THE RAMARAMA TRAGEDY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 32, 6 October 1915, Page 5

THE RAMARAMA TRAGEDY.

. i J i'M : i*' • U) r. i [ ;in ACCUSED AGAIN REMANDED. { - Ter Press Association. , Auckland, October .6. A 'charge of murdering John Thomas Perry, of Ramarama, on Saturday, September 1 ‘23, was preferred against the widow of (deceased, 'Amelia Perry, inuthe Police Court to-day, ' On the application of Chief-Detective McMahon the accused was remanded in custody until to-morrow morning, when tiie inquest will be resumed. EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. ACCUSED BORROWED A CUN. ■3 h .vi:-.. ■ c' Auckland, October 6i The adjourned inquest on John Thomas Berry, farmer, of Rararama, yvho was found shot dead in bed on September 2o } was opened tins hiorning. l ■ ", v Amelia Perry, aged 21). wife of deceased. who is under arrest, was present in custody. Her demeanour was perfectly calm. t The licensee of the hotel at Drury gave evidence that deceased had -ie•freshmeuts, including a mug of beet, at the hotel at 7.40 p.m., and left at 8.20 p.m. on September 24. He left the hotel perfectly sober. Lillian Perry, residing at Ramarama but not related to deceased, gave evidence of a conversation between her mother and accused prior to the tragedy, in which accused said -she would not lie without her husband for anything as she could not control the boys. Her eldest boy thereupon remarked that he did not care if h>s father died to-morrow as he badly Used the boys. Henry Jennings gave evidence that accused borrowed a gun from him one week before the tragedy, stating that her husband wanted the loan of it. He identified the gnu as the one produced in court. Thomas Perry, eldest son of deceased. referring to a conversation recounted by Miss Perry, said he did not remember saying anything about being awakened at about 2.30 on the morning ol September 2-5 by a noise like .gunfire. The smell of powdei came from bis father’s bedroom, and he looked through a crack in the boarding between the rooms. He thought he saw his mother moving on the bed. leaning over towards his father. He heard his father groaning, and he asked his mother the cause. She did not reply at first, but told him to light the lamp. Then she said Ins father looked like as il he had been shot, and told him to get their neighbour. Bill Cinnevan. to come over. Thev went together, his mother stating to Cinnevan “Come on up! Somebody’s shot Tom!” His mother was crying. Witness said his mother offered no explanation of how the shooting occurred. His parents sometimes quarrelled, but not recently. CVoss-examined; Witness stated that he remembered his father going to the hospital in May through being I poisoned by eating tinned fruit, Hus 'mother threw the tin into the fire after taking out the fruit. He did not ie- ' member her doing this Indore, j Mr Mays, for the Crown, stated that j witnesses could he called to show that 1 the illness was due to strychnine poisoning. I Witness said he had never heard it said that anyone had a set on ids father. On returning from the neighbour’s, his mother said someone might have been quarrelling with father, bat she did not sav aim.