STORY OF THE MURDER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 254, 27 October 1898, Page 6

STORY OF THE MURDER.

The crime for which Louis Chemis served several years in gaol and narrowly escaped the galloAvs Avas a most sensational one. On Friday, May 31, 1889, a settler at Ivaiwara, Wellington, named Thomas Hawkins, Avas found lying on the branch road which led to dence, having been cruelly and brutally murdered. He lived at the Upper Kaiwara, a few miles from Wellington, and left Welbngton at 5 p.m. on Friday, and three hours later was found lying on the banch road which led to his farm. It was found that he had been shot and stabbed to death. Por-

[ [tions ,rf the vest and coat, blown ~ " ,! as by the discharge of a2* 5* ' - j found on the road some distance 7, B ' .Ithe b__y. and stones marked ■$£ A: . blood Ir. about in variou. ■ _..? h Along with the fragments of S - were the rema.'ns of Hawkin's ',Js* .' : knife, broken up and twistedf '"■■'■ th-ugh considerable force had' h used. The road where he was fn?. was sleep and narrow anddominS : by banks on either side. :-': ' were found in the throat, and^?'-Ay-asa change of gun-shot in HawkS? sho.i_.uer. If was considered that th assassin fired aud hit- Hawking t v_?_ '""' and theu finished his work JI knife or other sharp weapon _.*"• ; police theory at the time a .as th__ after the shots brought the „ n W \ nate man doAvn, his murderer went V to him and finished off. the prostra ! man who, from his position, when found, seemed to have put Vm , hancis to ward off the blows of th knife. The dead man's watch was not " taken, ancl r_ Avas considered that th* ' motive of the crime was not robbery but revenge Amongst Hawkins 5' neighbor:: ;... was an Italian ..named '""' Louis Chemis, who had been heard >: to utter threats against Hawkins in' *• I cons?quence of a Isav suit pendin* , over a. iifty-acre section rented from - Hawkins by Chemis. The Italian's house Avas scorched, and a bone" I handled dagger with a double-ed.-fid: * I blade about six inches long vvas -■■ found. The dagger, however, bore no marks of blood, and the shot found in ? I a shot-flask in the house Avas not- the same size as that found in the body "•-■? No blood-stained clothes were discovered, and Chemis' demeanour waanot that of a guilty man. A doublebarrelled shot-gun was found, and a * •- double set of tracks leading from his. house to the trad where the crime was committed was also discovered. The post-mortem on the body of the murdered man showed that there were a large number of stabs about the?' neck ancl shoulders. One cut divided the jugular vein, and another severed the lower jaw bone. On the trunk? there were more than a dozen other - stabs, and in fact, the corpse was stabbed all over. There was also "a gun-shot wound between the neck and shoulder. Dr. Cahill belieA*ed the stabs; were produced by a double-edged: weapon, and might haA-e been caused' by the dagger found in Chemis' 1 oiise. ' The gun-shot wounds were caused ap-' parently Avhen the assailant was not' more than two yards cAvay. On Wednesday June 6, Louis Chemis" ?: Avas arrested on the charge of murder, ??■? and a trial followed, which Avas a very sensational one and aroused much in- ??•?' terest throughout the colony. Chemis Avas conA.cted on circumstantial evi-'■'.■'■■ dence. A pir ze oi paper used as a wad •??.? in the gun and Avhich Avas found op the ground near Hawkins' body fitted exactly that extracted from the wound.; in the body, and these tAvo fitted a? : ? torn 'Evening Post' of November 17? ??; 1888, found in the prisoner's house.

Other shreds of paper found at ihe scene of the murder also fitted a paper found in accused's house dated May 23, 1889. The gun found in Chemis' house had been recently discharged.

These facts Avere the main evidence against the accused. Chemis was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged, but the Sentence was afterAvards commuted to one of imprisonment for life.

Numerous friends took up Chemis* case, Avhich became a cause celebre in Parliament every session, being vigorously taken up by Mr C. H. Mills, M.H.R., and others. At the time of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations last year Chemis was liberated by the Government Avith several other prisoners.