THE POMAHAKA TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 167, 17 July 1896, Page 5

THE POMAHAKA TRAGEDY.

Verdict of Murder,

(BT TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Dunedik, this day. The inquest) touching the death of Mary Matson,' whoso body was found in a lagoon, near Poaahaka, on the 4th iastanb, concluded yesterday, when fche jury, after two hours' absence/, returned a verdict thae they were unanimous thafc Mary Mateon came to her death by murder, and two-thirdo of feb» jury find bUab Carl Mataon was guilty ef cha* murder. ~ Sixteen witnesses were examined, pha hearing of the evidence, lasting -..bill .6.30 p.m>, whea.aa adjournment was-made till the evening. ; ' ' , Christian Lango, storekeeper,' Gliatos, gave evidence aa to a conversation/with both, Matson. and Mrs Matspn,; When b.9 told Matson fche beat thing, he could do was' to take his wife home and support her. Mat!son replied, " I will starve her out. twill feed her on dry bread ank. rabbits, and keep ' her in the hub/ by 7 herself." Witness, asked, How!/will yoa' get on /with' the other grM?'They" will gofi figh ting." He laugnqa and said,' *• The young one can knock spots out of the old one/ Witness strongly advised < Mra /Matßon not to go to hey husband's place. Thos. Chapman, setfcW at Fottnahaka, to whoße house Mrs Matson w'eiit'j.after 'irecrosiing, deposed thyit' she stayed; tharei all. night. He took her acr.osa the riven on "fcbs. following day, and/got two brothers named. Grey to give her ft lifb in their cart.': • Wit- : nesß, referring to her having^ waded? across the river, naked toer. if she was nab afraid of. being drowned; She replied she was nek afraid as she was not' particular if. she was drowned. She said if she were aot well received ab Matsoa'sihe would leave again.' and call on him. •■•;;: .

Edward ©ray, who gave Mrs Mabeon • lifd-in his dray, said that a day.-or two afterwards he moB Matson, who 'nn* walking alongside the girl Clark; who wsaoa horseback. Matson said, " Are; you. tha man who carted in that old b— yesterday ?'* Witness replied, "Yes." He said, MMoe6 likely she ia coming back this way in « fow days. On no: account) give her a ride., Let the old — walk. lam going bo, Clinton for her box. Lam nob going to ; give her any of the contents. lam going to bundle the old —out Do you know what aha cold fchie girl (pointing to Clark) this morning?" Witness said "No." < "Well," said Mabson "She told her she was going to drown herself."; Clark said, "Yes;; that's what she told inc." Witneee and Mateoa then parted. .:.•■• , Dr. Nicoll, of Lawrence,'who made the post mortem, pave evidence that on-.the leftside of the head he found an. oval shaped open wound,:about an inch long, from half to three-quartera of an iuch broad. The bone was exposed. , There was also a starshaped wound over the right temple. To Mr Solomon : The first Wound wat, in my opinion, produced during life. Theidiv colouration would, possibly, baa wound inflicted within: an hour or two after death. There waa nothing co prevent the wounds having bean made by, bumping on tha: rocks.. He found, the brain, decomposed, the lungs contracted, and the cavity of. the cheeb filled, with blood. He . conld nob say that) 'death resulted from ssphyxia. There was no trace of chronic diaeaage. The Wound on the left side of tho head could' have been caused by' otia blow. % tb was, onei clean wound. ".. If tho head had been bnoapinlg there would h.aV« tis.an, other wounds.. The .wouhd; was cnuaed by a blunt sinsifcrometifti vsi'A with a lai"g%:amounfc of violonee. ■ I .-» Inspector Pardy: Waa thai finf&cjenf' So cause death ?—Witness : Yes; :{l/i-ho result) would be concußsion of t% brain,?--!es. You could find no other cause of,death ?—I could^oV. , . . , . . s ■ , \ To Mr Solomon : Witness cbdld not say whether Mrs Matson was killed before elia gof into the river or not. - To Inspector Pardy ? I am unable'to say whether drowning or r suffocation waa the cause of death, bub fche blow on the head was sufficient. I think a blo\r frbia the whip produced would cause such » wound/ ... ".. " •"'■■■' ; . ' ■ '

Inspector Pardy said he did, not put tb* whip forth as the instrument that, did is. Witness added that the whip would cauee an indentation of tho skull. :

In reply to further questions to Mr Solomon, witness said : Ido not thick if death had been caused suddenly, that, is to* say,, by concussion of the brain, I should have found' tho chambers of the heard empty, seeing the valves were normel. Tba condition of the heart makes me of opinion that the woman died of a slow process, such aa drowning, rathor than from a wound.

'. Dr. Sutherland, of Milton; agreed with tho previous witneos as to the rescilt; of tha •post mortem, adding that the. wound on the left side of the head required » violenu blow. Such a wound might;'h'avo caused death by concussion.

Charles Johueon said tliat a week atter the disappearance Mabaon went to Dunedin and brought back Clark'.

R. M. Markbam Brown gave evidence that he was a ropemuker of SO years'standing. Tbe ropes used in tying the sacks on the body were similar in every respect) to that) found on Matson's plough. He would not say that the three pieces were at some past time one rope. A witness named Dufchiei, a (shepherd, stated in the coareo of evidence that when he urged Matson to put the girl Clark away ~ whoa his wife was coming* back as they ' would be fighting, Mateon said be would leave the gun loaded with the girl, and eho could use it if the old woman interfered with her in hie absence. He said he wonld keep the girl in the but with him, and ho would keep the wife in v tent a few yarda away. Witness said, "It won't do at all, Charlie, put.the girl away." "Well,"'ha said, " if ehc kicks up a row, I will club her brains out," at tho same time taking 'up a rabbit grubber or a email adze: Witness said, " That will be murder, you know, you will get hung for that." He exclaimed, "no fear, I will cut my throat." Mateon said hia wife was the cause of putting him. ' to a lob of trouble. ... . '.[

■ The Coroner, in addressing the jury, pointed specially bo the statement made by Matson to Constable Brobey, in which ha admitted having struck his wife as he waa leaving for Clinton, and that when be looked back he saw her lying there kicking on bbo ground. The Coroner said ib seemed to him Matson musib have etanned her. ,Ha also pointed oub that there was a creek near Matson's - bouse in which there were deep holes, and that the creek flowed into Aha Pomahaba.