THE WAIROA TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 40, 6 February 1908, Page 4

THE WAIROA TRAGEDY.

Vol NC J.ADJ 'S rGlilljirs KXi'lvßf. i:\» i:s.

.. A MAD.MAX :S L 111 All-:. • , Pcuilv M< th«' li-ajioly.'wlui-h look OjKiitiu .-lh)\v thai on Sunday aliernoon llrownlee. niece ui Mr. Thomas Jlyrnc. of Mangapo'-ki, returning ;o,hcr ;unele's house, accompanied Steven*, sou ol .Mr. iM'org,. Me\ pus. Tliey had just 'ironed lb" Mangajioiki si ream, and were riding ii[> t!i f> >ic.'p bank, when a voung man named David Irvine, said lo he .i nalive of New .muiHi Wales, and \.lu) was working lor Mr. Byrne, jumped oiil irojii a -nii!il i-liimp ol si-ruli. where he had br.-it lying in uaii. ami lired .'I lin-iM. lie liivt I'ovd one barrel of a doiibii- ktrrelled low iing-piece at young le\ i'Hthe di-eharge taking ell'eei in Hie upper part of the arm. and causing SieM'i'.s to fall (ill hi- h'U-M'. Irvine iheu i.H-d Ml— I'uov, nle •, and lired i lie uiiier barrel at her. but fortunately wi!li"Ul ell'-et. her Imr-e -Wei'ving at the fiiiie.il mniiit nt mid on. i Meanuhik' \ining Su/von- had goit: 1 11o>.i ii to i lie r.l n am. lie wa-, re-ting a;;aiu-t a ro< k ai the water's .edge, when he yaw I nine again approaehiiig wilh I lie gun. A- ! In- la!ier raised his omi l-t lire again .lipped from tlie rork into Hie v.aier, whieh was deep -ii lhi> point, and lie di-eharge nirk ih" io:k uliii-'n be hail been leaning against a moment o.'fore. Irvine then to i he lop of the bank, apparently under the i;npre«-do]t tiiat lie had killed his vivlir.!. li.- Re-ted bis ei)in on ilie barrel oi tin- gnu. worked the irigger will* his

fool, and literally blew his head oil'. In the meantime Mi-e llrownle.'-'s horse had galloped to Mr. iieorge Sloven-' hom»slead. and the alarm was given. Medical aid wa- idepboiied for. and a parly *ent nut to the scene of the tragedy. They found Me\en> oil the other side of the .stream, weak from the of blood. Jlis injuries wer." attended to, and Ik? was taken home. Irvine's body ua- found lying alongside the gun. with the top of the head blown off. Jealousy

is .aid to have been the can-so of the a I tuck. An inqin*M was held before Mr. •I. Davey. J;l\. Acting Coroner, and a jury, when n \erdiel of while temporarily in-ane was returned. The body was buried close lo the scene of i he tragedy. Mr. Stevens ha* been taken 'o the Waivoa Hospital, and it is feared that lie will 10-e the u-e of his arm. At the inquest Alfred Ernest Stevens, who appeared with his arm in a sling, •- f »iled that he was a sU;vp-farmer at opouiti. and knew deceased. David Trvine. On Sunday. January 2()lh. he (witness) wns riding with Miss Brownlee from Mr. Stevens' (his father's place) towards Mr. Hyrne s. and when close to

the Makaretu river deceased jumped out about two yards from them ou the track, and said. " Look out.. I'll shoot yi'U." He I hen lired a slioi at witness. The -hot strnek him on the righi arm. Jielween llie -lioitldor ami the elbow. Witness' liov-o slowed, and he fell from it. lWea-ed then turned to Miss Jirownlee, and ■vtid. "I'll do tin- samp ;■> Witness was clo>e to de<:a-rd tleu. Miss Urounlee's liors,. Uu n (ipjied round. and nude baek toward-; witness' father's Deceased followed Mis- I'rownlee for about a chain and lired one shot of her. After thi< de-

reaped turned and came towards where wi'ne-? wa- -landing: serine him coining. Ir i witness) made to ero-s the liver towards Mr. i.ynie's place. and as li'it rin-c to llie river deeciti-cd iii'd al him. the shot sinking about a yard behind him. When witnesinto the river he -lippe.l and iVII. bu'.

