ONGAROTO TRAGEDY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9543, 23 June 1921, Page 5

ONGAROTO TRAGEDY.

CHARGE OF MURDER.

MAORI STANDS HIS TRIAL,

(Per Press Association.)

HAMILTON, June 22. At the Supreme * Court . the trial of Kakaraia Kahu, charged with the murder of Patrick Richard Elliott at Ongaroto on March 26, was continued. Accused was represented by Mr Hampson, and Mr Davys Gillies was Crown Prosecutor. Edward Francis McCaffrey, caretaker of the Ongaroto bridge, said he saw Elliott on Easter Saturday evening, standing outside his whare. He ,saw prisoner on Monday morning crossing the bridge about 7 o'clock m the direction of Elliott's whare. Witness missed Elliott on Monday morning, and made inquries without result. He saw prisoner on Tuesday morning and asked him where his mate, was. Prisoner replied that he left Elliott m bed on Monday morning. He said he returned very late on Sunday night and left early on Monday morning. He also said that he_ had borrowed Elliott's overcoat. Prisoner mentioned that he only had one shot at a shag during the afternoon. He appeared quite normal, although he exhibited a little anxiety to. get away. On Wednesday witness again asked prisoner if he had seen Elliott, and he replied that he had not, although he had searched the river and intended searching again. Shortly after the. police arrived. In answer to Mr Gillies witness said that he was present when Detective Sweeney searched prisoner's whare, when two empty cartridge boxes were discovered. He also was present when the detective searched 'Elliott's whare and took from the shelf an empty cartridge box which the detective had placed there previously. To his Honor: Prisoner told him that on Sunday they first went down the river and returned home, and then went up the river to the rapids. Elliott was a steady workman and well liked. Campbell Hamilton, a half-caste farmer, said that he was one of the search party on Tuesday. He found blood stains, footprints, and a dead duck about half a mile below Cox's place. He followed the footprints, which led to the stream. There was a good deal of blood about. The bloodstains led to the river, where there was further blood. A large stone at the river's edge was smeared with blood. The following day they went out again, prisoner being among the party. Constable Wright asked prisoner if he knew what the bloodstains were. Prisoner replied that he did not know. The constable asked prisoner to lead the party along the track taken on Sunday. Prisoner then took the lead, hut did not stop when the spot where the bloodstains were found was reached. Prisoner was leading away from the river, and m answer to the constable, twice said that that track was taken on Sunday. About half an hour Jater prisoner said to witness that had iE not been for the bloodstains the policeman would not have known that an Occurrence had taken place m the locality. His Honor (to the interpreter) : Is "occurrence" the exact translation ? The interpreter: Well, "happening" or "circumstance" would be equivalent. Witness, continuing, said that a few days later he had a conversation with prisoner, whom ■ he asked whether any friends had given him money to change. He replied, "No." Witness told prisoner that as there were several police officers m the locality if he desired to say anything it would be better to tell witness. Prisoner replied that he did not like to tell witness anything, because police were present Who could talk Maori. He asked prisoner whether he had received a £5 or £10 note from .any friend. Prisoner answered that he did not, but himself had obtained two £5 notes from Mokai and they were his own money. Prisoner told him that he went to Mokai on Monday morning, leaving Elliott m bed asleep.-. William Alexander Gibbon, a millhand, said that, with others, he found Elliott's body m the river. David Henry Sutton said that he assisted to take the body from the water. There was a hole through the shirt and singlet where the shot penetrated, and. a large jagged wound m the neck. The hip; pocket of the trousers was turned inside out. John Munro Clark, clerk m the employ of the Taupo Totara Timber Company, said that he paid Te Hiko and Te Kahu their wages oh Good

Friday. He also handed Elliott's pay to Michael Brady, permanent way foreman, to give Elliott. Witness, kept a record of all notes above the value of one pound, and" entered the numbers opposite the names of the payees. He .paid Te Kahu one five pound, note, , number 348,796. ' The remainder was :£4 15s m smaller notes, numbers ; 486,614 and 325,986, and five shillings m silver. In February he paid Elliott one ten pound note, number 029,027. ! To. his Honor: He was particularly ' careful to accurately record the names of persons to whom he paid notes. It , was not possible that the two five pound notes m question got into the hands of anybody but Elliott by mistake. Michael Brady, foreman of the permanent way, said he was handed an envelope by the guard of the train, addressed to Elliott, together with a parcel. At the 39-mile peg he saw Elliott and dropped the parcel and ■ envelope, Elliott picking them up. '. Witness knew of the arrangement between Elliott and the Kohai store, ; whereby prisoner got certain goods. I William Mclndoe, surfaceman, said he heard Elliott tell Kahu and Te Hiko to be at work on Monday. Witness , saw a letter and parcel dropped from '■ the train, and noticed Elliott pick them up. i Sarah Herepika said she saw prisoner ■■■ at Mokai on Good Friday, when he , stayed with her. On Saturday he gave her two pounds. , She could not say whether, he also gave her a pair of stockings. On Saturday prisoner left for Ongaroto, and returned early on Monday morning, leaving again for Ongaroto on Tuesday. She followed him. While at his whare Te Hiko , called and asked for Elliott. Prisoner replied that he did not know his whereabouts. Prisoner accompanied her . home m the afternoon, but did not speak on any occasion of Elliott's disappearance, neither did she mention to him the conversation she had with Te Hiko outside prisoner's whare regarding Elliott. Clive Norman, a bush hand at Mokai, said that on Easter Monday he took part m a " two-up " school. Pri- . j soner was there, and asked him to j change a ten pound note, which he , took from a brown wallet, which wit-' * ness noticed contained other notes. The ten pound note was on the Bank

of New Zealand. Witness changed the note at Putaruru. '" ' Selim Becca, storekeeper at .Mokai, said that on Easter Monday morning .prisoner bought boots, tendering a five pound note. Witness next morning banked all his money at Mokai post office. Frederick Carter; assistant postmaster at Mokai, said he remitted to the chief post office, Hamilton, on March 29 and 31 notes, amongst which were two Bank of New Zealand fiv<3> pound notes, numbers . 325,986 and 486,614. He did not know by whom they were handed m. Further hearing was adjourned until to-morrow morning.