HIKUTAIA SENSATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 111, 11 May 1915, Page 6

HIKUTAIA SENSATION.

STORY OF A PARTNERSHIP AS TOLD AT AN INQUEST. DECEASED - .* LAST LETTER, MAKE'S SERIOUS ALLEGATION'S. (By Telegraph.—Owe Correspondent.) PAEROA, Monday. Tlip adjourned inquest inquiring into circumstnncen surrounding the death nf Frederick Allen Clay, who was ,'ound dead in a creek at Hikutaia, on Frida.r, April 2.'ird. was continued at Hikutaia to-day. When found, deceased had a heavy stone tied around hU neck. Mr. Joseph Nathan. Coroner, conducted the inqur-«t. anrl Mr. K. Clendon represented relatives of deceased. Dr. C'ouzens said that hp had made an external examination of deceased'! body and discovered no signs of violence. He "considered death due to drowning. William .lamp- Boon (deceased's partner I. known in Hikutaia as \V. 3. Thomas, stated that lie. came to Xew Zealand in October. 1013. He lived in a number of towns, including ChrHtchurch, Wellington. Hastings, and Auckland. While in Auckland witness advertised for a partner to purchase a farm. Clay applied, and they purchased a (arm at Hikutaia. Deceased at that time had about £130, and witness had £139. They took possession of the farm in [June. 1914. In January last they had a credit of £54. and now had a credit bilance of £4. The shortage of cash led to row?, and they decided to insure the house and burn it down to get the money. The deceaeed Clay went and insured the house with the Royal Insurance Company for £150. The house nil not inspected by the agent. The house was also insured by the mortgagee for £250 in the South British Office. Eventually deceased refused to burn the house, and the plan was not carried out Witness last saw deceased on the morning of Tuesday. April ?0tl), at breakfast. After breakfast witness went to work on one portion of the farm. Deceased was at the house. Deceased did not come home that evening, and witness started to make inquiries. He called on his neighbours, and they had not eeen i anything of deceased. Further search I was made on Wednesday, and on Thursday witness informed the police. A party of settlers and the police searched on Thursday, and on Friday the body was discovered in a creek running through their farm. The place »h*re the body was found was a-bout 200 to 300 rards from the house, and the pool was about 8 to 10ft «eep. There -Wai a stone about 25 to 401bs weight tied to deceased's neck with a rope. The police produced a letter signed fey Clay, which he gave to a neighbour ott January 10th, 1915. The letter was e»ciosed in an envelope addressed to R <f» G. Scott, and the following was writtea on the envelope:—"From F. A. Clay. To be returned unopened when I wish." The letter was as follows:—", F. A.Clay, wish this note to bear evidence that if anything happens to mc it will likely be by my partner, known as W. J. Thomas, as he has on several occasion* said he would take my life. This morning he said he would shoot rue. I therefore deposit this with Mr. E. Scott."' The note was signed by F. A. Clay. Witness denied ever making a threat !io take deceased's life. In reply to Sergeant Woblmann witness said that he changed his name to Thomas because his real name. Boon, had been ridiculed. The witness was put through a searching cross-examination by Mr. E. Cle* don, -who represented deceased's relatives. He did not consider burning a house down to defraud the Insurance Company a very serious crime. He eoesidered that deceased committed suicide, and said that deceaeed ■Wβ* always worrying about want of money, and wae continuously rowing and quarrelling about the want of cash. He said that ho was always on friendly terms wifca Scott. Witness made several statements which were different to statements made and signed by bim at the opening of the inquest. K. J. G. Scott (a termer), gave evidence as to receiving the letter from deceased. He also swore that Boon (or Thoma?. as he knew him), had said to him (witness) that he would kill Clay and throw him into the rirer. Evidence was also given by F. Summers, who said that deceaeed had told him if he got into trouble he would haug himself.

At this stage the inquest was «#■ journed for a week.