Crown Prosecutor, said he had come to the conclusion that death had occurred 48 hours previous to his second examination on Wednesday morning.

Detective-Sergeant Rawle detailed the arrest of accused, who was found crouching down by the side of a tree, behind the Te Kamara homestead. Witness covered him with a revolver, telling him to put up his hands which lrfe did, at the same time saying: "If I am guilty I know what I have don." On leading accused out of the bush, witness charged him with ■murder, and he replied: "J am guilty. Cod punish the man who brought liquor into this country." Acting-Detective Dempsey, who assisted in the capture of accused, said the latter was very quiet when arrested and said: "1 had been drinking heavily." Later on he said: "When I got home the doors were locked. I had a bottle of whisky. J don't know where I got it."

Constable Crow, who escorted accused to Wellington after his committal at Mangaweka, stated that the latter said in the train: "On the morning of the 28th. of December I got home about 3 o'clock and went out with McCann to the cowbail. McCann was putting in a new board. I asked him to let me do it as 1 was a carpenter. He said: 'You are too full.' 1 said, T can swing an axe,' and swung it round my head, accidentally hitting McCann. T then slept for two hours and when 1 got up and saw McCann lying there I got another bottle of whisky and drunk it, wanting to kill myself. 1 then went to Mrs McCann's bedroom to tell her what I had done, and 1 don't remember anything more until I came to the cowbail and saw McCann. 1 got sober all at once and then put four kerosene tins of water into the milk and went to the factory.' " Witness understood accused received a telegram from Mr Wilford: "Wrife nothing, say nothing, do nothing."

.Mr C. Mackay, opening the case for the defence, said he was bound to admit the facts adduced by the prosecution, but the defence was that accused was not responsible for his action: in other words that he was insane. Diseases of the brain often resulted in insanity, and one form of insanity was delusion; another, fits of frenzy. A man was excused by law from crimes committed while under this frenzy. A most deadly and most Frequent cause of insanity was alcohol, which produced homicidal tendencies, where a person became, what was popularly known as "mad drunk." Hp asked the jury to bring in a verdict "not guilty" on the grounds of insanity, as accused was not in a state to know what he was doing. The jury's verdict in that case would not mean that accused would go free, but that he would bo detained in a prison, or mental hospital, during the pleasure of the Governor.