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WAIRONGOMAI TRAGEDY.

INKSTER'S -TRIAL. -' DETAILS OP'.EVIDENCE. By Telegraph.—Pfess Association' .-,. <%om& Sept. 18. In the murder 'easp; : %vi|elH!e was continued lines previpnsly :4j>;,;^'' In of Michael Keogh, •Icounsel defence elicited that shots on Monday aftermpj -tyWn on his way "back from the camp'to the station, and saw two, horses, „vjoan and iV,'bay, both ridden tfri<l-oe-vered-VHftUwo«V Ife'did* not see the rjders. ~A tin wharo near : by: had-been occupied, and, sticks were burn-: ing in tlie fireplace. ',,"., Waller .Copper, police constable'at Tuparol, gave evidence.describing the state ; of the bodiesj the rifle, and the camp. William Williams, Ludbrook, station manager, stated that the shepherd had given permission to two Xutivcs to sleep at the tin where. They had been shooting pigeons, using shot guns, not a rifle. !

The Crown .Prosecutor said evidence Would he adduced on that point. Gisborne, Last Night. Michael Kcogh, one of the party working at the camp where the tragedy occurred, jaye evidence that he left "camp for the hoihestead'on Saturday, July 21, leaving Andersen, Bradley and the prisoner in camp. Next day the prisoner arrived at tho homestead, and said Andersen had sent him for a pack horse, as he was going to leave camp. Witness left on return to camp on Monday morning, prisoner following at some distance. He found tho bodies as already described, and returning towards the homestead saw the prisoner about a mile from camp <.vith a packhorse. Witness told the prisoner of the tragedy, and took a packhorse and rode it bare-backed to the station to report the matter. When on the way back to the homestead he heard shots fired in the vicinity, of the tin whare.

The Crown prosecutor: About what time would it be when you heard the shots ? Between 2.30 and 2.45. You also saw two horses. W ; hat wero they like? ■ v ( " ■• ' Yes; a roan and a bay, both newlyridden and covered with sweat. Ilia Honor: Did you seo the riders?— No. Mr. Nolan: Were there any indications that the tin wharc had been occupied I —Yes, there were a' couple of sticks still burning in the fireplace. When you went up on the Tuesday to get the bodies did you call at the tin whare?—Yes.

Who did you find there ?—Two Maoris. Who were they?—l only know one by the name of Pua.

Mr. Ludbrook got them to go on to the camp to help?— Yes. Did they ride ?—Yes. What horses ?—The roan and the "fifty. When he met accused on the Monday (after finding the bodies in camp) witness said he was going to "report tho matter, but said nothing about it to tho .police. His Honor: That was all the conversation? —I only remarked about my feet Ijeing a bit tired after' running all tho way. 1 also made a remark when I saw the two horses at the tin wharc., 1 said I wondered whether it was the boss and the shepherd. '

When j'ou were walking dolsvn did yon talk about matters at camp?—No; I don't think so.

Mr. Nolan: This was rough travelling, and you wore going as fast as you could?— Yes; the'three men away from the station on the Sunday were Joe >Pokai, Apirana Aupouri, and Olie Andersen. He found the body of Bradley lying face downwards in a shallow drain. He was in a crouched up position, his arms being bent under him. The left side of the head was resting on some paoto-. graphs which he, held in h)B left hand, tho photographs' boing covered with blood from the wound in the forehead. In the right hand he hold a photograph, which was also tig'htly held. After detailing Bradley's clothing, witness stated they went into the galley, where they found Andersen's body near the fireplace. He was lying face downwa'rds, partly on his right side. Sis right'hand, which was Clutching a wet toiwel, wan under his head, and his left hand was extended palm down, and near it was a woodenpipe. There was a Winchester riile lying in front of tiio body with the butt partly under the right forearm. There was a. wound in the back of the head, the hair 'being singed and the skull exposed and blackened. There .was no bipod flowing from the wound. The muzzle of the rifle was almost between the chink In the Blab whare. Tho breach of tho rifle was open, and there was a live cartridge on the platform of the ■magazine. The rifle had been latently I fired, and tliero was a small amount of dirt on tho end of tho muzzle, there being a bank of a'btfut a foot 6n tho outside of the chink. He accounted for the dirt 'by tho rifle coming into .contact with the ground on being dropped. To his Honor: If tho rifle had been dropped the cartridge would probably have fallen out. Hr, Nolan: <From the position of the rifle could you say it was the more probable the riflo had been dropped or been placed ill that position?—To have g'ot dirt there it must hfive gone forward. It might have dropped there or been put there, ho could not say which. There was no .sign of a struggle in the galley. Witness was, present when accused was Interviewed by Sergeant McDonnell for a statement fqr the inquest. On. separating for dinner the sergeant Mfflarked: "I will see you agsjn." Accused replied, "All right."' Subsequently, however, it was reported accused had disappeared, and search was made for him. He was found in a coiwshed at Paohiroa station on Sunday, the 29th ult. Several witnesses were called to repeat the statements which accused had made to them at the homestead after" the tragedy. These showed that acoused had been apprehensive of "falling into trouble over the affair." Peta Hiram'a deposed that on the day the inquest was held Recused told him he was going to run away from tfils trouble, and asked witness about getting a horse. Erice Welch, station hand at Wairongomai, said he saw accused with Detective McLeod after his arrest. Accused remarked that > they could not do anything with him, as he was tinder 21, and they could only put iiim in a reformatory school till he was 21, Sergeant McDonnell, who had prisoner in charge at Tokomaru.Bay for threo weeks after his arrest, detailed conversations with accused. Speaking of his arrest accused said the police caught him while asleep, or he would have given them a go for it. On another occasion accused remarked that he would bo a fool to ; tell tho police all he knew. Detective McLeod gave evidence as to the arrest of accused. On the way to

,Tokomaru, accused asked whether they gave gaol and reformative treatment at. tho same time. Later, at Tokomaru, focused remarked that if he could havt' (jot: a horse the policy would not have aajiglit him so easily, lie added sat he would have got a job on a Maori station .ft**' couple of years and grown whiskers,' ano" then got away on a ship. * , . THE DEFENCES. ,;>. r j? ' This concluded the case for the crowaJ Slid Mr. jnttaafed that he did! Uot intend to calf evidence for the de-I fence. Mr, Burnard proceeded witihiWel address ,fo the Jury, stressing the'purely* circumstantial nature "of\ the ''iyfden<M,| and urging that there was' nothing top connect with the," crime; 11 fhitkl might easily hare been committed by|> ajiy pcrgfcn with a knowledge of Jmnl country;. ■ Counsel eUffgi*t|lA hility of the two raenueing murderel ifyi in outsider, who then placed, the.: rifle and sodies in such a position .as to; suggest'; turdei aad suicide. The, position in, which the rifle was found was not a. Bat- ■' ural onej, , . . . His Honor intimated that he would ',- sum up in thu morning, and the hearing Was adjourned till then.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19170919.2.22

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1917, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,303

WAIRONGOMAI TRAGEDY. Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1917, Page 5

WAIRONGOMAI TRAGEDY. Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1917, Page 5

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