TRAGIC STORY.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 November 1920, Page 5

TRAGIC STORY.

MOTHER DIES FROM INJURYSON CHARGED WITH MURDER. THE HENDERSON. TRAGEDY. 1 ' 8y Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Frederick Spearpoint (23), who was arrested on November 3 on a charge of having assaulted his mother at their home in Hendersons, and was subsequently charged with murder on the death of the woman, was brought before Mr. Poynton, S.M., this morning for trial. The accused was defended by Mr. Preudergast, and Chief-Detective McMahon conducted the prosecution. Medical evidence was given as to the cause of the death of deceased. Jamo.3 Spearpoint, laborer, employed at Ashley's tannery, New Lynn, said he resided at Henderson. Deceased was witness' wife and accused his step-son. Accused and his mother were on good terms, so far as witness knew, and they got on well together. Joseph Alfred Thorn, blacksmith, Henderson, stated that accused came to witness' blacksmith shop about 10 a.m. on November 3. Accused came into the chop in a very excited sf.ate, and said: "Send for tho police; I i\ave murdered my mother." Witness replied: '-Surely you haven't done that." Accused said*: "Yes I have, it's true; she is lying dead on the floor now." Accused was taken by witness to the post office, and on tho way, in reply to a question why he had done it, accused.said: "Don't ask any questions; you'll hear soon enough." Witness had the police rung up and he detained accused at his shop. Before the police arrived at the shop witness told accused his mother was not dead, and accused burst out crying and said he did not mean to do it.

Roderick B. „S. Shaw, apprentice at Thorn's blacksmith shop, corroborated the previous witness. Arthur F. Massey, postmaster at Henderson, stated that on account of what Mr. Thorn told him he proceeded to Spearpoint's house, getting there at 10.40 a.m. He found Mrs. Spearpoint lying on the door in her bedroom with her arms outstretched and one knee bent. As he approached her she acted as if she were trying to ward oft' an expected Blow. Then she said either "who's that." or "wlio's there?" and added ''go away." He and the Rev. Mitchell and Rev. Rattray and David Byers, who had accompanied him, got her on a conch in the living room. The small axe produced was lying near where the woman's head was on the floor, and a broom was leaning against the bed. Some firewood was scattered about the door, and his opinion was that the bedroom had the appearance of having been the scone of a struggle. The Rev. Wm. H. Rattray corroborated the, previous witness as to how Mrs. Spearpoint was found. He had known Mr. and Mrs. Spearpoint for some time. They were a 'devoted couple and got on unusually well together. After Constable Douglas had given evidence as to how he found things at the house. Detective-Sergeant Hammond stated that when he told accused on November 0 of his mother's death that day accused broke down. When told he would now be charged, with murder, he replied that he thought he had already been charged with murder. , Constable D. McGlone stated that when he arrested accused he asked him where his father was. He replied: "I never had a father; I was brought into the world with a curse on me." He said he had asked his mother at breakfast 1 if she could do anything for him, and she replied she wished she had killed him when Ua was a baby. "She was always throwing that up at me," accused said.

Accused was committed to the Sir prime Court for trial.