TRAGEDY IN MAORI PA.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 23 March 1926, Page 7

TRAGEDY IN MAORI PA.

MURDER AND SUICIDE SUSPECTED. By Telegraph—Press Association DARGAVJLLE, March 22. At a little Maori settlement, Te Wluirau. a few miles out of Dargaville, a. horrible tragedy occurred on Saturday, resulting in tlie death of Mrs Mat. thew Wuaka Te Huia (35), a white woman married to a Maori, and her nephew, Kokai Teddy Nathan, aged 17 years. From information received it appears that deceased’s husband, who was known as Matthew Walker, left home for Dargaville about 1 p.m. on Saturday, expectime his wife and nephew to fo’low later. When they did not come to town, Walker returned home at 1.15 a.m. on Sunday, and was horrified to find his wife dead on the floor of their whare, and the boy dead on a sofa, with a shot gun between his legs. Walker aroused the nearest neighbours, obtained a horse, came into town and informed the police. Sergeant Griffiths, Constable Nield and Di- Cmmp immedialely left for, the scone. They found the woman and boy as described by Walker. 'the woman lind been shot- between the shoulder blades from a short distance, and the boy had blown the top of his head off. Death in both cases would be instantaneous, and, had taken place some hours before. Everything points to a case of murder Jind suicide. At present there is no indication as to what led to the tragedy. Mrs Te Huia was a rather handsome little woman, and when in town was always well-dressed. She appeared quite happy. The boy, until recently, was a pupil of the Dargaville school, and although a fine upstanding lad physically, was not looked upon as very intelligent. From where the murdered woman’s body was found on tlie floor, it looked as though she was trying to escape through the scullery window, which was open when the police arrived on Sunday morning. There must have been three shots fired altogether, one at the woman, a second shot having missed the boy, as a large hole in the roof shows where the whole charge went through. "With the third shot the boy apparently made sure, as he blow his brains clean out. There was no sign of a struggle, and everything in the house was in its proper place.

INQUEST OPENED. At the inquest, which opened to-day and was' adjourned, Matthew To Huia, husband of the deceased woman, gave evidence that he left home shortly after 1 p.m. on Saturday. AVhen he left she was in good health and spirits, and according to arrangements intended to come to town later in tho afternoon and meet her husband. Tho tfoy Nathan was also supposed to come to' town to bring Te Hum’s horse for him to ride home at night. Neither wifo nor Nathan turned up. To Huia played billiards nearly all the afternoon, and looked for his wife till 8.30, then went to the pictures, , leaving for homo shortly after eleven. On arriving at his residence at- about 1 a.m., lie walked along to his house, which was in darkness. He saw 'the horse in the paddock which should have been brought into town for him. He wont to the house and knocked at the front door, but got no answer. He tried the door, but found it locked. The front door was usually locked if no one was at home. He then wont round to the back door. A little gate was open and the back door as well. He called out to his wife, but getting no answer, he lit a match and went inside the kitchen, and found his wile dead on the floor, and his nephew dead on sofa with a discharged gun between his legs. After making sure that they were dead, lie, went and roused two neighbours, borrowed a horse, and rode to “town to inform the police. , His wife and nephew were good friends, and always had ben. I4is wife never made any complaint to him about the onduet of his nephew. His wife was either 34 or 35 years of ago, and her birthday was on Saturday. They had been married about 12 years, and they had always lived happily together, and were always happy. He thought that iiis nephew was sixteen years of age on Sunday, but he was not sure. The gun was hanging on the wall in tho kitchen AVhen lie left homo it was Eot loaded. A belt of cartridges was hanging on the wall near the gun. Ho had no enemies, and his wife had no bad friends as far as lie knew. He did not have, any reason to think there wa.s anything between his wife and Ins nephew, who was a very quiet boy, and there was nothing wrong with him mentally. Ho could give no reason why his nephew should shoot his wife or any other person. Dr.' Crump gave evidence as to the nature of tho wounds and the result of a post mortem. Tho wounds on the body were consistent with the boy shooting himself. It was possible for another person to have inflicted the wounds, but not probable. It could have been done if two men had a scuffle for a gun, but there was no sitm of a .struggle. Hie woman had been shot in the back at short range. It was lint possible for her to have inflicted tlie wound herself. Both had been dead several hours when found. The inquest , was adjourned till to-morrow.