NEW ZEALAND NEWS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 150, 27 February 1915, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

KEALS MURDER TRIAL. ACCUSED BEFORE THE COURT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Yesterday. At the Police Court, Norman Koala was charged with the murder of ?»frs. Emma Keals and her infant child at Onewhero on Femruary IS. The. Court was crowded, and accused assumed an unconcerned demeanour. The Crown Prosecutor said the evidence was clear and terminated in a full confession by the accused. Evidence relating to his mental defficieiiey would go back over a period of fifteen years. Accused's father would give evidence that fifteen years ago he bought the Onewhero property and made a verbal arrangement to divide it between his three sons. Accused worked on the property for about five years, and loneliness appeared to have had some effect on him as would be shown by certain letters, cud by certain things which had happened. Before accused went to Sydney he caused his ' father to alter his decison respecting accused's share in the Onewhero property. Not wishing to cut him out altogether, he gave him instead a share- in a Papakura property. The state of accused's mind amounted to delusion. He set out to some day have revenge. Accused was not insane when he set out on February 4th to commit the terrible tragedy, though some letters were sent by him the day previously which afford some evidence of his mental state. One letter written by him at Onewhero was headed "Sunnyside Asylum.' That might have been by design or otherwise. At the conclusion of the evidence, Keals, who said r he h r, .d nothing to say, was committed for trial st the next sitting of the Supremo Court. Being a capital charge, he was not asked to plead.

SHEEP-STEALING CASE. A FINE INFLICTED. DUNEDIN, Yesterday. Frank Smith, who bad pleaded guilty to slieep-stealing at Livingstone, came up for sentence this morning. The prisoner had bsen working at i water-race in the back country and had taken lambs, and skins off dead sheep. Judge Sims said as the man bore a good character and might be assumed to be isolated, the offence would not jutify him in inflicting anything more than a monetary penalty. Accused was ordered to pay a fine of £3O, and to be kept in custody till the fine was paid, the term not to exceed six months. FOUND DROWNED. AUCKLAND, Yesterday. ' The body of a middle-aged man. supposed to be Thomas Hawkins, late of Tauraijga, was found in the harbour this morning. Apparently he had been two days in the water as his face was somewhat battered, probably by frequent contact with the wharf piles. Four play is not suspected. BOWLER'S FATAL ACCIDENT. '] ti FELL FROM A TRAM. '"'•/) -• l AUCKLAND, This Day. Mr. Alfred Billing, a member of the Thames bowling team visiting Auckland, fell from the Takapuna tram last night and sustained concussion of the brain. He died at Auckland Hospital this morning. ; WESTPORT RECRUITS. j AFFECTING COAL OUTPUT. WESTPORT, This Day. At a send-off to draft reinforcements of the expeditionary force it was stated that so many men had enlisted from 'he colliers, that the Wesport Coal Co. might have to close one of its mines, owing to the shortness of labour. Paysheets show a reduction of £SOO fortnightly.

J3 STRIKERS REPLACED. *1 AUCKLAND, This Day. The Union Steamship Company has replaced the firemen who refused to work on the Komata, and the boat left for Westport last night. - ACCIDENTAL DROWNINGS 'i FOXTON, This Day. A drowning fatality occurred at Gibbs' Maitai Mill last night, when C. Saunders, a flaxmill employee, single, about 26 years of age, was drowned. A boat containing Mrs Roberts got adrift and deceased, in walking out to secure it, got out of his depth and sank. The body was recovered this morning. He has no relatives in New Zealand. ■ - • >w A TAX PROPOSED *" v >~ ON LAND AND INCOMES. '' "■ FOXTON, This Day. At a public meeting held last night, a resolution was passed urging" the Government, for the purpoe of Dominion relief for the Belgian • „ introduce legislation h* land and income tax, to establish,.-- > equitable fund for that purpose, meeting decided to furnsih suggc and reasons for such legislation { , v Premier.