TESTS IN BLOOD STAINS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1921, Page 5

TESTS IN BLOOD STAINS.

FEATURE OF MURDER TRIAL. QUESTION OF RELIABILITY. By Telegraph —Press Association. Hamilton, Last Night. The second trial of Hakaraia Te Kahu on a charge of murdering Richard Elliott at Ongaroto on Easter Sunday was continued to-day. In the trial on June 24 the jury disagreed. Sarah Herepeka gave evidence regarding prisoner’s movements at (Easter. He made no mention of Elliott, although he spent much time with her. Detective Sweeney said he took a statement from prisoner stating that prisoner and Elliott returned from their ehooting excursion safely and next morning prisoner deft the whare early, leaving Elliott sleeping in bed. William Tonks, Government analyst, said that from the blood on the riding pants produced he could not tell by chemical teets whether it was human blood. Frederick Armitage. Government bacteriologist, said that by bacteriological tests he found there was some human and some pig blood on the pants, but the Hains were separate. Since the last trial he had made about thirteen hundred tests. He also found human blood on a rock and on a titree. At counsel’s request witness read published letters from two authorities pointing out the unreliability of certain tests and suggesting that unjust verdicts might be given through placing too much reliance on laboratory work. Armitage, under crass-exa-mSnation, said he would have regarded it as a reflection upon himself if the Government had appointed another bacteriologist to check his tests. His Honor said it was quite within the province, of the def nee to have appointed another bacteriologist under a separate tert.

Witness said he had performed the test three thousand times and his tests enabled him to say positively that some stains were human blood and others were pig’s blood. The evidence has concluded and counsels’ addresses will be taken to-morrow.