TRIPLE MURDER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 79, 13 January 1949, Page 6

TRIPLE MURDER

Maori Charged at Mar ton THE OPENING EVIDENCE (P.A.) MARTON, This Day. Tiie public section of the Magistrate’s Court was packed with Maoris and Pakehas this morning when John Reremoana Tume appeared before Mr A. Coleman, S.M., when charged with murder.

Tume, Avho was manacled to a constable and who sat in the body of court, because there was not sufficient room in the dock for the two, appeared disinterested and spent most of his time gazing at members of the public.

The charges were that on December 29, at Onepuhi, he wilfully murdered Olive Hartley, Lillian Winiata and Patrick. Winiata.

Senior-Detective O. S. Power conducted the prosecution and Mr F. G. Opie (Palmerston North) appeared for the accused.

Dr. T. H. Pullar (Palmerston North) a pathologist, detailed extensive head injuries in each case, involving gross destruction of the brain tissue. He said the injuries had been inflicted “with homicidal violence.”

Alfred Winiata, tractor-driver, of Foxton, son-in-latv of deceased Hartley and brother-in-law of Lillian Winiata, said the latter and accused had been living together about a year as ‘ wife and husband. Accused’s attitude toward Lilian Winiata was, bad when witness saw them before Christmas, although he saw no physical violence. When witness left at 8 p.m. on the night of the tragedy he saw accused near the house. Shortly afterwards, when witness was at a neighbour’s house, accused appeared and sy,d: “I’ve done them in up there.” Witness did not believe accused, who drove off in a truck to call the police after asking witness to look after accused’s baby, which was still at the house where the tragedy occurred. Accused was very happy. At this stage Tume began asking witness if he had enjoyed certain beer which Tume had offered, but the Magistrate ruled the question out as irrelevant.

Replying to Mr Opie, Winiata said although it was Christmas there were only “odd bottles” of beer about, Hurt he did not know whether Tume mad been drinking elsewhere. Re-examined, Winiata said he had never seen Tume under the influence of liquor. “Hullo, Dinah!” said accused Avhen Dinah Winiata, wife of the previous witness, stepped into the witness-box.

Witness described altercations on Christmas Eve and next day involving her sister, Lillian Winiata, and accused. Later he endeavoured to force deceased to eat a meal she did not want, and she ran screaming from the table.

Accused at this stage appeared much amused at nothing in particular, and passed his time stroking, and trying to stroke, the back of a nearby reporter’s head. Witness said that accused left the house on Christmas Day when told to go, but returned on December 27, and caused more trouble. Witness said the Hartleys had been trying to get the police earlier, but the police had ignored them. On December 27 a doctor was called so that Lillian Winiata, after examination, could lay a charge of assault against accused. Next day accused uttered many threats and Olive Hartley (deceased) told him to leave the property. Conditions hpd not changed the next day and witness said that with everyone’s nerves at breaking point she decided to return to Foxton. Accused told her he was also leaving, but he was still there when she left. A short length of iron bar which was produced in court witness identified as having been in the house. “Kapai; the kai now,” commented accused, who had just removed and replaced his shoes. While witness was being cross-exam-ined, accused persisted in stroking the adjacent reporter’s hair and the Magistrate ordered him into the dock with the ' constable to whom he manacled standing at the entrance. Eight-year-old Robert Hartley, son of deceased, Lillian Winiata, who was at the- house when the tragedy took place, described events after the Winiatas from Foxton left by truck. All were in one room when accused, refused the use of a pressing iron, went away and returned with something in his hand with which he chased deceased Hartley. Frightened by the screaming witness jumped through a window and hid in the trees, whence he saw Hartley being struck by accused. Tume then went inside again and witness saw him running down the road. Witness said he found his mother and Patrick Winiata lying in the back door-way so he Avent to a neighbour’s place.