Return of the Rowena. THE INQUEST.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2178, 24 June 1886, Page 2

Return of the Rowena. THE INQUEST.

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Auckland, Wednesday. , The steamer Rowena ha* returned from the Barrier, having been, detained Ht Tryphana harbour by adverse weather. The cutter Sovereign of the Seas has never been aeen since. She was last sighted by the cutter Tairua, as before reported. The murderer*, therefore, have not been captured. The Rowena arrived at Tryphena at 7 a.m., the latter part of the voyage having been very stormy, a heavy S.W. gale blowing. The steamer anchored half-a-niile off the Bhore, and the police representatives and nearly all th« crew of the Rowena landed in the slip's boat Shortly after 8 all hands proceeded to Mr Taylors house, which is fituated about a mile from where tho' Kovrena anchored. It is the only dwelling in the large bay forming a part of Tryphena Harbour, being a small cottage roughly put together, consisting of four very small room*. The solitary inhabitant was acorpse, evidently that of t the murdered man. -It lay in a room facing the tea, and was on the floor of the room jint as it had dropped there at death. • The body presented a horrible sight. It is that of an elderly in«n abont 5 feet 0 inches in b^ight^ and muscular. Death had evidently been caused by pistol shuts, the bullets having lodged in the head, on the left side adjacent to the temporal bone. The floor and door leading from the kitchen, where was FoundAtha body, were bespattered with blood, and to also were the bed clothes, towels, dishes, and almost everything elHe in the house. Dr. Walker proceeded to make a post-morten examination, whilst coroner and jury consulted as to the best method of procedure. On a sudden, Sergt. Clark espied a white flag flying across the harbour t at the post office, where Mrs Taylor was supposed to have taken refuse, and it was decided that some of the party should return to the steamer and go for Mrs Taylor and'her daughters, who were necessary witnessed, 1 it being intended to return to Taylors house to hold the inquest. The inquest commenced shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday at the residence of the widow, Mrs Esther Ann Taylor, who was present, along with her two daughters and one son, aad xeveral triends. Esther Ann Taylor, wife of Robert Taylor, lately deceased, deposed : Last •aw my husband alive at 7.30 on Saturday morning, June 19th. He was then in my bed-room dressed. A man, whose name I believe to be Harry Perm, came to the door about that time and asked me if I could let him have a pound i>f butter. My husband a- Iced him to come into the house and sit down. Perm sat down on the sofa whilst my husband was wiping his hands. Fenn had been in the house only a few minutes when Catfrey rushed in. On I seeing him, my husband ran back into my bsdroom. Perm left his seat in the kitchen and followed my husband ; Catfrey also followed him into the bedroom, holdinar a revolver in each hand. Caffrey said to my husband, "Hold up your hands." My husband said, " Oh Johnnie, Johnnie, don t shoot me." He then run towardsthem, into my bedroom, which is off the kitchen. Then I saw Perm holdng my hu«lmnd, having his left arm around my husband s neck, and a revolver pointed at me. I ran into the stockyard, about four chains distant, calling for help. When Caffrey first rushed into the kitchen he told my husband to pttt up hi» hands. He fired two shots at him. Catfrey had one revolver in each 'hand. I did not notice whether either of

