TRAGEDY AT WAITARA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 300, 15 December 1908, Page 3

TRAGEDY AT WAITARA.

lady resident shot. DK. GOODE TUB ASSAILANT. SENSATIONAL ARREST. * •ACCUSED LODGED IX NEW PIA MOOI'H GAOL.

Shortly before 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon the news floated through W aitara that a shooting tragedy had been enacted, coullictiag statements to tile effect that Dr. Goode had been snot, ♦hat Mrs. Klenner had been shot, and divers others persons injured rinding credence for the moment until invest,gation was made.

The lirst authentic news came frou Mrs. Goode, \vii e of the doctor, wlu rusued acrost to a neighbor with the tiagic intelligence that her husband had shot Mrs. tvlenner, -wife of a local ticiuesiuau aud burough councillor, whose residence adjoins the doctor's. The snooting tooK place in Jlrs. Klenner's house, and by the time tile news had spread and investigators arrived Dr. Goode had returned to his own house, where he showed himself when Mr, Clilf. 'fait and Kev. Mr. lirocklehurst entered the gate, and threatened to shoot them it they did not get away. Constable Price arrived in a l'ew minutes and was met by a similar threat. He then closed the doors and windows of thg house, and by the time a crowd assembled had secured himself behind, lock and key. , I THE VICTIM. Mrs. Clare, a neighbor, immediately the first alarm wati over, made her way into Mrs. Klenner's residence, and found the unfortunate lady in the drawingroom in a state of partial collapse. Dr. Claridge k-ing away in Urenui, a doctor from Xew Plymouth was telephoned for. Meanwhile Mrs. KJenner, rallybg, gave some particulars of the tragedy as the awful circumstances recurred to her. It was deemed advisable to take her depositions, although, it might be explained, these have no legal value, the accused not having been present. Under the circumstances, however, the doctor beiDg still at liberty, this could not have been avoided. , THE DEPOSITIONS.

Messrs. Cameron and Jenkins, J.'sP., were presini when Jlrs. Kienuer s deposition, which were witnessed by Kev. Urocklchurst, were taken as follows:

"1, Mary Ellen Kleaner, wife of Alois Kienner, depose thut on Aloa- . uuy, 14th December, Dr. Uooile came to my front (loor. 1 cautiously opened the door, not knowing wno was there. Dr. (Joode . came in, and called me to him in the front room. He then locked the room door. He said, 'Hit down, I want to apeak to you,' and he wanted ine to give him myself. I answered lum 'No.' I tnen tried to go, out of the room, but he jumped . up and locked the door, and said , "lou won't,' and then he shot me. . He fired at me twice. There was another shot fired. He said: "Are you dead?' but X did not reply. He . then tried to reload- his revolver. ■' He could not, and then lie said he , would go home and have some ; whisky and do for himself. This occurred at about 3.30 this atter- , soon.'' CKOWD WITHOUT A LEADEK. Meantime there was great excitement .throughout the town, and a large concourse of people had assembled around the doctors residence, but nothing, definite was done in the way of effecting an arrest. The excited crowd, about 5 o'clock, was astonished to see Dr. Good; come to the door, and take his pet dog in off the verandah, but he took no notice of the unusual assemblage. Shortly before hall-past six, however, Mounted Constable .uclvor arrived from New Plymouth, and soon decided on a course of action. Owing to the gathering darkness, further delay would have disastrous, especially when it was known that the wanted man was fullyarmed. Securing the assistance of tile more daring spirits, an assault was jilanned on the three doors of the house, the intention being to close in from all the avenues of approach. Coilstable Mclvor and one or two others selected the surgery door, which one man battered in with an axe. inE AKKEST. Immediately me loeic gave way, Constable -uclvor UasiieU tlirougn me door into liic room, wmcu was in icm.-darK-itess. As lie cucereU, Dr. uouue, who had eviuciu.y been silling on or sunning l>y a sola un the lur smc of the room, revolver m hand, 'advanced to meet iiim, calling out, "What do you want here? iWiiat in the name of God is all this about?" as he made a threatening motion with his shooting arm. Wmiout "an instant's delay, and answering "lou're my prisoner,' Constable Jlclvor un the doctor, and bore hint feivily agninst the wall and to .the ftjor. Meauwhilu the doctor's revolver, under which the coustable •ducked," was wrenched out of his hand by 'one of the crowd behind. Dr. Goode,! jWho is a man of herculean proportions, I STta not secured without a struggle, in which he was to some extent knock ;d Jabout, but not all seriously. The incensed crowd, coming in behind, and .gathering courage as they saw the unfortunate man safely floored,. eonimene.cd rainiag blows with their improvised missiles in his direction, but few of these reached their billet, the constable, who was on top of the doctor, receiving some heavy blows before the woujd-be assailants desisted at his request. As soon as possible Constable Price got the

