THE KAUKAPAKAPA MURDER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9024, 10 January 1908, Page 5

THE KAUKAPAKAPA MURDER.

VERDICT OF THE CORONER'S JURY.: " By Telegraph—Press. Association. HELENSVILLE, January 9.^ Further particulars of the case in which William Stuart is alleged to have killed Edward West by splitting his. bead open with an axe at Kaukapakapa, were forthcoming atthe inquest on the body of West. Mrs Elizabeth ShanksVueposed that on the afternoon of January 7th the prisoner Stuart canie into the house in a very excited state, and stated that he had killed West. He seemed quite sensible, but looked asif.be had been drinking. ; She identified the hat produced at the inquest, which had a clean cut through the crown, aid was smothered in blood, as the hat usually worn by West. John James Hinds stated that he was in Mrs Shanks' house when Stuart arrived. Stuart told him he had nuu-dered West, and asked him to go and see, telling him about the dispute and, how the deed was committed. Witness went out to Stuart's carrp, entered the whare, and.found an axe covered with bloot' lying on the middle of the floor. He found the body lying on/the ground, partly leaning up against a tree. West had a horrible gash in the head and blood over his face. Constable *Tapp gave evidence of the arrest of Stuart. When he picked up the axe, Stuart stated: "That is where I cut him down," adding that he afterwards dragged the bony into the scrub. v The jury found a verdict that Edward West came by his death through a blow from an axe inflicted by William Stuart, aud that William Stuart wilfully murdered him. Stuart will be brought before the Court here.