the*o shots took effect. My husband then went into the bedroom. I followed him, but before I amid reach him two more shots were fired. It was then I Raw Perm with i»y husband in hi* arms My husband was dead then, and I ran to nave my owe life. I did not hear my husband call out after the shots were tired. Perm followed me to the stockyard. He kept loading the revolver, and ■aid, "Don't youstir, or I'll blow your brains out." Perm asked me where the girls were, meaning Mrs Seymour and Sarah Jane. I told him I did not know. He said I was telling a story, and that they were hidden under the bed. Porm kept me bailed «p at the stock-yard for about half an hour. Caffrey came out of the house towards me. His hands were daubed with blood. I said, "Lord have mercy on us ; Johnnie don't shoot me." Caffrey said to Perm, " Don't meddle with the old woman : she never did me any harm." Both Caffrey and Perm then left. They went towards Sandy Bay, in Tryphena Harbour. I have known Caffrey about four years. During that time he never used any threats to me personally, nor to any of my family in my presence. Ido not know of any grounds for Caffrey having a bpito against my husband. Caffrey asked my daughter Elizabeth if she would marry him about three years ago. She refused lam, saying their tempers would not .igree. Deceased and inyelf did not object to the marriage, and told my daughter to do as she pleased. On that occasion Caffrey said that upon his next trip from Auckland ho would bring either a ring or » ro\ol\er. When Caffrey returned he came to the house and asked where Elizabeth was. Ho then said he would not le.ivo the island until ho found her. We found her in the ncrub, she having been 1 hiding from him, and brought her to the house. He said an he was leaving the house that if Elizabeth did not marry him the would marry nobody else, That was about three years ago. Caffrey hat been to the house several times aince, but I do not remember him having made vie of any threats. I have heard from my neighbours several times that Caffreyhad threatened to finish vi» all off before he was done. On leaving tn« at the stockyard, Caffrey said he had 1 finished Taylor, arid was going outside to do for the lot, meaning my daughter (Mrs Seymour) and her husband. After that I returned to the house and said to my man, " Father, can you speak,"' but he did not move. He was sitting up in my bedroom against a box. His head was leaning on his chest And he was dead. I saw blood all over hi* head and face. I then came out of the room and left the place in a boat with my girl*. We crossed Tryphena Bay, and warned our neighbours on the opposite side of what had occurred. Lincolin Taylor, 15 years of age, son of the deceased, deposed : I did not notice anything suspicious about Perm when the latter appeared at the house. When Caffrey ran in, the front door was half open. He had a revolver in each hand, and was apparently very excited and jumped up the steps. Father was cutting down a sheep, when Catfery entered. Caffrey called out in a determined tone of j voice, "Hold up your hands Taylor." Father said, " Oh don't shoot me Johnnie." At thin time father was standing within a few feet 'of the front door, with his back- to the dresser, and Caffrey stood in front of him close by. I then saw Caffrey fire the firs^ shot at father. I ran to my own and father's bed-room. A second shot was fired, but I did not see it. I looked round and saw Caffrey shaking his finger at me. He called for meftocome back, but I did not do so. I jumped out through mother's bed-room window, my sisters having previously escaped that way. The three of us ran away from the house, and planted ourselves for about half-an-hour, until we saw P.enn and Catfrey go away. While running away I heard two shots fired in the house. I last saw the Sovereign of the Seas beating about off Owena on Saturday morning. The Maoris havn since been on the look-out for the cutter, but have not reported her. Elizabeth Seymour, wife of Frederick Seymour, settler, Haratunga, corroborated the above. She said : I jumped out of the window and ran into the scrub. My sister and I both jumped through the window, in our night-dresses. I left a baby, ju*t a month old, in bed. I was just getting over the garden fence when I heard the fourth shot fired. My sister and I concealed ourselves in some rushes until Caffrey and his companion left Caffrey and his companion did not appear drunk. Caffrev has previously threatened to take my life. About two years ago father and I were passengers frttm Au.ckl.md to Mercury Biy in the Ocean. Caffrev was a. passenger by the same vessel. When the Ocean wi« beating up Mercury Bay. Caffrey went into the forecastle and returned with two revolvers and a dagger. He pointed the revolvers «t the mate, and said, "Out with that boat, boys." I then lin up him and asked, what he wanted. He said he was going to carry out what he intended.- I played with him for hnlf-an hour, and induced him to throw tho rovolrers overboard. Mv father then catno on deck, and Caffrey demanded that father should stand where he was. Father and Caffrey had snme very angry words' on tbat occasion. Father called Caffrey a coward, and ordered him to throw the datnrpr after the pistols, which he did. Caffrey and father have been bad friends aince that time. I have only known them to speak opce. .That was in town. James Blair depo«cd to finding the revolver (produced) at Taylors house, on the 19th inst., at 8.30 a.m. He examined tho body of deceased. He 1 found a bullet wound right through the head.. The levolver was loaded in four chambers and one chnmber had been discharged. Undoubtably there was bad. feeling between deceased and John Caffrey. Dr. Henry Walker, medical practitioner, deposed : I found a bullet wound on the left side of the head, midway between the left eye and ear. I passed a probe and ! found the opening extended into the br.iin. There was a large amount of effused hi «od and eccyinosis around the wound, at if the revolver had been held quite clone to the skin when fired. I found no other marks of injury on the body exeppt an abrasion of the skin on the left side of the nose. 1 removed the scalp and found the skull fractured in the occipital and parietal hones of the right side. I removed the peicw of fractured bones, and disovered the bullet lodged in the aperture. I extracted the bullnt, which was the cause of the fracture , and- wan very much out of shape. • I then removed the cranium or skull-cap, and found a large amount of bloody fluid .'inside. The direction the bullet had travelled was from left to right, clearly through the brain substance. Tho jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against John Caffrey and Henry Perm, And recommended tbat a warrant be issued for ;their arrest. A warrant was issued shortly afterwards.