The Rakamoana Tragedy.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3715, 20 January 1891, Page 2

The Rakamoana Tragedy.

The evidence given at the inquest on Roderick Matheson, head shepherd at Rnkamoana station, leaves no doubt that he was foully murdered, but by whom is a mere matter of suspicion. The police are scouring the country for the missing man Chadwick, who is suspected of being the murderer, but the evidence connecting him with the crime is purely circumstantial, and no motive for it can be ascertained. The witnesses were Alexander Anderson, shepherd; Frances James Lopdsll, shepherd; John Moore, of Messrs Gordon and Moore, proprietors of the station; Constable Leitch, and Dr Caro. The evidence showed that Matheson got up early on Wednesday morning, and went to the yard to draft some sheep. He walked back to the house with Anderson, leading a horse by a dog chain. Anderson went into the men's quarters to wash, and a minute or two afterwards saw Matheson's horse gallop away, and on going out of the whare he saw Matheson lying-on the road, bleeding profusely from a wound in the head. The horse was known to be shy of fences and gates; and as Matheson was lying close to a gate it was supposed that the horse had "played up" and struck him on the head. Assistance was at once pro* cared, hut the man died before ho could be carried indoors, On Constable Leitch arriving he examined the wounds on Matheson's head, and came to the conclusion that they had beon inflicted by Bome sharp instrument, and were not the result of a kick of a horse. On making inquiries it was ascertained that a man named Charles Chadwick, who lives in the neighborhood with a Maori wife, and who had been working on the station .had disappeared. He was seen about the place early in the morning, and was chopping wood near the place Matheson was found. The constable sent to Chadwick's house, but he had not been home. It was evident that he had left the station in a great hurry, as he was wearing only his trousers and shirt at the time, bis coat, vest, and watch and chain being afterwards found in the whare, where he had put them before starting work in the morning. The evidence failed to disclose any animus on the part of Chadwick against Matheson. It was Matheson who had got him work on the place, and the two men always seemed very friendly. A few days ago, however, Chadwick was rather strange in his manner. Shortly before the murder he said to Mr Moore that as the shearing was finishod he wished to give notice Mr Moore said " What's the matter?' Chadwick replied, " Oh, there is some unpleasantness. Someone thinks I am in the way, and I don't wish to be in anyone's way." He continued saying that it was nothing he could tell Mr Moore, but he thought he had better go. Mr Moore replied " Very well." Since then the cow boy had been ill, and he had got Chadwick to do some of his work about the house. He was a quiet, unassuming man, who was always complaing of ill -health, but of nothing in particular. Dr Caro, who made a post mortem examination of the body, deposed that ibe two wounds on the head caused death. They were inflicted by an edged instrument, and might have been done by blows from a tomahawk. In his opinion the person who struck the blows stood a little behiud and partly sidewise of Matheson, A kick from a horse could not possibly have inflicted the injuries. As we stated in yesterday's issue, the result of the inquest was a verdict to the effect that the deceased met his death through being wounded by a sharp instrument, but who inflicted the wounds there was no evidence to show. Captain Preece, Dr Caro, and Inspector Kiely returned to town after the inquest, but Detective Grace and Constables Gantley and Leitch were left behind to search for Chadwick, who is supposed to be in the Pohni bush,—Herald.