Angels and Eggs.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 301, 29 May 1915, Page 4

Angels and Eggs.

MAX'S KKMAItKABLK LCTTKU. THE KEALS MURDER TRIAL. SUUQKSTIONS OF INSANITY. PICTUKKS FROM DIiKAMS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A young man, Norman Kdwiu Keals, was arraigned at the Supreme Court this morning before the Chief Justice and a jury of twelve 011 charges of having 011 or about February 8 hist murdered his sister-in-law (Edith Emma Keals) and her infant child at West Opuatia, near Onewhero. Upon being called upon to plead, the prisoner, who took .'lis stand in the dock without any outward appearance of nervousness, answered *m a firm voice "Not guilty." The general demeanor of the accused was one rather of detached interest than of nerve tension and suspense as the Crown Prosecutor proceeded to outline the. circumstances 'surrounding the murder. The Hon. J. A. Tole conducted the case for the ('rown, the accused being defended by Mr. J. 0. Martin and Mr. J. B. Johnstone.

In opening the caso, Mr. Tole intimated to the jury that there would be no attempt made to deny the acts, but that they would be called upon to direct their closest attention respecting the mental condition of prisoner at the time of the crime, and decide whether that condition was such as to make him responsible for his acts. Robert William Keals, a retired^architect and father of the prisoner, was the first witness called. He explained that some time ago he had spoken about nil intention of dividing the Onewhero farm among his three sons, Leslie, George, ami Norman. He ultimately sold the farm, which was known an '(ileiicairn" to Leslie, but intended to make it up to tiie prisoner for his share by giving him a dairy farm at Papakura. He did not appear to take much interest in dairying, however, so he was contemplating t'.ome. other phut. Gross-examined by Mr. Martin, the witness said there was absolutely no ill-feeling so far as he knew between the prisoner and Mrs. Keals. Witness remarked t'nat his son Norman seemed to have a craze respecting religious matters, and was always talking about going to Kgypt as a missionary, though he possessed no qualifications for missionary work. The next tiling prisoner did was to start taking lessons in singing and music, although he had no idea of music whatever. After two or three lesson? lie gave it up. Shortly after this a friend who was staying at witness' house at Otahnhu complained that one night the prisoner bad entered her room and tried to smother her with a pillow. She jumped out of the window and went for the police. Liter on, the prisoner stole a horse .and gig at Penrose, and on conviction was released on probation. Dr. Beattie, superintendent of the Avoudale Mental Hospital, saw hiui about this time, and afterwards witness sent him to the Great Barrier Island, Wt his conduct continued to be unsatisfactory. For a theft of some firearms, the prisoner was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment, being released in 101 and subsequently he went across to Sydney, where he committed an offence, and served a term of imprisonment. Upon returning to Auckland in May, 1014, be lived with witness at Papakura till February last, during which period his conduct was satisfactory till the time of the tragedy. At this stage the following remarkable letter written by prisoner to his parents while serving sentence in Bathurst Ga/>! in February of last year was produced:

Dear Mother anil Kather.-- T have come to the conclusion that it is time .to say, "I will arise and go to my father, and will Hay unto him, 'Father, I have sinned again Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.'" Make ready my bungalow for me at (ilcncairn. Well. I have been having some dreams lately, and no mistake. The night before last I thought I saw r.n angel sitting on my window-sill, and, of course, being a little afraid of burglars, I jumped up out of bed and said. ''What do you want, old chap." "Oh," he says, "don't thing I do things like you used to do, but, seeing ydu have altered your course a few points, and seem inclined to steer clear of all dangerous obstacles in the future, and keeping a good look-out, I just came along to see if you would care to go back to New Zealand by first-class salon,n aeroplane or whether you would care to go back steerage by the Willi - mern." "Well, thanks," I said, "I am not particular so long as I get there, but just by way of a change X wouldn't mind going by first-class saloon aeroplane." Well, another night I thought I saw nothing but fowls roosting on my hammock, a fine lot of crossbred kiwis and the rooster was a purebred nioa. There .were eggs everywhere, and I was saying to myself there's eggs for breakfast in the morning, anyway. I did really thing of saying, "May the Lord make me truly thankful for what I am about to receive" that morning, but 1 can tell you I was disappointed when I woke up. A few nights before that I thought I saw nothing but cows; thou I began thinking about those blessed cows. The first thing that flashed across my mind was did I set the alarm for 4 a.m.? J really thought 1 was at Papakura, and I was thinking of the respectable hours we used to keep at Bathnrst. Then I saw a trap driving along the Mangcre lioad with Old J.iiry in the shafts and Tumber-

nnibii in the loud. Well I thought there was a bright side to dairying af<}or nil, so I woke lip and said, I wish I wits at Papakura. ITow long does it take to get to the factory in the aeroplane? I guess the milk gets a

bit sky bltie when you bump „p against a rain cloud. I guess (here are no objections to sending that other

half of the return ticket, so now, my amiable and loving ma and pa. I must umke my final "bow wow" from Noo South, with love to all, your loving son, Norman K, Reals.

