THE TE AROHA MURDER.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3785, 14 February 1881, Page 2

THE TE AROHA MURDER.

Coroners's Enqui-y.

Open Verdict.

(PEOH OTJE OWN COEBESPONDENT.)

This day

Aa inquest into the circumstances connected with the above case was held on Saturday afternoon before Harry Xenricfc, Esq., Coroner, in Clotworthy's hotel. The following gentlemen composed the jury:—Messrs T. G. Sandes (foreman), Graham, Parker, McLean, Lavery, Long, Brunner, Gage, Davis, Haora te Miniha, Montgomery, Nixon, Nicholls, Farrell, and S. Epiha.

Sergeant Major G-'Grady conducted the enquiry, and Mr F. Puckey acted as interpreter.

Haora, being sworn, said he was the father of the deceased. It was some time ago since he last saw him alive.

Sergeant Mulville said : On receipt of information to the effect that a dead man bad been found on the Te Aroha-Paeroa road, I proceeded to the spot indicated, where I found the body of the deceased, which was lying on the sward about five or six yards from the road. Deceased, whose throat was cut from ear to ear, was lying in a pool of blood. Close by there was another pool. Fie was quite stiff, and life was extinct. The right arm sleeve of his shirt was saturated with blood, and was bound round the fingers of his right hand, There was a bruise on the forehead over the right eye, and this organ was blackened and swollen. On the chest there were two scratches, as if made by finger nails. The deceased was clothed in shirt, trousers, boots and and vest. I found a coat and hat lying near. I picked up a stone and handkerchief spattered with blood near the road. The natives found a black pipe, feather, and piece of hat lining, which they handed over to me. I could find no knife. On searching the deceased's clothes I found a knife, a pipe, a penny, and some tobacco in the waistcoat pocket, and two small chisels, a piece of quartz, a match box, and sundry articles (produced) iv the coat pocket. A piece of greenstone and an amber mouth-piece were picked up near the body. I saw deceased alive for the last time on Thursday night, about nine o'clock. The prisoner was then speaking to myself and Constable Cleary. Prisoner appeared to have been drinking, but was not drunk then. I charged prisoner, after his arrest, with being the murderer, but he said he knew nothing abflitt it, and that he was drunk la"st"lilg]hti'^j i ,'Xh*e prisoner admitted that the clothes found in his whare were his. Prisoner said"'Hl' had not washed the clothes, and he thought the dew had made them wet. Prisoner told me that Smallman had given him 2s 6d, and that he had a few shillings of his own, with which be had obtained drink.

Constable Cleary deposed that from information received be went to the prisoner's whare where he found a suit of clothes newly washed out and still wet. On the trousers were stains which he took to be blood. Witness went in search of prisoner, and found him sitting at the Sunbeam drive. He charged prisoner with the murder, but his answer was that "he knew nothing about it." Witness found a knife in prisoner's pocket, on which were stains which he believed to be blood. There was no blood on the quartz. Witness asked him where he got the black eye, and he replied that he did not know. The bridge of prisoner's nose was black, and ihere were marks behind each ear, on the cheek bone, and over the left temple. Witness remembered having seen deceased about 9 p.m. on Thursday. He complained to witness that a man with one eye was riding Smallman's horse about, and asked him (Cleary) to go over and get it. Deceased afterwards mounted the animal, and rode towards Paeroa. He did not seem to be under the influence of liquor. About half an hour after, witness saw prisoner and deceased together. Deceased called out to witness that he had taken the horse home. Witness was opposite the British Hotel at the time. Prisoner said he would bring the horse if witness would give him a note to Mrs Smallman. Witness refused, sad

prisoner and deceased then walked off towards O'Halloran's Hotel, disputing, but not quarrelling, as to who should go for the animal. He could not say whether they went past the hotel. This was about five minutes past ten. The deceased seemed to be sober, whilst prisoner appeared to be slightly intoxicated. The latter was wearing dungaree clothes at the time. He believed that the shirt produced was worn by accused ou the night of the murder. On Thursday night he wore a hat similar to the one produced.

