THE MURDER AT EPSOM. CORONER'S INQUEST.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 579, 5 February 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE MURDER AT EPSOM. CORONER'S INQUEST.

Tul adjourned inquest on this fcaiful tiagedy wis lesiimed on Tlmisday, at the Piincc Vithur Hotel, Epsom. All the jmois \\ei<> pi cent IJi I'hiKon, the co'onei, held the inquest, and tlie enquiry was conducted by Mi Broh.un, Inspector of Police. 'I he (list witness examined was Maiy Ann Million, who deposed she was a genual sen ant al Mi Cleghoin's. On the moint.igofthe 27th ult., at half-past four o'clock, she heaid a movement in the yaid. On looking out of hei window she observed I lan y, the Maori, pu-h open the door of the outhouse in winch Packer slept. She heaid Edwin say : " Halloi, Hairy, where aie you off to?" She behind for a few minutes, but heaid nothing moie. ll.iny was in the room when deceased '.poke to him. She chessed immediately afteiwiids, and in coming out of her loom saw Mi \\ 111. Cleghom in the kitchen. Told him she thought thei e was some low ovei in Edwin's 100 m. He asked her who it was, and she said it was Harry who had gone ovei. He went into his room again. She then went acioss the yaid to deceased's room, and lapped at the door. She called out " Edwin," but leceived no answer. That was about a quailei of an houi after she heaid deceased speak to Ifany. Thinking he was asleep, she went out and picked up some wood for lighting the fiie. After she had gathered the wood she saw that the door of Packer's 100 m was open, and she went to it and looked in. not seeing him she believed he had gone out, but could not swear he was not there. She could only sec into the room paitially. Shethen went into the kitchen again and told Master Cleghorn that Edwin was not in his 100 m. lie laughingly remarked that he hoped Ilany had not taken him out into the paddock and quietly murdeied him there, but he did not think tliLie was much feai of that. He started oil then with Mi. Stoddail to shoot jabbits She sencely had lime to light the file when he u turned, looking veiy white, and he thought something had happened as he had seen hdwin's feet. She asked him wheie, and he seemed hardly able to answer. He then said it was by the heap of posts, neai the pigstye. She went out with him, and saw deceased lying on his face with the posts ovei him. The feet were not quite straight, but weie sticking up, and were not coveted Theie was a nig wiapped round the body When she saw Ilany going into Packer's she hid no idea that any thing was wrong. There was nothing 111 tho woidt she heard to indicate anything wrong. She knew that deceased and Ilany weie not on good teims. Edwin spoke in a loud tone when he said " Haloa, Harry, wheie aie you ofl to." It was nothing unusual to see Hany thuic LUily m the moinmg. He was olten theie by thiee o'clock to help with the mowing. Deceased was the only peison who slept in the outhouse. Harry lived at Onehunga. By the Jury : She did not see anything of the Maon aftet he went into deceased's 100 m. He was in the habit of going straight to Edwin's 100 m when he came in the moinmg, and his doing so on the moinmg of the muider was nothing evtiaordinaiy. Could no) say why she listened at the window after Hairy went into the 100 m, or why she should have made the remaiks she did to Mastei Cleghoin. To the Coionei : She was ceitam as to the identity of the M.ioii. She saw his face as he tinned louud to go into the 100 m. She had known Ilany seven months. Had never seen any other Maon like him. By a Juioi ; She did caution deceased to fasten his door. She had said so because she did not like to have anything to do with Maoncs. This was after the distuibance about the money. I VVnliatn Ci ilt Cleyharn deposed that he ' resided at bis father's, at Eps> m. On the morning of the 27th ultimo, he go*i up about twenty minutes co five, and went into the kitchen to some water. The last witness 1 told him she had seeu the Maori cross the yard to the deceased's room, and had heard ■ them talking. He abked if they were quiec now, and ahe Baid yes they were. Wituess was about to leave the house when he saw the last witness go out of the door. She returned shortly, and said they had both left the room. Witness said j kingly. I suppose Hurry ia quietely murdering him in the paddock and then he laughed and said that was 1 net likely. Shortly after, he took up his tun, and left the bouse in company with Martin Clagborn to shoot rabbits. Went past the barn with his dog and in passing some posts bii dog pointed. Said to Stoddarc " there is a cat under the posts," on going up to the posts I saw a mana feet projecting beyond tbe posts Took two or three steps backwards and said to Stoddart, " he's murdered," and then ran to the house and told the last witness * hat he had ocea. She amd " come frith me and I'll see " and went back with me to the poss. Witness felt one of the feet and found it nearly cold. Kan inside and called his father who came dowa '1 heu went off to Onehuaga to bring Dr Zinzan and Constable Green. Did not go into deceased's room. When he came back wiih the constable tbe body had not been^returned to the room. There were a few spots of blood and brains near the head of the bunk in which deceased had slept. Observed a few spots of blood from the room out to where the body was. Ie was about 30 yards from Mary Button's room to the place where Packer slept. Always knew the Maori by the name !of Harry only. Had heard his Maori name, j but had forgotten it. He had worked for his ' father off and on for years. Knew that deceased had accused tbe Maori of robbing him, and the Maori had told witness that he had offered to give Packer £1 to say no more about it, Harry said Packer would not take it, but wanted £1 10i. The Maori did not seem to I have any strong feeling against deceased. , Witness knew that Packer h«id reported the ' matter to the police. Understood that deceased ha 1 four £5 notes in his possession and several sovereigns. Believed the Maori |c tew of two Harry had no business at th« farm that morning so <urly. He was not expected tbat day till 8 o'clock. Saw a newly made grave in a little lane at the back of his father's house. It was about ten o'clock when he tiiat saw it. There was a spade belonging to his father fonnd near ie A billhook also, belonging to his father was found in the hydrangea busb, close to wheie the body was found. The bill-hook used to be kept in the ahed, but the spade might have been ia the gaiden. That produced is the bill hook which was found. It is vow s'atned ' with blood, and h.is home hair attached to it. The hair coruepondsin colour to that of deceased. Edwin Paiker had only been in the colony about four mouths and w«» about to leave Epsom to go to Wangaoui. He had packed up his luggage and was going to leave on tbe day he wa» ruuidercd. id ad knowH tbe Maori to W accused of theft before. The Maori kad not been sine*.

