THE NEW PLYMOUTH MURDER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2049, 22 May 1890, Page 3

THE NEW PLYMOUTH MURDER.

New Plymouth, May 19. At the inquest on the body of Maloney, Te Aramu, an elderly Maori, deposed to seeing Mahi with other natives in New Plymouth on Friday. They sainted each other outside a butcher’s shop, which is close to the restaurant. Philip Hopkins, a newspaper runner, stated that on Friday, 11th April, he saw the prisoner near Dr Leitham’s house, and walking in the direction of the Eeereation grounds. This was about 7 a.m. William Webber, ropemaker, also stated that he saw the prisoner on the same morning going in the direction of the Eeereation grounds. Agnes Alston, Captain of the Salvation Army, deposed that prisoner came to her house on the Saturday that Moloney was found dead. Prisoner was also at her house twice on the previous Friday between 1 and 2 p.m. Prisoner paid her 6d that he owed her; she asked him where he got the money, and prisoner replied that bis father had sent him £5 from Panhaka. Prisoner had attended several meetings of the Army. Dr O’Carrol gave evidence to the effect that spots found on the inside of the prisoner’s left sleeve might be , caused by the crushing of a sand fly gorged with blood. Marion Cooper, pupil in the High School, and Florence Crozier, 9 years of age, saw a Maori in the recreation ground on the day of the murder, 1 but did hot identify 1 the prisoner.'

Otto Arnoldt deposed that prisoner had had no money, and had slept at the gasworks several nights before the murder was committed. He had an old pair of slippers, and no drawers, or waistcoat. On the Friday evening, the day the murder was comitted prisoner had a new pair of boots on and had a melon, showing that he had got money somewhere. He saw prisoner in a fruit shop that day. Major Brown stated that when be interpreted the charge of larceny of the boots and clothes to prisoner, Mahi stated that the waistcoat had been given him by his parents at Parihaka, The drawers he had purchased at Opunake for 15s 6d. Francis Richards, a boy about fourteen years old, stated that he knew prisoner. On Friday, the 11th April, between 12 and I o'clock, he saw a person crossing the Avenue road, from the racecourse, who, he was confident, was prisoner, but he was a good distance away. When he saw him the person jumped over the racecourse fence, crossed the road, and jumped over a gate on the other side, and disappeared from sight.