John Moore deposed that he did not know the deceased, but was well acquainted with prisoner. Witness was perfectly sober on Thursday night. He went to bed about 9.15, and was awakened some time after by hearing prisoner at the door. Prisoner asked witness what time it was, and a match having been struck the watch showed it was five minutes to eleven, which meant five minutes to twelve, the watch being.an hour slow. He did not come in, but stopped at the door, and witness laid down again. Some time after, he went out a second time, and yrisoner was still at the door. Witness couid not say whether he was smoking. Clothes were frequently hung up on the roof to dry. He could not say whether prisoner was hanging up clothes. He-did not see him touch the projection of the roof, but believed, from the rustle of the raupo, that he had his hands on it. Witness then went to sleep again, and on awakening in the morning found a man whom he had taken to be be prisoner alongside of him. On going out the second time, witness noticed something hanging over the doorway. It appeared to be clothes. In consequence of it being there he had to crawl into the whare on his hands and knees. He was sure now that it was clothing. He did not observe any stains on them. He could not say whether prisoner wore the shirt produced on Thursday. He had never seen prisoner wash any clothes. He did not know whether prisoner had a black eye on Thursday. He did not notice any cuts about him. On Friday he noticed that prisoner's nose was swelled a little, and he saw him wrap an handkerchief round one of his hands. He wore the hat produced, and appeared to be sober. He also appeared to be sober enough when witness told him it was midnight. Prisoner carried a knife. He had had one as long as witness had known him. Witness had several times before Thursday last seen him with a handkerchief round his hand. He used to hurt his hands in the mine. Prisoner always kept late hours. On Friday morning he asked prisoner whether he had been washing. Prisoner said " Yes ; I must wash sometime." The clothes he saw hanging on the projection of the whare were something like those produced. He did not look to see what accused was doing at the roof of the whare. He made accused's acquaintance on board ship about six months ago. He first heard of the murder about 8 o'clock on Friday morning.

At this stage a short, adjournment was granted for refreshment.

X On resuming the enquiry—

Dr Huxtable deposed—l am a duly qualified medical man, resident at the Thames. I have examined the body of deceased, and found that there were a number of dry blood stains on the face, arms, and chest. I found a jagged incised wound!: reaching from one inch below the right ear to a corresponding point below the left ear, and severing the blood ressels on both sides, and the wind pipe ; also all the tissues as far back as the backbone. The cutting instrument had evidently been entered' and drawn across the throat several times in a hacking manner, so as to produoe a great deal of mutilation of the tissues ; and the parts were much obscured by the commencment of decomposition. Apparently the cut had been made from right to left with a sharp-edged instrument. On the cheek in front of the left ear there were small stabbing cuts. On the left side of the upper part of the chest a recent incised wound extended from below the collarbone downwards 1;o the left of toe navei. On me tips of all the fingers of the right hand, except the little finger, there were a number of small cuts recently formed, and one of the nails was cut through. There were similar cuts on the forefinger of the left hand, and some hair was adhering to some of the fingers on the left hand, The skin of the knuckles of the left hand was torn off in two places, as if by a blunt instrument. On the back of the left hand above the wrist there was a severe bruise and there were also bruises on the right shoulder and arm. There was a severe contusion on the forehead over each eye; both eyes were blackened and filled with suffused blood. The internal organs were healthy; the heart was contracted, and the blood vessel empty. I think there is no doubt that the wound ou the throat had been inflicted after the man had been stunned, and whilst he was lying on the ground. The blow was sufficidnt to stun him. The stabbing cuts on the face did not go deeper than ttie skin. They were a quarter of an inch long. The stone produced' would cause snch a wound as ,o?er each $&$, if applied with sufficient force. The stains on the stones looked . like blood stains. Tho knife produced could be made to inflict wounds like (hose on deceased, provided the circumstances were favourable. The slabbing cuts could be made with an instrument. I attribute the cuuse of death tD be hemorrhage flowing from the throat wound. I have also examined the prisoner, and found some marks on his body. There were recent bruises across the bridge of the neck and under the left eye. There were also some under the left shoulder and at the left of the chest, and a few scratches under the left eyebrow, in front of the throat, aud some on the chest. The hairs adhering to deceased's fingers were of a dark red brown colour. I have also made an examination of the dungaree clothes of prisoner, bat until a microscope was brought to bear on them I could not tell whether the stains were bloodstains. I thought, though, that they were blood stains nearly washed out. The knife appeared to have been washed also, and I could not tell at present whether it had : had blcod. I could not tell how the , bruises and scratches on prisoner had ; been caused. lam certain deceased had , not cut his own throat. The skin on the , knuckles could have been knocked off by , coming into violent contact with the stone ( found near the body. The wounds on , the tips of the fingers might have been , caused by a knife having been drawn , across them. At the back of the head , the hair was matted with clotted blood, j I do not think there was a bruise there.

John Ber^eu said he knew the deceased by sight. He saw deceased and prisoner together on Thursday tight. ThY last

time deceased was on horseback, and the accused was walking by his side. About eleven o'clock he heard a row. He was in bed in his tent, which was pitched near the river in a line with the place where the murder was committed: He heard a sound as if a woman was crying, and ia consequence he got up and went outside, when he heard another cry, a yell in fact —much longer than the first. He thea knew that a native was in trouble, because the yell [was such as the Maoris use. It was a cry of terror. He heard two or three words of English spoken. He had never spoken to the deceased. He could not recognise the voice, of the European. It could not have been much past eleven o'clock.

Other evidence was taken, but not of an important nature.

The Coroner in summing up, said the jury would have to give their verdict according to the evidence above. The summing up was much in favour of the

prisoner,

After a short deliberation, the jury returned the following verdict:—" That on the night of Thursday, the 10th inst., or the morning of the 11th, the deceased, Himiona Haera, was, at Te Aroha, foully murdered by some person or persons unknown."