ihandcuffs on, and an endeavor was made n |<' ' .'to induce the accused man to accom- ( 'i" pany the constables to the police sta- mi tion. This he obstinately refused to J' l ' do, having to be forcibly tarried to a du vehicle, through the jostling, angry mi crowd to a conveyance and taken to the oil lock-up. of IN THE CELL. "* Detective Boddain arrived about this time, and decided, owing to limited ac- m , commodation and other circumstances <, c at Waitara, to bring the accused into p, jN'ew Plymouth. Meantime Dr. CJoode, w who was railing bitterly against the j; police for "entermg his house and mai- 0 j treating him," ami against the crowd t .| "for jeering at him," seemed lost to 1111- J derstuud what i\ll the couuuotioii was j about. Of his solicitor, Mr. Wilkes, aid | w ; the police officers, he continually asked c . ( to Ue told why he was using treated in j| such a manner. Not once did he nun-1 tion the tragedy for which he is to be Vi 'charged, Gradually he became quieter and more rational, and expressed the wish to be sent home. The handcuffs, s which were too small, were causing him t pain, and at his request they were iv- v 'moved. He showed the constable how j to make a "Tom fool" knot in a rope ( : with which to tie his hands, anil lie was ) ' uccordingly shackled in this way, but , later on removed the rope from li s | wrists and passed it out of the cell. ( . In response to his continued requests to he told why he was locked up, he - jvas quietly informed that lie had shot a ■woman. His retort was that lie had never shot a woman in his life, but he , said, "I have saved the life of many a; woman; I would not hurt a child." This was the only reference that was made to the occurrence by the accused or those in his company. Meanwhile, arrangements were made for his removal to town and a cab was requisitioned, but it was only after niueli persuasion that he could be induced to come out. He volunteered to come quietly and have the matter fixed j «p quickly provided he were first allowed to go home and have a drink. Eventually, however, an unevenunl start was made, the crowd, at the request of the police, remaining at a respectful distance and making 110 demonstration. The police, Mr. Wilkes 11k doctor and a "Daily Xevs" reporter occupied the vehicle. When pas.-ing his residence. Dr. Ooode endeavored o get the driver to stop, Ills concern being principally for his wife, of whom he spoke in the warmest of terms - Tie never referred to the 'hooting during the journey, although li» scarcely ceased to speak aliont the imlijmitv an.l wrong being done him and his practice.

Although rational enoni/h in some <'■ j flpects, it was perfectly obvious that the I man wag in a most peculiar state of mind. He is alleged <n hue been drinking heavily during t?ie la>t four or five days, and had been heard by manvWiitara residents talking in a threatening ««ray to himself. The general opinion 1:1 AVaitara is that tneMoctor was mad with drink, pnd his general appearance and talk every manifestation of it.

} Altltl VAL OV THE DOC TO lis. | Shortly before 5 o'clock Drs. Fookcs I and Claridge arrived. They found that Mrs. Klenner had received two bullet wounds, one in the lower part oi lb; face and the other i„ the neck. It was not possible, owing to the excessive iieiuiuorrhage, to locate the bullets, and they ordered tiie woman's removal to the New l'lymouth Hospital, which was effected without delay. J„ the room another discharged bullet was also ! found, presumably from the third shot, i winch failed to take effect.

THE VICTIM AT THE HOSPITAL

On the admission of the injured liuh' to the hospital, the medical staff, afUpholding a consultation, put her mm r an anaesthetic and made an attempt to ascertain the extent of the injuries There were two bullet wounds. One bullets fractured the jaw and probablv buried itself in the neck. The other bullet entered the neck and pierced the windpipe The injured-woman was siif

faring severely from shock and exhaustion through luss of blood and the doctors were unable to make an exhaustive search for the bullets. ACCUSED AT NEW PLYMOUTH. The police station was reached shortly after half-past eleven, and the doctor went quietly from the cab into the office, where lie again asked to be told what he was charged with. He asked I

lo be allowed lo see the .Magistrate at , once, as he wanted io get back Home with his solicitor. After some little persuasion, he permitted himself to be lock- ! Ed up, after abjuring Mr. Wilkes to get | him lixed up right away. He was sufi feriug from some abrasions about the face' and neck, some of the scratches bleeding freely, but other than referring to them and expressing wonder how he received them, he said nothing. THE ACCUSED. Dr. tioode is a strongly built man, possibly over six feet and about 17 stone weight, and has been in practise! in Waitara for about 11 years. He is probably about (H) years of age, aud is very well known throughout the district.' Prior to settliug down iu Waitara, lie I

practised in other ports of the colony, in Australia for some years, and is said also to have been in South America. He is a married mail, but has no family. Be will be formally charged this morning, and probably remanded for a week. A FORMIDABLE REVOLVER. The revolver with which the deed is 1 alleged to have been committed is a. formidable looking 'Bull-dog." At the 1 time of the arrest it was loaded infive i

chambers, < THE VICTIM'S CONDITION VERY ' UKAVE. j The medical superintendent (Dr. Leathani) informed us at a late hour ia-i i night that the woman's condition was f very grave, and the chances of her re- c covery decidedly unfavorable. I i i - e