To a Juror : Maiy Rutton did i.ot siy slit saw the Mao.i and i'aoker conic out together. The next witness was Dr. Chas. Field Goldsboro' wbo gave evidence of haung periorined a poii mnr> em examination of the deceased, and described the wounds which had caused his de»th. The examination of this witness took up quit.* half-an hoar, and the in|iine<? were dewuled in scientific language which woillJ possess little interest for our reader*. Too evidence reduced to the It vel of ordinary inte ligence showed that Edwin Packer died from receiving h\e or s.x feaifut wounds on tbe left side of the head and neck which J hi.d split his skull, penetrated to his brain, ( and injured tbe spinal nmirow. Chas. Higgs, a boy of elovon years old, wd« next Hworn. He depoied that bis father w*s a butcher, living .it » >< ehuug.i He k ew a Maori by he n>me of Hrniy David, who worked forAlr Cleghor „ up to th- 27 h of last month. He usi dto lodge r.t his father's, and slept in the same room and bed with witness He rtmecnbeied the nieht of tbe 2b'th ultimo. Ho went with the Maori to Mr E. D. Dries' entertainment. Ketuined home between ten and e'even o'clock. His lather and mother were in bed The Maori went to get a drink of tei, and 01 on came to bed. He did not gpr into bed, but; lay outside the blankets He nearly alwaysdid that He took off his boots, but v. hether he took off lii> clothes witness did no know, nor what time Harry went away. Wi'ness woke alout halfpast six o'clock and he was gone i hen. Had not seen him since All the Maori's things were left at his father's house. Th° pm&e (pioduced) belonged to the Maori. By the Foiemaa : The Maoii h-»d not been drinking on the night be was with him. He was in hm u-iul health audt,prita He knew the purse belonged to the Maori : Geoige Paton g>ve it to him By * Juror : Tbe Maori left Mr Green's and said. ' T.iboa until I see that man." James Mahoney, labourer, deposed ihat he found the puifce produced in a water-trough, al)ont 150 yards from the grave. Tbe grave was newly made, and a spade was found near it. Constables Jackson and Greene gave evidence as to the finding of the body, the billhook, and the clothes in the grave near the furze. Samuel Scat borough, a little boy 8 years old, deposed he was the son of a ploughman iesiding at. Iltmuera. OuThurnday morning on the Kemut- ra load, near ih-- butcher's shoj-, he saw a » aori running. He came up to him and asked which was the Maoii place. Witness a>ked him if he meant Haunki, and he said yes. Witness showed him the roid, but the •iHsoii did not go that way, I a witfi 1 by the Hobson-road. As he winked a""*»y he noticed that he Had freeh bloo i on the backs of his trousers David Keueuly a milkman, was the next witness. He resided ne-r OrAei Bay. On Thursday morning the 27>h ult., he saw a Maoii on the < rakei-ioad at about a quarter vast six, about a quarter of a mile on this Bide of bis own place. The Maori stopued him on the road ml wauted to know where a maori named Marsh was working Witness replied he did uot Lnow him, but there were some nativts w( rking for Mr X lib. The Maori gave him to undeisund that the natives he wanted «ere woiking at corn, so he pointed out Keith's laud He turned ftom behind the c»it and wenttowardu Keith's. Hewasdres^ed in a black »uck coac, a soft black hat, which he pulled over his ejes when speaking to witness, and either moleskin or canvas trousers ot a whitish colour, but all wet It was a fine morning and had not bteu raining 4is boo s, too, were all wet. There was a creek at which he might have washed his trousers not far off. Ibe next witnets was the Maori Braseey. I When the native came in ha looked very sullen. Mr. Brown was sworn as interpreter. ; The examination w*s as follows : I am »n aboriginal native of New Zealand, living at Orakei. My original name wai Maiki or Marsh, my pres>eut name is Paraike or Brassey. I knew Henry Wynyard. I saw him on tbe morning of Thursday the 27th inst. at Orakei, ou the sea-side of his house. I cannot say what time. It may have been six or seven. I had no watch. Wejull spoke ti> him. 1 mean myself and the women bolonging to the place. My female companions first greeted bun We culled to him to come aud have bomo food. I said, " Conic and have some food " He replied, "I am satistied, lam not hungry." That was all that took place We then sat down. Henry was shut out from view by the docks. That is all that took place between *s. Wynyard did not enter my houie. 1 have not seen him since, and do no know where he is. If 1 did know I would conduct a man there to pay him out for the trouble l>e got into. His coat wai a black one and his hat a soft black felt. He had light trousers. I could not say positively that they were wet. I was too far off. They appeared to adhere to his legs. I worked for Mr Paton with Harry ; that is how I came to know him. Harry was excited when he spoke to them ; my femaie companions were f lightened. I cannot say bow he went off, as he was out of view when I sat down. By a juror : He did not work for Mr Eeitn on the day of the murder, became he had other busintss to attend to. The jury after a dtliberation of ten minutes, returned a verdiot of " Wilful Murder " against the native Henry Wjnyard.