THE EKETAHUNA TRAGEDY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4049, 27 February 1892, Page 2

THE EKETAHUNA TRAGEDY.

; Acousea Oommititsa for Trial. [BY TELEGRAPH.] '. (From Our Own Correspondent,) Ekbtahuha. Saturday The evidence given in the case in which Charles Smith and Charles Harrison were charged with the murder of John Dalton was as follows: ' • •

Arthur Smith, sworn, deposed'to the finding of the body of the deceased on the Alfredton road,

Frank White and V 7. B. Bone deposed to seeing the deceased.with the prisoners in Elliston's Hotel on the night - before the murder, and leave together.

Constable Roache was the next witness. The first part'of his evidence was the same as that given by him at the inquest. He stated further, however, thatwhen he found the deceased he was shifting his position and waving his hand. There was a pool of blood seventeen feet from the body, near the road. There were spots of blood leading up to where the body was found. The blood was mostly on the clothes of deceased. Near the first pool of blood he found the cap of the deceased, also a handkerchief, knife, and Borne pieces of broken glass, > He then described the arrest of the acouspd. Harrison, after being arrested, said, "A nice thing to go into town, and then be charged with murder thei next morning." On searching the tent of the accused he found the' knife produced on a small table. A bowie knife was found in Smith's swag, the blade of whioh was about seven inches in length, also a pocket knife and 183 6£d in cash in a' pooket book. He noticed what he thought in be a slain of blood on. the clothes, and took them atray. Harrison said he was a mile on the road when he was overtake by Smith. Witness asked no questions, Harrison asked for a smoke, which witness gave him. The whole of the articles ofolothing were handed over to Mr Skey, Government analyst, Willium Skey, Government analyst, sworn, stated lie had inspeoted the articles of clothing handed to him. He found no traces of blood on the knives or on any articles excepting the shirt, On this he found marks of blood on the bottom end, It looked as if it had'been smeared on, He could positively swear. these were blood stains of mamalia. They might have been of human blood or of any other mamalia, He could not say how long they bad been there, but they were of oomparatiyely recent date.

John Yoangsen, sworn, gave evidence similar to that given by him in the previous case, Mrs Polling deposed to having cashed a cheque for £8 16s 6d for the deceased. Of this he spent 7s,

John Anderson endorsed what he had previously said, stating further that he hud known deceased some years ago in Otaki. Edward Elliston, sworn, stated that the deceased spent about 10s in his hotel on the night before the murder. The accused spent about 5s each. About 11.80 Smith and Dalton left the hotel, Harrison remaining behind for about a quarter of an hour, The evidence of Annie Williams, barmaid at the Railway Hotel, was the same as that given at the inquest, as was also that of Mrs Anderson, Siuolair George junr., Dr Beard, ajd A, R, Power.

The only other fresh evidence was that of W. J. Hodges and Thomas Gore.

Hodges deposed that he heard three men quarrelling about 12 o'clock. One of them was leaning on the fence by the window of his bed' room He heard the word' money' mentioned, and heard the man leaning against the the house say, " What are you doing with that knife (or knives) ?" He afterwards said," You £!0 your way, and I'll go mine."

I TJomas Gore said that ag he was returning home from Toobill's he saw three men standing in the road near Hodges'. They appeared to be quarrelling, He heard them quarrelling for about quarter of an hour after he got home. This would be abgut 12 o'clock, At five ruinates to five Smith and Harrison were formally committed to take their trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court to be held in Wellington.