The Onewhero Tragedy.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 37, 15 February 1915, Page 8

The Onewhero Tragedy.

ARREST OF NORMAN NEALS

CONFESSION OF THE CRIME.

Per Press iAssociation

Auckland, February 14

The young man, Norman Reals, wanted on a charge of murder in connection with the death of his sister-in-law, Mrs Edith Emma Reals, and of the abduction of her baby, was arrested yesterday afternoon.

The body of the missing child was also found.

Over one hundred settlers assisted the police in gradually drawing in the cordon which surrounded the area of bush in which Reals was believed to be hiding. Reals was driven from cover to cover in densely timbered country, and was ultimately caught hiding in a tree. When called upon to surrender, he did so without showing any resistance, and was immedufcbely surrounded and handcuffed. The man was in a pitiable state, and his face and clothing bore evidence of th A terrible ordeal he has passed through during the past five da vs.

The first irr.nirv of those making the arrest was naturally in regard to the Ijaljyv and Reals indicated where it would he found. The searchers accompanied him to a spot near the Opuatia Creek, where the body of the six-weeks-old baby boy was found. The man was secured in some dense bush, not far distant from the Reals’ homestead.

REVENGE AS TfrSE MOTIVE.

ORIGINAL INTENTION TO SHOOT

THE WHOLE FAMILY.

HE STRANGLED THE BABY.

Norman Reals lias signed a confession, containing (inter alia) the following ;—On Tuesday lie fired a shot at his sister-in-law. Afterwards lie did not like to leave the baby, as it was singing out. He took it out, and within five.minutes strangled it. He described the place where he left the body under a tree. He had gone to the house on Monday night, intending to kill ins brother, and all of them, but after he had fired one shot he thought he had done enough. His motive for the crime was revenge, because when fie was in Australia he heard that an interest in the'property near Onewhero had been taken away from him.

THE STORY OF THE MAN-HUNT. A COLD BLOODED CRIME. Auckland, February 15. Details 6f the capture of Norman Reals show that a force of about 200 police, settlers, and Maoris searched the bush near Reals’ house all Saturday morning. Early in the afternoon a cry was raised about a mile from the house that Reals had been sighted. The alarm had been raised by a small party of searchers, who had just been on the point of‘leaving this particular portion of 50 or 60 acres of bush close to the house. One of them had noticed a rata, the trunk of which leaned well over and was easily scaleable, and on which grew in. thick profusion great clusters of Kiekie tree, was in full view' of the house. As ho called to his companions to come back with him to examine the tree more closely, a young settler saw a man scramble cut of the tree and disappear into the bush. It was then that the hue and cry was raised. The man ran out of the hush into the open and then, guided by the cries of those who were hot on the trail of the criminal, who ran in under cover again, the rest joined in pursuit. Soon news came through from the bush that the quarry had dropped an unloaded revolver, and it was realised that Reals could no longer do any material harm either to his pursuers or to himself. The hunt had been in progress for three quarters of an hour when a Maori was heard to cry: “All right—-we got him.” Down in a little clearing at the bottom of the bush gully Reals had been brought to hay. A party of Maoris had come across him lying full length against a log. Standing off a few yards the Maori raised a double barrelled shot gun to his shoulder and covered his man. “I shoot no man,” he said, “put up your hands.” Raising himself from the ground, the man threw up his hands, and with the remark, “I’m done,” quietly surrendered. Detectives Powell and Sweeney formally took him in custody, and charged him with murder. He displayed complete indifference, and voluntarily made a confession (the terms of which appear above). In conclusion, the captive calmly remarked, “Well, it is all over now, and L suppose i have to face the music.” The search party was despatched to the spot where Reals had stated lie had left the body of the infant. It was at the top of a high and comparatively Imre ridge, in full view of the house, and about a mile distant. r lhere the seekers found the remains. REALS BEFORE THE COURT. Later. At the Police Court, Norman Reals was charged with the minder of Mrs Edith Reals and her infant, and was remanded for eight days.