DEATH OF HINDU

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 July 1940, Page 8

DEATH OF HINDU

MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE.

ACCUSSED SENT TO TRIAL.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) HAMILTON, July 5.

John Kite, a Maori, charged with manslaughter near Huntly on May 18 arising out of the death of a Hindu, Rama Khushal, pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court, Auckland, for trial.

At this morning’s hearing DetectiveSergeant Trethewey produced a statement of the accused stating that he gave Khushal 15s to purchase beer for him. When he went to collect the liquor the deceased did not have it and refused his request for the return of the money. Accused was in a befuddled condition, but remembered hitting the Hindu on the chin with his fist. When he heard that the Hindu was dead he realised that he must have killed him. He was sorry because Rama was a good friend of rhe Maoris.

Evidence was given by a number of Maori witnesses through an interpreter. They told of hearing cries for help from the direction of the dead man’s whare, and that the accused had visited the whare to purchase liquor. Onb said that on Sunday he noticed blood marks on the accused’s clothes. The deceased was frail and not in good health. His body lay 45 yards from the whare with the face severely injured and partially submerged in the swamp.