THE WELLINGTON MURDER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1901, 8 June 1889, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON MURDER.

Wellington, June 5. _ Early this morning Louis Chemis was arrested on a charge of murdering Thomas Hawkins, and remanded for a week, at the Eesident Magistrate’s Court. Inspector Thomson said that until last night neither he nor the Crown Prosecutor considered there was sufficient evidence to justify the arrest, although Chemis had been under suspicion for some time. Accused describes himself as an Italian but some who know him well believe him to be a Hungarian, which is more in accord with his name. This is the Louis mentioned in Mrs Hawkins’ evidence, and it was at his house that the dagger produced at the inquest, and the double-barrelled shot gun were found, although the shot in the flask do not correspond with those in the body. It is said that the doctor has delected some pellets in the flesh about the same size, Latee. Louis Chemis, who has been arrested on suspicion of causing the death of

Thomas Hawkins, is a strongly-built man of swarthy complexion, with coarse black moustache and hair, and a not very agreeable countenance. Chemis is a laborer, and has been employed for a number of years as roadman in keeping the Hutt road in repair.

A correspondent of the Press telegraphing on Thursday says : The Kaiwarra murder continues to excite the keenest interest. It is the opinion of some who have a special. knowledge of the facts that the arrest of the Italian Cbemia was not warranted by any evidence yet in the hands of the police, and that the arrest was really made, in a large measure, as a consequence of the public clamour for some one to be brought to book for the horrible crime, I have ascertained that it was barely possible for Chemis to reach the spot where the fatal shot was fired and at the time that took place, during the period which elapsed after ha was seen by people carting his hay paceefully near his house, especially as he would have to cross some very steep and rough country to do so. Purther, I find that the dagger which formed the sole item of direct testimony apparently connecting Chemis with' the crime (being found in his house and fitting the wonnds in the body of deceased), was very rusty when discovered, and had not blood on it; now had the blood been wiped off some of the rust must have gone too, but this, evidently, was not done, and it is plain that the rust was not caused by the blood of deceased, because it is much older than the date of the murder. It is, in fact, almost certain that this dagger could not have been used in the perpetration of the crime. If this evidence vanishes there only remains Chemis’s threats against deceased, but it is now stated that another man was also heard to threaten Hawkins. The story goes that he had a quarrel with deceased about some sheep he had entrusted to the latter, and that being outwitted by Hawkins he vowed vengeance. X have even heard his name, but of course, it would ha improper even to hint at bis identity. Meanwhile apprehensions are already entertained that the police may fail to sheet home this crime, as the London police failed to discover the author of the Whitechapel murders.