1 1 up Ktrain and crowed. When he .j uj- on the ri«e en the opposite >;de oj the river to nliern he iir-l s:uv Irvine h- looked bni-k. ami saw liim -loin;; le.vards Mr. iSlev-Mis' place. Wiine.;-: I'new thai ill' was ilmn out ot «rtm ranje. "O iif -toed ;\!id watched the movements o:' Irvine. \Vitne--s saw him put a earl rid»i' in ihe jmiiif it toward* him>.ll. ,m,| tire, Witness wn> standing i t t!ii- tini". and heard Ihe explosion and •aw til,* de:ea<od fall on the ground. Witness then went back by a diU'ereii! P'ad. and ma-!" fov "i> father's pla-'\ The was an ordinary doubln-banvl-bil i'owlinii-piece. Oeceased and he hi I always been <m oood terms. and there was never anything menti'med beiwc»n i'..'la about MiftS Jhownleo. There wi* nothing in lead witnrss to believe tin. dec-ea-ed jealous of him. Lily llro'\ nice stated that --he wa- a lady companion to Mr-, iiyrne. r-die had known th" deceased about nine or ten month-. IW Ui ( . livr> or six moii'h- dree.wd been in tii" -employ Mr. Kyrire. On the previou- Sunday i.l.inu.iry -.ln-' Air. l'yrm-*-

place t" j_!.. to Air. Steven--", I)eera>ed i.rai'kf :iii'l -.eiiled her hors- li.-r. As li ■ km.led it 1.1 ii: r lie s ; i id. "I won't, lip here when Vim CI,MIC !,ri"k. Wit now replied. " Wliy. are yon to leave?" He replied. ' Ijiii yen woti'l -ec Mi"."' Willir-- said. " 1 ii>oll ;inll thai

roiie away. wen! In Mr. Sl-v----en-, yot -nine Irnii. and was returning lioinc .liioiii (>.1.1 |.,m. willi .Mr, X Slev- ' H|i i!i- way. when ii»:irin;.' i'.io Makjl'etll river, tllcy not iee,| font prill! s.

a- if -oiuenne hid kern walking to ;ltill DM nil till 1 tr.ick. ,\lr. Steven- drew her atteni'on to ilk track-. and vlicy \\e :: spenkin;; about them. Mr. Steven- said. " Nook i.HI !" iiii,| HI tli,. MI [1,,,,, 1,,. JicM 11] I lr- liriu,l~. mill witne-s heaid the re|.i,rt o: a piui. iiml w Mr. Stevens lull lioni his horse. Deceased tlieii 'iiipearril in ill,, track close to witness' horse'- lie,id. lie hail a «iin in his hand, anil lit! pointed it at her nn,l fire,l. 1)--cea-eil was el;,-,. lie,- when he lired. ami sh,> heard the ishot pass her head. As -non as deceased tired, wittifss- hors,. tin n,>(| and made hack toward- Mr. Sun-ens' plnee, ])crea,-ed then made to follow her, and said somewhich .-lie eonld not understand. As her hoi-e was turning'she ,:aw deecaM',l take a ea virilize out, of his pocket. She never saw or heard nuvthinj; after that, lint went straight to Mr. Steven-' lion-:'. Deceased never paid ally aodres-e- to Iter, and -lie never nice,nra;;cd liini in any wav.

William Delaitev. lalionrer in the employ of Mr. 'l'. Ilyi ne. -taled ih.it he 1,-fl hi- camp ,-u S o'clock on Sunday to look lor Mr. A. Stevens, ii'lnivhi" I'W'U reported that he had been s h ,f. After the Makarctii river. witness -aw a parcel of fruit on Mr. Stevens' ,i,|e ol flic liver. Alter searching about he found the body nf David Irvine with a fowling-piece alonprsid,. it. I|,. ;1 | <mec reporte,l the matter to Me-t's r.vriip and White. He mi- ,|iiite s„rc it was the body ~f David Irvine, ("tisiiilHe Irvine stated that at 7 a.in. on laiinary in eon-eipience of e re poll, lie went In iiponili. and found the body of David Irvine on Iho track lie-tu,"-n Me--rs. Sloven-' and livriie'phtees. Ill,on, ;i eiiain on Mr. Steven-' si.l,, oi the Mikaivlii riser. lie eyiin'.ned the hody. and found a slioi wound itader lie- dim. The features were dis-li-ittcl and the top ol the head blown "!!'■ A double-barrelled fowlinc-piece ''.as found hin» aloiiir-ii,, „f the'liodv. ■'till one empty cartridge in it. tie -can-lied the body. and found llic snni "t -I- -Id and ,i note ( prodnccd), apparently written in a hurry, and which n.o unreadable. The wound was. in hi- I Opi It !■ I 1 -el I :|l tli, 11 d.