The reading of this letter seemed to a (lord, the pristine r some amusement, a broad smile coming into his face as various passages were reached by Mr. Martin. lie-examined, witness stated that (he fright received by an elderly lady at iHahtibii bad not been definitely traced to accused, Leslie William Keals, husband of the murdered woman, stated.that at no time had lie quarrelled with his brother. Sophia Hunter, who was employed as lady help by Mrs. Leslie Keals, stated that she font to bed about 0 o'clock on the Monday evening, and heard nothing during the night. She rose about (i o'clock in the morning, and on passing Mrs. Keals' room beard heavy breathing, She knocked, but getting no answer went, away. Returning in a few minutes, she knocked again, and upon receiving no answer entered the room, and discovered Mrs. Keals lying with blood on her face, while on the coverlet beside her was a piece of wood roughly fashion-

id into a club. She rushed out and acquainted a young man employed on the farm of what she had discovered and he communicated the news from" the nearest telephone to the authorities. A milliner of witnesses followed in quick succession to connect the murder with till! prisoner, whose counsel assisted in facilitating the proceeding relating to the (acts by e'msoiili;r; to'leading questions on btth.tlf of tli < rown, and in doing nothing j„ the w„_, of crossexamination.

Wiien the Court adjourned for luncheon gome eight or nine witnesses had ghen their evidence.

CAS!-; FOIL THE UEiJiMCE.

Mr. Martin, in opening the case for the dyfoiicv, suui thore \\as no denial of tha main facto of tuo <a,e as they had been put before the ('curt. 'i'ue prosecution had been conduct, d in a perfectly fair manner, and the police officers had also acted witli i;l>,oum: xairmas. The real question that the iury liad to consider was the : : tul,.- of accused's, mind when lie committed tile ou'euce. A number of witnesses were heard, including medical men.

Dr. l'arkes sn id he met accused at Orewa. Accused then appeared to be quite incapable, of looking alter 'himself. Dr. Tracy lngiis said that in June, 1908, lie attended accused at his requivst. Accused was in a nervous condition, and witnesi warned his father that be might possibly become insane, and that he needed ckreful treatment. He then appeared to be commencing' insanity and to have a tendency to religious mania.

Dr. R. 11. Beattie, superintendent of Auckland Mental Hospital, said he,had seen accused on several occasions. He first .saw him six or seven years ago, when he concluded that he was a mental defective, and that he was addicted to a certain habit and had been so since ha was about 14 years of age. He consiilerc.l that i.u was to 'constituted as to 'lie a menace to society. This mental derangement was likely to increase unless the habit referred to was discontinued, 'but not necessarily so. Otherwise he considered that the case was a congenita] one, which might be improved by education. 'Vi'itmss then advised accused's father.to have hiirt committed to a mental hospital. Witney next-saw accused oil t.:ie wharf about eighteen months ago on his return from Sydney. He did not then examine him, but from a. report U_.it 1m received from hib 'brother lie' concluded that he lmd not improved. Witne-s examined accused after the lOnewhcro tragedy. lie then found no reason to alter "his previous opinion that accused was mentally deficient especially in a moral sense. His Honor: If a man can plot and arrange things would you £ay that he knows that he is doing wrong? Witness: 1 think this man' did know that lie was doing wrong, but that he did not have the same appreciation of wrong-doing that a man in a normally; healthy state would have.

Mr. Martin: Do you think that, now appreciates t lie seriousness of lust position?

(Witness: I do not think he does; lie seems to :mv no remorse whatever. Hi* Honor: There are many criminals like that.

Witness: Ye*, your Honor; and in addition to that he does not seem to appreciate that lie is liable to punishment. His Honor: You put it this way, that lie has no moral s!'n?e, but that he lias some intellectual ability?

Witness: That is so, your Honor. -Mr. Tole: Your deliberate opinion, I understand, is that the man is morally and mentally defective, but t : iat he is legally sane, and that he understood th» nature of the act and knew it was wrong.

Witness: I believe that is so, although his appreciation of wong is not nearly so acute as that of a naturally sane man.

This concluded the evidence and the trial was adjourned until to-morrow morning. His Honor informed the jury, that he could not allow them to dis* perse, hut that suitable accommodation would 'he • provided for them for the night. • '